Art

I studied art at Maryland Institute College of Art, and Kent State University where I earned a BFA. I worked in the community arts department at the Cleveland Museum of Art for several years while simultaneously creating costumes, sets and props for performances with several companies including the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Public Theatre. I began to pursue sculpture and worked on public art installations. I found myself teaching more workshops and ultimately served as Director of Creative Arts at The Pardes School, an independent high school in Cleveland. I relocated to California in 2003 and worked as a sculptor fabricating exhibits for the World Forestry Center in Portland, the Oakland Zoo, and San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay. I built costumes for Teatro ZinZanni, and sets and props for events and independent film before making my return to the classroom at The Marin School.

My high school art teacher most likely changed the course of my life. I came in to his class sophomore year with an interest and affinity for art, but I also had an attitude and not very much obvious ability. Fortunately, I turned around before my teacher figured out how to get me to drop the class. At some point during that year, something unlocked in me and I found my path. I became the poster child for how much can be learned in art and my teacher became my most important mentor. Art became the most important thing in my life and guided my decisions on what to do with it.

What inspires me most is nature, animals, industrial landscapes and people. For my artwork it's probably the strangeness of all of those things.

I was drawn to the Marin School because of its commitment to the arts. I was so impressed by the role that the arts play at the school and by the talent the school seems to attract. New ideas are always welcome here, and that gives everyone a chance to grow and use their imagination.

When not working I spend time camping, making art, and hanging out with my musician husband, Rik, my Taiwanese dog, Jak, and the cat that oversees it all- The Chairman Mau.

Art classes