Art Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Iowa State University ’01 
  
• Art Education Certification University of Missouri '11

Teaching Art/Art Employment

• Art Teacher K-12 with Behavioral & Academic Special Needs with DesMoines Public School, IA ‘21-‘22
• Art Teacher K-5 & Talented and Gifted Makerspace K-5 with Starmont K-12 IA ‘20-‘21
• Cover+ LT Art Teacher with Wheatley Park Secondary School and Sixth Form Oxford, U.K. ‘18-‘19
• Art Teacher with Cedarcrest Middle School 300+ 6-8 WA '17-'18
• Art Teacher with Creighton Universal 700+ K-8 PA '15-'17
• Art Teacher with BOOST after school program PA ’13-'15
  
• Guest Art Teacher at Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts Middle School ON, Canada ’13
  
• Art Director at St. Louis City Open Studio and Gallery MO, summer ’12
  
• Adult Drawing Instructor at St. Louis Community College Continuing Education MO ’06-’11
  
• Art Teacher at Girls Incorporated MO, summers ’08-’11
  
• Docent at World Chess Hall of Fame MO ’11
  
• Art Teacher at Central Catholic Academy MO ‘06 – ’08
  
• Art Camp Counselor at Laumeier Sculpture Park MO, summer ’06
  
• Master Ceramicists’ Assistant at Mendocino Art Center CA, summer ’05
  
• Art Department sales associate at Hobby Lobby TX ‘04-‘05
  
• Art Teacher at Brazos School for Inquiry and Creativity TX ‘03 - ’04
  
• Arts & Cultural Educator International Gallery for Heritage and Culture RI ‘01 – ’03
  
• Design Computer Lab monitor ISU, IA ’00
  
• Caricature Artist with Hollywood Caricatures IA, summer ‘99
  

Relevant Honors

SAY Poetry Workshop Poet weekly workshops for students to add poetry to their art, IA ‘21

Awarded $20,000. through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Rural Innovation Grant with $10,000. matching funds to develop an Augmented Reality App for Art Teachers and Tourism, IA ‘20-‘21

Guest Industrial Artists from China, debuting their laser-cut Mongolian yurt model, packaging and marketing theme of culture-preservation, Oxford, UK ‘19

Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens field trip grant, WA’18

Guest Artists: chain mail jeweler, cosplay seamstress, Filipino American Potter, Ukrainian American chef, and  Native American singer, drummer, cedar-weaver, WA ‘17- ‘18

Target Field Trip grant for the Fabric Workshop and Museum field trip, PA '17 

Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Around the World 4th Grade Field Trip, PA ‘16

Selected educator to participate in the Global Summer Institute's courses at University of Pennsylvania, PA '16 & '17

Awarded stipend through Commerce Department of Philadelphia & PEC arts and culture initiative PA ‘14 

Chosen for Contemporary Art Travel Study Program visit with curators, MOMA, studio artists, NY ‘11 

Awarded Art Education Scholarship through the Des Lee Foundation MO ‘10 

St. Louis Coalition for Human Rights Unsung Shero Award, MO '08

Selected for Regional Arts Commission’s Community Arts Training program (8 artists chosen annually, trained to assess community needs, write grants, & offer mediation skills for high needs communities) MO, ’07

Selected to serve a two-year term at the rare arts-based AmeriCorps Program, The International Gallery for Heritage & Culture, (partnered with several non-profit arts orgs, art teachers, and schools) & was the RI Delegate promoting Arts-based AmeriCorps programming in Washington DC, RI ’01-‘03  

Professional Activities

Presented at the Iowa Talented and Gifted (ITAG) Conferences: “Escape Room Storytelling using Makerspace Tech” Spring ‘21 and “StarAR: Augmented Reality Barn Quilts” Fall ‘21 

Presented at state Art Education Association conferences: "STEAM on the Street" PAEA '17, "Street Art" PAEA '15 & "Synesthesia & Giftedness" MAEA '12, Current NAEA/PAEA member (natl & st)

Follow art blogs such as: Art of Ed. & US Department of Arts and Culture

Art Involvement

Digital Arts and Continuing Education: personal art explorations and continuing education (enhances my students’ experience, especially motivational): digital art , entrepreneurial-creative business plans, AR/ VR classes from University of Oxford, UK, (2 Summer courses) Creative Global Education by the University of Pennsylvania: Using the Arts to Teach Global: History, Happenings, and Heritage & Legendary Empires: Power, People, and Politics, contemporary art, experimental art, and experience art with excellence are among her newest philosophies and interests (tested out Olivia Gude’s Post Modern Principles), graphic design through an online accredited class called iPads in the Classroom, 3D printmaking workshops at a maker-space in Philadelphia, attended several digital art and maker-space workshops at conferences, experimented with various apps while creating a daily gratitude journal, and (while teaching in Washington) student body 1:1 tech accessibility (every student had Chromebooks) so I developed graphic design curriculum for students. 

Volunteer/Guest Art Teacher

worked with 4+ organizations, led 2 myself, 1 gifted short term & 1 community 2yr. e.g. Lester B. Pearson School of Art, gifted prog: 8 modern mini-murals, 4 sculpted capitals London, Ontario ‘14  

Community Arts and Collaborations

involved in 35 public art initiatives, including murals, installations, interactive art, performance art, and creating event educational materials e.g. Children’s library mural RI ‘03 & Neuroscience Mural PA '15

Volunteer Artist

for 18+ grassroots orgs. e.g. organized a bus trip to DC ‘08 & created adoption video for cats

Commissions and Gigs

Car decal design commission ’21

portraits, caricatures, & mixed-media assemblages e.g. Commission Portrait of mother & deceased child TX ’05, birthday party caricature artist MO ’06  

Exhibition History

Group Exhibitions: 39 art shows ‘99-‘14 in 8 states & 1 province e.g. Jobs With Justice’s Bread & Roses annual exhibition " Visible Work Invisible People" MO ‘06
Solo Exhibition: Green Line Cafe, "Feminine Divine" PA ‘14 

Exhibition Prep., Set-up, Docent, & Tours

for 26+ shows (studnt, profsl, & intrnl exhibits) e.g. Docent, World Chess Hall of Fame’s "World Master Works" included multimillion dollar rare sets/Faberge Chess set MO ’11 & 

Art Fundraiser Exhibitions, Auctions, & Events 

12 instances, raising in total $4,380.00 + art supply donations e.g. initiated "Spring for Art" benefit for New School of Colour (art with homeless) London, Ontario ‘14 

Festival & Event Planning Committees

worked in a creative capacity in 11, 7 of those for multiple events e.g. MLK day festival, Emancipation Day festival, Fools Ball and parade, Intrnatl Institute Marketplace RI ’01-‘02