Resume
Visual Artist
Twenty years experience as a professional artist specializing in mixed media paintings, graphic arts, silkscreen printing, murals, polymer clay, papier mache sculpture, masks and giant puppets. All of my programs maintain a focus on collaboration and community building as well as creativity and problem solving.
Experience working with children and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Patient and encouraging instructor with proven ability to create a stimulating learning environment and atmosphere of acceptance.
Ability to effectively convey ideas and concepts while capturing the interest of the intended audience.
Recent Experience
2009
DIRT upcoming Oct/Nov
Performance written by Anne Cubberly and Daniel T. Blow commissioned by the Atheneum for the Aetna theatre. I created all the giant puppets, masks, costumes and props for these fantasies.
Make That Trash-y Puppet Dance
Asylum Hill Congregational Church
Hartford, Ct.
Bone Stories
Lamotta Fine Art
Hartford, Ct.
2006/7
Artist in Residence
Wadsworth Atheneum
Hartford, Ct.
2005/6
Wadsworth Atheneum
Hartford, Ct.
"Drop" and "Whoosh"
Two performances written by Anne Cubberly and Daniel T Blow commissioned by the Atheneum for the Aetna theatre. I created all the giant puppets, masks, costumes and props for these fantasies.
2005
Teaching:
Pomerene Art Center
Coshocton, OH
I worked with seven classrooms (5th grade) from five different schools to create garbage art. I saw each class twice for an hour. The students created sculpture with an under sea theme. I created a float with an undersea theme and all the students' work was installed on the float and the students marched with it during a community parade.
Cranbury School
Norwalk, CT
The entire student body of the Cranbury School worked to create giant puppets. I met with each classroom one time where upon the students (kindergarten through fifth) worked on one component of the giant puppets. Classes were painting, creating the faces, fabricating the arms or making the hair and much more. The project ended with a community parade and celebration at the school. The emphasis of this project was "diversity."
Cranbury School
Norwalk, CT
Again the entire student body worked on a print making project. Each student made a stamp (from foam and cardboard) which represented themselves. The students then printed fabric with their stamps which created the fabric and banners of their community. This was my part in a larger project designed by the parents. I met with each classroom twice during the time when they would normally have their art class.
Summer Camp:
West Hartford, CT
In this course four groups of students (aged 8 to 13) collaborated to make a performance. The students wrote the story, created a story board, created the costumes and props, mastered the school stage lighting and designed the lighting for the performance. Students took on the role of director, stage manager, back stage crew, lighting crew and performers. I met with each group collectively or separately eight times (including the performance.) The project culminated with a performance for the families of the students.
2004 –5
University of Hartford
Hartford, CT
As an adjunct faculty at the University of Hartford, I teach the Equinox Madness Course. This project involves the entire University community in an interdisciplinary arts event that included giant puppets, theater, movement, music and a parade.
2003 - 2005
Aldrich Museum
Ridgefield, CT
1) Mask Making class for teachers. Teachers learned simple and creative ways to make functioning masks out of everyday materials.
2) Family Day Garbage Art. Parents and children (ages 2 and up) created sculpture from recycled or discarded objects. The participants can not use tape, staples or glue which means they create ingenious solutions to their sculpting challenges.
3) Run Away to the Circus. Students (4 to 6 yrs) created circus costumes, characters and routines which culminated in a performance for their parents.
2003 – 2005
Castle Hill Art Center
Truro, MA
I taught children (10 to 60 yrs) to create their own giant puppets. The course runs for ten days and we worked four hours per day. The course culminates in our participation in the Provincetown Carnival Parade.
2001 – 2005
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, OH
I created new giant puppets for the museum's "Parade the Circle" and did outreach with community groups. The outreach consisted of mask and costume making, movement, creating noise makers and parade performance. As with all the groups I work with the emphasis in on the students creating their own story and problem solving ways to effectively communicate that story or idea.
2001
New Britain Museum of American Art
New Britain, CT
I worked with over 100 students on a "Garbage Art" program. I met with each group three times for one hour. The students created sculpture using discarded items as their medium. They are not allowed to use tape, glue, paint or staples. Students were inspired to create within a water, land or air theme. I worked with children aged six years to fifteen years old. Upon completion of the project I created an installation of their work in the New Britain Museum of American Art and we had a wonderful opening for the students and the public.