A(rt)SPIRE - Director                                                                                            2010 - present

·     Founded organization dedicated to the mission of promoting the arts and partnering with arts organizations, galleries and museums to develop programs and expand community engagement and support for the arts.

·     Arts consultant to broad range of artists and foundations. Assist in developing outreach strategies, auditing websites, researching funding opportunities and identifying residency programs and partnership possibilities for artists and cultural and community arts organizations.

·     Active member in multiple arts organizations from national boards to regional arts organizations. Participate in arts programs nationwide: James Renwick Alliance (Board Member), Penland School of Crafts, Anderson Ranch, Haystack, Torpedo Factory Art League, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), American Craft Council (ACC), and Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG).

·     Advise artists (glass, ceramics, wood, textiles and multi-media) and organizations in art acquisition and outreach strategies. Recent projects include Chicago Zoo - Mosaic artist installation (2016), Ayumi Horie’s Democratic Cup Project (2017) and proposal for Penland to secure funding for Renwick’s acquisition of Wendy Maruyama’s “Shadow of Amboseli” (2016).

Selected Work in Recent Art Shows

·     2 Photographs in “Water” Alex Ferrone Gallery, Cutchogue, NY, November – December 2017.

·     Photographic work and writing in mixed media show “Doubt” Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA

·     Ceramics included in show  “Unfinished Work” 12/2017 at Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory– Pencils Down: Ceramics and silkscreen.

·     20 photographs included in upcoming show at Photoworks Gallery: Open Shutter (2017/2018)

·     Photographic work, Chasing Shadows and Car Wash in “Captured Beauty” show,

11/2017 – Del Ray Artisans, Alexandria, VA.

·     Port City Brewery, Photography auctioned in fundraising show for Del Ray Artisans 2017.

·     Penland Winter Residents Show: Ceramics - Flex Gallery, Penland, January 2017.

·     Ceramics: Tea Dreams included in “Local Flavor” show, Del Ray Artisans, 2016.

·     Test Series: TV Test Patterns in clay, Flex Studio, Penland Winter Residents show 2017.

·     Raw/Bisque/You’re Fired: Ceramics selected for “Destruction” show: Gallery 102, George Washington University – Post-Election show of 5 artists – 5 Mediums (2016).

·     The White Walls Gallery – work in multiple student shows: Corcoran School/Art & Design.

·     Anderson Ranch – Photography in auction/fundraiser in Snowmass, Colorado.

Arts/Writing for Publication                                                                   

·     Writer and photographer for James Renwick Alliance Quarterly.

·     Profile Distinguished and emerging artists, highlight arts events and educational symposiums, review museum shows and spotlight art trends. Published articles include:

·     Collaboration in Craft: The Art of Annie Evelyn and Shae Bishop, Fall 2017* (JRA)

·     Photographed Alex Bernstein and others for publication in Distinguished Artist, Fall 2017*

·     June Schwarcz: Invention and Innovation – Review of Renwick show, Fall 2017*

·     Peter Voulkos: The Breakthrough Years - Review of Renwick show, Summer 2017

·     Helen Frederick: Local Treasure/Global Presence Distinguished Artist Feature, Summer 2017

·     Judit Varga: Local Treasure/International Artist, Distinguished Artist Feature, Winter 2016

·     American Craft Council (ACC) Annual Meeting: Present Tense, Winter 2016

·     Symposium: Reflections on ‘A Craft Quartet – Weaving People to Create

Communities, Summer 2016

·     John Grade: Profile of A Distinguished Artist: Summer 2016

·     Pottery on the Hill: Meet-Up – Fall 2016

·     Spotlight Ceramics: Art in Phoenix/Sam Chung, Don Reitz, Kurt Weiser, Summer 2015

·     Beth Cavener: Distinguished Artist Series/Smithsonian Presentation, Fall 2015

·     **Upcoming articles (for Spring, Summer & Winter 2018) - in development:

The Art of Burning Man; Parallax Gap – Review of Ceiling Installations at the Renwick; Interviews with glass artists, Shane Fero & Dean Allison (Penland);

*Private Dreams & Public Art: Rosemary Feit Covey – Experimental Printmaker

 **Nancy Blum – Drawing, Mosaics and Glass: Public Installations, from Subways to Elevators from Medical Centers to Parks.

·     *To be published the upcoming issue of the JRA Quarterly November 2017

**To be published Winter and Spring editions of JRA Quarterly 2018

Selected Art Residencies/Workshops

·     Penland/Winter Residency: 2017 - 2018 – Awarded Ceramics & Writing Residency.

·     Penland/Winter Residency: 2016 - 2017 – Awarded Ceramics Residency  – Silkscreen on clay.

·     Torpedo Factory: Named Resident Artist in Ceramics Associate Program/Studio.

Workshops: Penland – Participant in multiple workshops with ceramic artists, Liz Summerfield, Israel Davis, Akira Shitake (2014-2017); Haystack – Creativity Conference (2015); Anderson Ranch – Photography and Ceramics workshops with Doug Casebeer, Wendy Babcox, Jeff Oestreich and Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson (2010-2014).

 Selected Curatorial Experience                                                                          2010 - present

·     Curatorial experience as part of team in collaboration with arts organizations. Assist in creating innovative shows including installation, design, and social media promotion.

Recent and upcoming shows include:

·     Penland School of Crafts (Winter Residents Show: Flex Studio 01/ 2017 and 01/ 2018).

·     George Washington University (Gallery 102 – Destruction Show 11/2016), Designed “Break a Piece: Make A Piece,” involving public in destruction & creation of art response to election.

·      Del Ray Artisans Gallery - Local Flavor Exhibit 2016 – publicity and install.

·     Corcoran School of Art/Design in D.C. - Whitewalls/Student Gallery - multiple years.

·      Pottery on the Hill at The Hill Center - 17 national artists – Publicity and feature story.  

Arts/Public Programming

·       James Renwick Alliance Board Member: 2013 – present: Member of Distinguished Artist Series, Editorial Board, Public Programming, and Spring Craft Weekend Symposium.

·       Co-chaired Symposium, “A Craft Quartet: Weaving People to Create Communities” at Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C. (April 2016) that brought in 150 attendees to museum. Introduced speakers at museum symposium, including Stu Kestenbaum, Chair/American Craft Council – head of Haystack, Theresa Secord, founder - Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance; Sonya Clark, Chair of Craft and Material Studies (VCU), David Keefe-creator of Combat Paper NJ and Alleghany Meadows, founder of ArtStream Nomadic Gallery.

·       Assist in selection and promotion of 4 annual Distinguished Artist Series (DAS) presentations each year (over past 4 years) that awards a renowned glass, ceramics, wood and textile artists with the DAS designation. Develop weekend workshops at a local studio and a public presentation by the artists. Recent recipients have included, Alex Bernstein (glass), Sonia King (mosaics), Chris Antemann (ceramics) and Sharon Church (jewelry); Foon Sham (sculptor); Einar and Jamex de la Torre and Sibylle Peretti (glass).

·       Presented opening speech and fielded questions at Distinguished Artist Series presentation to introduce Judit Varga, ceramic artist before public discussion at Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, McEvoy Auditorium (SAAM – 2017).

·       Interviewed by Michael Monroe, former Curator-in-Charge of the Renwick, on the “Art of Collecting” before members of JRA held in conjunction with Spring Craft Weekend 2016.

Arts/Public Programming (cont’d)

·       Worked with Hill Center (Washington, D.C) and curator, Dan Finnegan of Pottery on the Hill to promote 17 artists and bring groups of collectors to annual event for a behind-the-scenes tour of national participating artists (annually since 2015).

·      Developed program at local schools to bring 100 students to experience Art in the Park and become “apprentices-in-training” to local artists in mosaic, clay, theater arts, and painters at Glen Echo National Park, Maryland.

Education

·     Columbia University – M.I.A. – Masters of International Affairs, New York, NY               

·     Stanford University – B.A. – International Affairs

·     Corcoran School of Art & Design - Continuing Education/Ceramics, Washington, D.C.

·     Cranbrook/Kingswood, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Additional Experience

Co-Author: Making A Difference: Guide to Advocacy (Soros Foundation commission) Speechwriter, Democratic political candidates, international business officials, and former Prime Minister of South Korea and advertisement copy for businesses in Fortune magazine, Former Director of International Trade – U.S.-Chamber of Commerce; Social Studies Department Chair – The Langley School, McLean, VA; Editorial/Writing Experience with: Foreign Affairs magazine, Foreign Policy magazine, The Viking Press, The Brookings Institution (Researcher), Arden House Fellow (Columbia University).