ABOUT ME
I PLAY . . . I LEARN . . . I TEACH . . . I MAKE ART . . . I FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
"An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing." ---Louise Bourgeois
"I do not want to show things but to give people the desire to see." ---Agnes Varda
"Cry out as if you have a million voices! It is silence that kills the world." -- Catherine of Siena
To be playful and serious at the same time is possible, and it defines the ideal mental condition. -
John Dewey
Art is a not pre-prescribed; it is a dangerous world full of possibilities.
- Cate Blanchett, actor
BioI am a Professor of Studio Art at Mott Community College in Flint Michigan, where I teach Sculpture, Studio Art Foundations, and Art History courses.
I received my BFA in Metalsmithing/3D and MFA in Sculpture from Central Michigan University. My Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration Humanities and Society and a focus on visual/media culture and critical visual literacy was earned from Union Institute & University. I was a Lecturer II in the Department of Fine Arts & Art History at The University of Michigan - Flint, for 14 years, and adjunct faculty at Delta College for over 12+ years, both where I taught a variety of Studio Art, Art History, and Art Appreciation courses. In addition to trying to keep up with my three kids (well, not really kids any more) and husband, I am a mixed media , and installation artist working mostly with a variety of fibers, recycled, discarded, and found materials. Social efficacy and engagement are always the foundation of my work. My sculptural and installation work uses the figural form to explore empathy, encouraging varying intensities of connection and empathy between the self and the Other. This focus has manifested through sculptural and installation work that addresses social, cultural, environmental, and political issues. My current work has 2 interrelated series, both addressing the inattention to and/or ignoring of issues affecting our world today. My current work consists of 2 interrelated series, both addressing the inattention to and ignoring of issues affecting our world today: The Invisible people that walk among us, ignored, passed by, unacknowledged, marginalized, and/or misunderstood; and similar realities but through the focus on the interconnectedness of ourselves and our Earth. I use cardboard as the primary media because of its commonness and its perceived worthlessness after use. Also, the act of reusing and recycling a material that would end up forgotten in landfills. These embedded aspects of cardboard become a powerful metaphor for the issues I wish to make visible. My interdisciplinary visual and scholarly research interests focus on the social efficacy of visual and performance art, I am also interested in visual/media literacy in higher education, the intersections between the fine art and media realms, and how visual art and media can be used to engage with diversity/difference, equity, accessibility, and most importantly, with issues of social justice. My focus as a scholar-educator is always on how we can best facilitate student learning, critical thinking, and students' engagement with the world around them and how they can make a difference in this world. |
Pandemic: Weight Bearer
"Kindness is a fire that must always be fed." - Bontjes van Beek (Red Orchestra) |
