BIO

I am an artist based in Alameda, CA.  When I am not teaching social justice influenced art at the local continuation school, I love to hang in my studio making art that is silly and inspirational. I thrive on a balance of working hard for the youth I serve with finding time and space to tap into creative joy.

During my studies at LIU- Global College, I began to develop my artistic voice studying in Kenya, Costa Rica, Panama and Americus, Ga. I also taught art, math and English to youth in Nairobi, studied the African Diaspora in Central America and helped create a youth library.

I studied painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where I focused my work on my personal racial and cultural heritage, traveling to Norway for research. My goal was the answer the question, “What does it mean to be a white woman?”. I am still answering that question.

I am in my 17th year teaching high school and constantly evolve my practice. Working with teens is the best- they are the holiest of oddballs.

I became an artist-in-residence at the Red Cinder Creativity Center in Hawaii in 2006. I returned to East Africa (Ethiopia) in 2007 to study native crafts and contemporary works. Through the San Francisco Foundation Artist Fellowship program I traveled to Ghana in the summer of 2008 to study printmaking. In 2009, I studied printmaking at the Graff studio in Montreal. In 2017, I completed my Integrated Learning Specialist training through Alameda County Office of Education with focus on art and youth self empowerment.

Solo shows in the Bay Area area include: Icons at The Fireside, Pop Art at The Local, In the Moment at the Alameda Main Library, WASP at MoJoe Cafe (Berkeley), Where I Stand at Cafe La Flor (San Francisco), Incidental Memories at Spellbinding Tales (Alameda), Shoe Show at the Grand Lake Community Center (Oakland), and Ship Paintings Artship (Oakland).

A portion of everything I sell goes to Drag Queen Story hour, which combines my love of justice, fun and education.