About (Artist/Instructor) 

Artist:

I completed my MFA in Painting & Drawing at the University of Oregon in 2015. I earned my BA in Painting from Mills College in 2009. I am a founding member of Tropical Contemporary (artist collective focused on creating space for contemporary art and supporting LGBTQIA artists) based in Eugene, OR.

In 2019, I was the recipient of the Artist in an Olive Garden Residency in Arles, France. In 2018, I was selected to participate in the Kingsbrea International Residence for the Arts in Saint Andrews, Canada. Both of these incredible experiences allowed me deep focus, productivity, and unforgettable artistic connection with my fellow artists.

In 2015, I was awarded the Charlene Ho Award for Excellence in the Arts from the Ford Alumni Center in Eugene, OR. In 2009, I received the Herringer Prize for Excellence in Studio Art from Mills College in Oakland, CA. 

I currently work in my Corvallis, OR based studio and teaching full time at Linn Benton Community College.

Instructor:

Perhaps what attracts me most to art is its connectivity. It provides little inlets to almost every subject of study, sends out philosophical hooks that lead to deeper conversations, and has a merciless sense of humor. In the studio, I often ask myself what could be a better life? Teaching frequently causes me to ask the same question. The thing that I didn't realize as a student was just how much exploration, learning, and growth can happen as a teacher. Everyone has a unique vantage point to offer, a wealth of personally amassed knowledge, and distinct value within their work.

In the art studio we (teacher/students) have the opportunity to see things through another person's hands, a chance for daily exchange, and near utopian possibilities.

I am honored to have offered art classes at the University of Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Chemeketa Community College, and Mendocino Community College. I worked with College Inside and now Linn Benton Community College to teach college art classes inside Oregon’s Correctional Facilities.