About

Growing up, I was always described as the "artsy" or "creative" one. Paper, clay, wire, beads, I couldn't stop  myself from "making". If it could be recycled into an art project, I just had to use it! Eventually, these small creations went from objects into wearable designs.

My grandfather loved to "make" and "craft" and he nurtured my own creativity. A retired machinist, he dabbled in stone cutting, wood working and jewelry making. This encouraged me to take metals/jewelry classes in high school and learn the basics of fabrication. After graduating high school, with family support, I decided to make jewelry, art, and small-scale engineering my life.

After graduating with my BFA in metalsmithing and jewelry in 2012, I began teaching the foundations of jewelry design and metalsmithing to adult students. My goal is to instill in every student a child-like fascination for metal, construction, and creativity.

When not in the studio or teaching, I enjoy daydreaming, planning a vacation, or (when the weather permits) playing at the beach. I may also be found antiquing; looking for the perfect locket to add to my collection of over 50 pieces.

*Photo Credit: Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

CV

Education:     

2014                      Gemological Institute of America, Accredited Jewelry Professional

2012                      Bachelor of Fine Arts, emphasis in jewelry and metals, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, Magna cum Laude                    

2007-2009           Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, MI       

Professional /Work Experience:                     

2015                                            Juror, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Annual Art Fair

2014                                              Juror, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Annual Art Fair

2013-Present                              Metals/Jewelry Department Co-Chair, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

2012- Present                             Metals/Jewelry Faculty, Kalamazoo Institute of Art, Kalamazoo, MI   

2010- 2012                                   Metals/Jewelry Lab Technician, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

Awards/Grants:                                             

2014                         Honorable Mention, Women’s Works, 27th annual exhibition, Northwest Area Arts Council, Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

2012                         Fourth Place, Annual Gwen Frostic School of Art Juried Student Exhibition, (Juror: Eric Gleason) Frostic School of Art, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2011                         Honorable Mention, FATE (Foundations in Art: Theory and Education) International Foundation Exhibition, Bowling Green University, BGSU Virtual Campus in Second Life, Creation Island

2011                         Second Place, Material Topics: Shifting Tradition symposium and juried exhibit, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

2011                          Frostic School of Art Enrichment Grant, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2011                          Frostic School of Art Scholarship, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI    

2007                         Honorable Mention, Scholastic Art Awards, Kendall College of Art and Design

Solo Exhibitions:

2012                        Shoreline: 1991-present, Devries Gallery, Richmond Center for Visual Arts,  Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI                           

2011                          Modern.Primitive., Art Hop, Van Sweden Jewelers, Kalamazoo, MI

Group Exhibitions:      

2015                          Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI                             

2014                          Metalmorphosis 2014, (Juror: Michigan Silversmiths Guild) Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center North Lobby, Ann Arbor, MI

2013                           Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI

2013                           24th Annual Juried Competition, (Juror: Rebecca Elliot) Center for the Arts, Arts Council of York County, Rock Hill, SC

2012                           Women’s Works, 25th annual exhibition, Northwest Area Arts Council, Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

2012                           Western Michigan University Metals/Jewelry BFA exhibition, Art Hop, Morrison Jewelers, Kalamazoo, MI

2012                           Material Topics: Merging Methods symposium and exhibition, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC     

2011                            Art Prize After Party, WMU Graduate Center, Grand Rapids MI

2011                            Annual Gwen Frostic School of Art Juried Student Exhibition, (Juror: Yevgeniya Kaganovich), Frostic School of Art, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

2011                            6th Annual Western Michigan University Student Show, Saniwax Gallery, Park Trades Center, Kalamazoo, MI

2010                            Annual Gwen Frostic School of Art Juried Student Exhibition, (Juror: Kate Teale) Frostic School of Art, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI