Hello! Thank you for visiting my portfolio site! I am a Scenic Designer and Artisan, Visual Artist, and Teacher currently based in the state of Iowa. I hold an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Memphis, but have since expanded my career path into other avenues of arts education and community engagement. I have had the immense privilege of reconnecting with my hometown arts community over the past few years. I have served an AmeriCorps term promoting youth literacy in local preschools, served as a coach and mentor for an accomplished high school theatre program, and volunteered my time and skills at community art centers around town.
While it may be an non-traditional path for a theatre professional to return home, I have affectionately referred to this time as my "sabbatical," as it was an opportunity to refine my career goals and aspirations as an artist. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am very much looking forward to returning to the professional theatre world full time with a refreshed perspective on my work and the industry as a whole.
I have worked in scenic and props roles in academic and regional theatres across the country, including the Creede Repertory Theatre, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, School of the Performing Arts of the Richmond Community, and a number of community theatres around Memphis. In my graduate studies, I've completed coursework and had practical experience in non-profit administration, art history, traditional and digital art media, production management, and pedagogy.
Over the past decade, my interests have always been centered around organizational leadership, education, and enabling the success of young artists. As an artist, I strongly value a people-first mentality and believe that our work is done best when we take care of ourselves first. "Good art is made by good people" is a motto I learned at my first internship and has guided me through every choice I've made in my professional career. I look forward to becoming a leader and advocate in theatre and arts education in the years to come.
