About Me. Statement
Drawing upon memories—both autobiographical and fictional—I construct densely layered narratives from my ‘dragon’s hoard’ of cast-off, found, and gifted artifacts. Like an archaeologist, I excavate and examine the material remnants of others, creating meaningful connections between these objects that represent my lived experiences.
My artistic gaze gravitates towards meaningful objects: trinkets, knick-knacks, vivid, high-contrast, and colorful patterns, all reminiscent of the warmth and familiarity of my leading ladies-- grandmothers. With each the kitchen has often been the heart of the home, a space where the women in my family gained and lost power. Each of my pieces is like a 90s glamour shot style portrait from my childhood.
Early in life, my parents relocated our family, and my day-to-day existence diverged starkly from summers spent running around the neighborhood with cousins and spending time with the 4 of them. They each represent a piece of my DNA; Auntie Shug (objects + longevity), Grandma Ossie (strength + independence), Grandma Margaret (Self-flagellation + perfection), and Grandma Betsie (indulgence + fun). Three on my mother’s side and one on my dad’s. During this time, I struggled to find a sense of belonging both with the younger cousins of my extended family and in my daily life, oscillating between different versions of myself. Each grandmothers’ homes became a different type of sanctuary where my identity— rooted in my experience —was never questioned. Within those walls, my existence and voice were molded and the results unconditionally embraced.
For years, my style of dress was an homage to the safety and discovery of their homes. I scoured thrift shops and flea markets for clothing that evoked the time and place I felt most connected to. Then came the beginning of the end- war, famine, plague and eventually death. Auntie Shug’s house was tragically lost in a gang fire, along with its antique furniture, chenille blankets, polyester dresses, patterned linoleum, and everything that informed the foundation of my visual language.
Where I once used my body as a canvas, I now extrapolate from my personal history to create snapshots and dioramas. These pieces form a visual language that represents my experience—paradoxically fractured yet whole. My identity, a collaged amalgamation of influences, reverberates through my artistic creations. I gather people and objects, weaving them into fictional and non-fictional narratives with open-ended conclusions that reflect my ongoing evolution and spark shared memories.
As I move into a new chapter of life, where family historians are gone and the possibility of having children no longer exists, this series has taken on a deeper significance. Like an archaeologist piecing together artifacts to narrate human history, I curate the story of my own life. Whether rooted in reality or imagination, I deliberately select, arrange, and present the pieces that will remain when I am no longer here. I now collect people, their experiences, memories and objects to craft portrait stories whose endings I do not yet know nor need to know.
Education
2006-2007
University of Phoenix
Teaching Credentials
2002-2005 Masters of Fine Arts
School of the Museum of Fine Arts in affiliation with Tufts University, Medford, MA
Areas of Concentration: Drawing/Painting, Mixed Media
1998-2001 Bachelor of Fine Arts
Florida State University
Areas of Concentration: Biology, Dance, Drawing/Painting
Exhibitions
Upcoming
Arts Annual 2024
Gallery at Creative Pinellas
12211 Walsingham Rd Suite 1, Largo, FL 33778
November 29 - January 4
Conceptual Rhythm
Tully-Levine Gallery at the ArtsXchange
515 22nd Street South St. Petersburg, FL 33712
November 11 - November 29
Skyway 2024
Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL
120 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, FL 33602
August 28 - January 5
2023
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Elegant Threads, Lighthouse Art Center, Tequesta, FL
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Perfect Black, CF Webber Gallery, Ocala, FL
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Conceptual Rhythm, Tully-Levine Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
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Fresh Squeezed 7: Emerging Artists in Florida, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
2022
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Group Show, Tully-Levine Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
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32nd All Florida Juried Art Show, Stuart, FL
2021
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
2020
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
2019
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Sunday in the Arts: A Gala Evening, Scarfone/ Hartley Gallery, Tampa, FL
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Group Exhibition, Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg, FL
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
2018
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Sunday in the Arts: A Gala Evening, Scarfone/ Hartley Gallery, Tampa, FL
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Florida Art Educators Association Member Virtual Show
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Group Show, Imagine Museum
2017
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Sunday in the Arts: A Gala Evening, Scarfone/ Hartley Gallery, Tampa, FL
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PAEA Member Show, Beach Art Center, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
2016
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Gallery 120, Largo, FL
2015
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Beach Art Center, Indian Rocks Beach, FL Gallery 120, Largo, FL
2014
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Tampa Heights Community Center, Tampa, FL
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8th Annual Art Hop and Taste Fest, Largo, FL
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Indian Rocks Beach Art Gallery, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
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Group Show, Gallery 120, Largo, FL
2013
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7th Annual Art Hop and Taste Fest, Largo, FL
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Indian Rocks Beach Art Gallery, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
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Group Show, Gallery 120, Largo, FL
2012
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Indian Rocks Beach Art Gallery, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
2011
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Indian Rocks Beach Art Gallery, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
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Gallery 120, Largo, FL
2005 - 2010
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‘Hair Spectacle’, Disjecta: Oregon Center for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
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“Fiber Fever”, St. Charles, MO
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CURRENT: Aesthetics of Contemporary Culture, Baton Rouge, LA
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“Black and White,” Caladan Gallery, Beverly, MA
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underCURRENT/overVIEW 8, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL 2006
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Black Voice: A Celebration of Black Art as Social and Political Commentary, Harvard University, Boston, MA
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Finding Me: Unfortunately Ugly, Aidekman Arts Center, Boston, MA
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Juried Annual, Anderson Auditorium, Boston, MA 2004
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Juried Annual, Grossman Gallery, Boston, MA
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Juried Graduate Student Annual, Anderson Auditorium, Boston, MA Award: Boit Award
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Patterns, William Morris Hunt Library, Tallahassee, FL
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Juried Student Annual, Grossman Gallery, Boston, MA
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Juried Graduate Student Annual, Anderson Auditorium, Boston, MA
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Images of People, City Hall Art Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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Creative Tallahassee, City Hall Art Gallery, Tallahassee, FL Award: Honorable Mention
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Homeless, Lemoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, FL
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BFA Graduation Show, FSU Fine Arts Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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BFA Warehouse Show No. 2, Atrium Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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Anywhere But Here, Ogelsby Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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Rollins Juried Show, Ogelsby Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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Drawings of the Human Body, Ogelsby Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
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New Works, Atrium Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
PUBLICATIONS:
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Fresh Squeezed Gallery Talk
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Costa Creative. “How to Make Surrealist Art.” TheDali.org, 2018,https://thedali.org/programs/education-2/activities-2/.
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Costa Creative. "Why Teach Surrealist Art." TheDali.org, 2018,https://thedali.org/programs/education-2/activities-2/
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‘Labors of Love; Local lights…’ Megan Voeller, Weekly Planet, Tampa: 17 May 2006
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‘Undercurrent/ Overview: A New Height of Sophistication’ Lennie Bennett, Tampa Bay Times, 18 June 2006