I am inspired by the idea of turning utilitarian fabrics and discarded objects into something new, inviting the viewer to see these overlooked things transformed into graceful birds alighting, preening or guarding a clutch of eggs in a nest.

Many of my soft sculptures are sewn from recycled and found fabric - paper maps, clothing labels, feed bags and flour sacks. Many of the spools of thread belonged to my grandmother, while others came from complete sewing boxes that I found at thrift stores.

These birds with their thread are building nests for their young, just like the women who used this thread two generations ago sewed toys and clothes and household goods to care for their children.

 

Education

 

2000     Masters of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

1997     Bachelor of Arts, Dean’s List and Phi Beta Kappa, The Johns Hopkins University

 

 

Honors and Awards

 

2007     Seacoast Spotlight Award, Best Sculptor, Seacoast New Hampshire

2007     Librarians Choice Distinctive Merit Award. “Beyond the Book” show,
         Boston Public Library, Honan-Allston Branch

2007     Softie Award, “Best of the Animal Kingdom” www.softiescentral.typepad.com

1997     Eugene Leake Homewood Art Studios Award The Johns Hopkins University

 

 

Bibliography

 

Jan. 2011       The Artful Bird: Feathered Friends to Make and Sew, Interweave

Jan. 2011       Whip Up

Jan. 2011       Craftzine

July 2009       Craftsanity Podcast

Jul/Aug. 2009   Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine, Artist Profile, five-page spread

June 2009       Cookie Magazine Nesting Blog

May 2009        Stitch Magazine, Handmade shopping feature

Mar. 2009       Burnaway.org, Review of "Birds of a Feather"

Mar. 2008       Wellesley Community Access Television

Mar. 2008       Somerset Studio Magazine, Four-page spread of mixed media work

Mar. 2008       artestprit Podcast Interview

Feb. 2008       Design*Sponge, Weekly Wrap Up Feature

Nov. 2007       Plush You, f+w publishing

Sept. 2007      Softies, Penguin Australia

Aug. 2007       The Portsmouth Herald, Arts Feature

Mar. 2007       The Boston Globe Sidekick, Shopping Tip of the Day (March 6th)

Mar. 2007       The Boston Globe West Edition, Arts Feature (March 1st)

Mar. 2007       The Wellesley Townsman, Page 1 Feature (March 1st)

Dec. 2006       The Weekly Dig, Style Section (Dec. 13th)

 

 

Related Work Experience

 

2002 - 2004     Founded after-school origami club.

2000 - 2002     Education Director, New England SCORES, Boston, MA

1997 - 1999     Teach For America corps member, Middle School Teacher, Greenwood, MS
                Founded and directed after-school literary and arts magazine.

 

 

Exhibitions

 

Dec. 2011       Luv-Able and Hug-Able, annual group plush show, New York, NY

Sept. 2010      Teeny Tiny Art Show VII, annual group show, Three Graces Gallery, Portsmouth, NH

Aug. 2010       Out of the Wild, three-person show, Art Star, Philadelphia, PA

April 2010      Oodles of Doodles, group show, Tinlark Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Mar. 2009       Birds of a Feather, two-person show, Young Blood Gallery, Atlanta GA

Sep. 2008       SuperPlush, Ghettogloss Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Sep. 2008       Teeny Tiny Art Show III, Three Graces Gallery, Portsmouth, NH

Apr. 2008       Feather Your Nest, two-person show w/ Amy Rice, Paper Boat Gallery,
                Milwaukee, WI

Mar. 2008       Stories and Tales, four-person show, artstream, Rochester, NH

Feb. 2008       Kite, group show, The Trunk Space, Phoenix, AZ

Dec. 2007       Etsy!, group show featuring artists from the handmade artworld

Dec. 2007       ArtWorks!, New Bedford Holiday Exhibition and Sale, New Bedford, MA

Nov. 2007       Beyond the Book, book arts and collage juried show, Honan-Allston Branch,
                Boston Public Library, Boston, MA

Oct. 2007       Plush You III, group show

Sept. 2007      Volume: On and Off the Wall, group show, juried by Kelley Bennett,
                Massachusetts Cultural Council Exhibitions Curator, Lynn Arts, Lynn, MA

Aug. 2007       Ode to Cornell: What Would Joseph Do, group show
                juried by Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, Chief Curator of the Peabody Essex Museum
                and internationally recognized Cornell authority, Salem Art Association,
                Salem, MA

Aug. 2007       Things With Wings, group show, Portsmouth, NH

Mar. 2007       While She Naps, solo show, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA

Oct. 2006       Morphe II, group show, Adelaide, Australia

Sept. 2006      I’m Stuffed, group show, Baltimore, MD

Sept. 2006      Plush You II, group show, Seattle, WA