I’ve been drawn to the arts in all its disciplines since I was a young child. Coupled with a yearning and love for history, these subjects have come naturally to me. However, it is only later in life I intentionally shifted from the arts management and the patron-side to producing my own work. I have had the great fortune to live a life surrounded by artistic expression; ranging from symphonic music, dance, folk arts, world-class institutions to Burning Man and outsider art. For me, these cumulative experiences have been centered on a certain universal theme of connection and expression.

This has later manifested in a fruitful journey as a self-taught photographer and artist. I say self-taught carefully as this means an absence of a degree in a specific arts discipline. Conversely many have contributed to my training as I have drawn both inspiration and technical know-how from the world around me. And more specifically from the mentorship of several cherished artists in my life.

I make art to interpret and document moments of humanity at its most original expression. Always observing, I seek to capture moments that portray inspiration, creativity, spontaneity, immediacy and originality. This signifies for me where intuition and intellect come together for something more curious than just the work itself.

Often, where I direct my attention is in collaboration. Whether in use of materials, medium or working as a team, this furthers an experimental approach with ideas and variety.

Akin to Buddhist monks working tirelessly creating intricate sand mandalas, I thrive in the journey aspiring towards non-attachment with the result.

BIO

A B.A. graduate with honors from Columbia College Chicago’s Arts Entertainment Media Management Program, and I have over ten years experience in arts management complemented with over 15 years experience in digital production/project management. 

In my early years of digital media, I project managed a wide variety of print, web, CD-ROM, mobile and video projects for clients including Applebees, IBM, Illinois Bureau of Tourism, McMillian, Rand McNally, Sears, Roebuck & Co, SUPERVALUE, Worldwide Retail Exchange, The Wright Group, Kellogg and Metropolitan Tenants Organization.

In the arts, I have worked with artists in most capacities of production and management including booking/buying talent, serving on boards and committees, marketing, stage and video production, and I have produced hundreds of performing arts events. In my early career, I worked as a member of California Presenters, Manger of The Fontana Performing Arts Center; consultant to The Irvine Barkley Theater, The Riverside Arts Foundation, The Wignall Museum and The Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. I performed both volunteer and contractual work at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival, was a production leader at Navy Pier’s Sculpture Object Functional Art Expo (SOFA) and the assistant director at The Sangamon State University Auditorium. 

I have developed a solid understanding of artists and their requirements. My projects have included co-producing several large-scale, interactive collaborative art projects at the Burning Man Festival, a live performance at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York and as a past board of director for a newly formed local arts organization: Bold Urban Renascence Network. More recently, I’ve participated with media teams at the Electric Forrest Festival, Rothbury Music Festival, and CHIditarod.