Sone Tower
Peekskill, NY, USA
Peekskill, NY, USA
Painting, Drawing, Collage, Photography
English
K-12 Schools, After School Program, Assisted Living, Community Center, Independent Living, Library
The Peekskill Arts Council
The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
ArtsWestchester
ArtsWestchester
CREATIVE AGING IN OUR COMMUNITIES: THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARIES PROJECT, Field Library, Peekskill, NY; 2009, 2010 I facilitated several collaborative mural projects, working with adults aged 55 and older. Adults in the community of all skill levels (from those who have never painted before to accomplished artists) were invited to participate. The mural making process used was modified to accommodate all skill levels. We chose to reinterpret and enlarge several master work paintings (by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Klee). The murals were installed at prominent outdoor sites in the growing downtown Peekskill Artists District, as part of an ongoing effort to integrate arts participation by the diverse members of the community. ARTSWESTCHESTER, Westchester County, NY; 1991- present Artist in Residence in public and private schools, grades K – 12, adult mental health facilities and senior citizens; collaborative murals have been the primary focus of my residencies, working together with students, participants, teachers, parents, and administrators to create murals. The mural themes and process are tailored to the goals of the participants, organizations and communities. I have also worked in other media in the residencies, such as mask making, print making, wind sock fish kites, collage quilts, puppets, stage design and other expressive mixed media projects. THE RYE ARTS CENTER, Rye, NY; 2005 -2011 Art Teacher, Port Chester Head Start students, including special needs classes and Rye pre-school and kindergarten students. My goals were to provide meaningful, age appropriate, multisensory, expressive and process oriented creative art experiences for students. The classes were mixed media classes, incorporating a variety of materials, processes, and themes in an effort to stimulate the imagination and provide opportunity for growth and exploration. The projects included drawing, painting, printing, collage, assemblage, and sculpture. PORT CHESTER-RYE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, Port Chester, NY; 1998-2005 Port Chester High School, 2003-2005, grades 9-12, Art Teacher, regular and special needs students (autistic). I taught art to high school students, covering a curriculum which included drawing and painting from observation, perspective, pen and ink drawing, color theory, collage, mixed media and art appreciation. John F. Kennedy Magnet School, 1998-2003, grades K-5, Art Teacher, regular and special needs students (self-contained classroom), I introduced elementary students to a variety of art materials, techniques and famous artists, in addition to experiences such as field trips to museums, residency artists, stage design and collaborative murals. I frequently collaborated with regular classroom teachers on projects designed for their students to enrich and reinforce core curriculum learning in the areas of English language arts, social studies, math and science. BETHEL SPRINGVALE INN, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY: 1993-1998, Croton-On-Hudson, NY Painting Teacher taught drawing and painting classes to senior citizens, working with oils, acrylics, pastels, and watercolors. Individualized instruction and modifications to accommodate individual students’ interests and needs. THE NEUBERGER MUSEUM OF ART: 1991-1998, Purchase, NY Artist in Residence, I taught multi-generational, mixed media art workshops linked to current museum exhibitions. Some of the workshops included a large, collaborative collage quilt, mask making, and a paper hat making workshop. HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, Yonkers, NY, Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Arts for Transit Program 1992, “A Hudson River Mural” installed in the Getty Square, Metro North Train Station, Yonkers, NY A collaborative mural created with 4th and 5th grade students and teachers from P.S. 25 Museum School, Yonkers, NY. The mural theme was based on the students’ science and social studies curriculum of water and waterways
ArtsWestchester
CREATIVE AGING IN OUR COMMUNITIES: THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARIES PROJECT, Field Library, Peekskill, NY; 2009, 2010 I facilitated several collaborative mural projects, working with adults aged 55 and older. Adults in the community of all skill levels (from those who have never painted before to accomplished artists) were invited to participate. The mural making process used was modified to accommodate all skill levels. We chose to reinterpret and enlarge several master work paintings (by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Klee). The murals were installed at prominent outdoor sites in the growing downtown Peekskill Artists District, as part of an ongoing effort to integrate arts participation by the diverse members of the community. ARTSWESTCHESTER, Westchester County, NY; 1991- present Artist in Residence in public and private schools, grades K – 12, adult mental health facilities and senior citizens; collaborative murals have been the primary focus of my residencies, working together with students, participants, teachers, parents, and administrators to create murals. The mural themes and process are tailored to the goals of the participants, organizations and communities. I have also worked in other media in the residencies, such as mask making, print making, wind sock fish kites, collage quilts, puppets, stage design and other expressive mixed media projects. THE RYE ARTS CENTER, Rye, NY; 2005 -2011 Art Teacher, Port Chester Head Start students, including special needs classes and Rye pre-school and kindergarten students. My goals were to provide meaningful, age appropriate, multisensory, expressive and process oriented creative art experiences for students. The classes were mixed media classes, incorporating a variety of materials, processes, and themes in an effort to stimulate the imagination and provide opportunity for growth and exploration. The projects included drawing, painting, printing, collage, assemblage, and sculpture. PORT CHESTER-RYE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, Port Chester, NY; 1998-2005 Port Chester High School, 2003-2005, grades 9-12, Art Teacher, regular and special needs students (autistic). I taught art to high school students, covering a curriculum which included drawing and painting from observation, perspective, pen and ink drawing, color theory, collage, mixed media and art appreciation. John F. Kennedy Magnet School, 1998-2003, grades K-5, Art Teacher, regular and special needs students (self-contained classroom), I introduced elementary students to a variety of art materials, techniques and famous artists, in addition to experiences such as field trips to museums, residency artists, stage design and collaborative murals. I frequently collaborated with regular classroom teachers on projects designed for their students to enrich and reinforce core curriculum learning in the areas of English language arts, social studies, math and science. BETHEL SPRINGVALE INN, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY: 1993-1998, Croton-On-Hudson, NY Painting Teacher taught drawing and painting classes to senior citizens, working with oils, acrylics, pastels, and watercolors. Individualized instruction and modifications to accommodate individual students’ interests and needs. THE NEUBERGER MUSEUM OF ART: 1991-1998, Purchase, NY Artist in Residence, I taught multi-generational, mixed media art workshops linked to current museum exhibitions. Some of the workshops included a large, collaborative collage quilt, mask making, and a paper hat making workshop. HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, Yonkers, NY, Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Arts for Transit Program 1992, “A Hudson River Mural” installed in the Getty Square, Metro North Train Station, Yonkers, NY A collaborative mural created with 4th and 5th grade students and teachers from P.S. 25 Museum School, Yonkers, NY. The mural theme was based on the students’ science and social studies curriculum of water and waterways
I strongly believe there is an artist in each of us, and often people middle aged and older are ready to reclaim their inner artist after many years of focusing on the significant externals of life, such as family, home, work, etc.. To facilitate the exploration of this creative process is a powerful experience, especially when it is a collaborative project. When we work together as a group, an atmosphere of support, sharing and community develops, making creative exploration easier. The rich accumulation of life experiences available for creative expression makes it so rewarding when working with mature and intergenerational participants.
