April 2023 News: A Message From the Artist

Happy Spring!

I've been working as an advisor for an online middle school and am enjoying the change of pace from teaching. Here, my focus is on each student's success and I spend my time reaching out to make sure everyone has the resources and support that they need, as well as liaising with families, teachers, and administrators to keep the lines of communication open. My work with the REACH grant is also ongoing and there are two local schools which with I have partnered this season for consultation and residencies. I hope to contribute to a few more high-quality arts integration units that will later be shared with educators across the country.

But that's not the most exciting news! I am pleased to announce that I was accepted into the MFA Fine Arts program at the School of Visual Arts in New York; some way or another, my little family will be relocating to Manhattan at the end of the summer so that I can make this latest educational investment. I had a good feeling about SVA and am so relieved that it worked out. After trading exhibitions for the classroom for a number of years, it is high time I recommitted to my own practice and immersed myself in conversation and collaboration with other dedicated creatives.

Other projects have been on the back burner. I am strongly considering using YouTube as a platform for sharing my painting and art education knowledge with the global community. For some time now, I've been wanting to sell some artist merchandise but have grappled with the drawbacks of drop shipping and issues of overall product quality, as I want to make sure my work is represented well. At present I'm most excited about making some coffee mugs, greeting cards, and calendars—maybe some vinyl stickers, too. What do you think? Would you buy a coffee mug with spirit fingers or floating ghost fish on it?

Hey, I don't suppose anyone out there wants to collaborate on some textile prints!