Education
​The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Masters of Art in Art Education with an emphasis in Museum Education
Pedagogical perspective in the museum: The importance of an educator's voice in the creation of wall labels

University of South Florida
Bachelors degree in Art History and Women's Studies
Educator
Wolcott School
Art and Visual Culture
Art and Visual Culture engages students in making and interpreting art as a means to promote critical thinking skills while reflecting on the world and themselves. Looking at the works of contemporary artists, music videos, advertisements and other elements of visual culture students participate in a larger dialogue regarding concepts and theories of social relevance. Analyzing and interpreting work allows students to function as thinkers in more open and critical ways.
Concepts and Practices
The overarching theme of the class revolves around identity and value structures, this class leads to thoughts about how we identify ourselves, how others identify us, and identity of space while considering how is value defined, how do we function within that value structure and in what ways can we reconsider the ways in which value is placed. Projects utilize a variety of media from computer software to craft material. Rather than focusing on traditional high art practices as painting students are introduced to a variety of art disciplines from site specific installation, fiber and industrial design. The focus of these class to to make art objects with consideration to the thoughts behind it, material choices and processes.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago- Continuing Studies
How the Artist Works: Process and Transformation
Considering the breadth of the museum's collection we analyzed objects on display from different time periods and cultures. These objects were the impetus for conversations regarding different processes and considerations made by artists. Following these discussions participants would create works responding to the theme while experimenting with a variety of mediums. Georgia o’Keefe’s Sky Above Clouds and Greek coins had us consider scale while Felix Gonzalez Torres’ Untitled(Strange Music) and European decorative arts lead to the redesign of an everyday object.
Pritzker College Prep
Pop Culture and the World Around You
In this class we analyzed and critiqued products of popular culture and related them to bigger issues, themes and theories. We discussed identity politics (race, gender, sexuality, class, etc.) through the lens of popular culture. Some of the topics covered were themes in rap music, standards of beauty, "Thats so gay!" racial representations in video games and sitcoms as well as how they perpetuate gender or racial stereotypes.
Art Enrichment
In this class we looked at the work of contemporary artists from different media (performance, video, fiber, printmaking, painting, video games, music videos, etc.) and used everyday accessible items to create artworks. Ex: Using cardboard and other replacements for canvas in painting or Styrofoam trays for printmaking.

Early College Scholars: Professional Development
In this class we talked about the importance of presenting yourself as a professorial. We discussed the importance of professorial attire while still feeling comfortable and worked on resume building skills. Local college students came and ran mock interviews and gave feedback and tips on how to interview.
Project Y.E.S.! (Youth, Education, Services)
Project YES! was a group of community educators that worked throughout the West Side of Chicago. We connected to the community through mentorship and educational, service, artistic, and recreational activities; supported academic achievement; helped to develop the character, skills, and life habits youth need to become contributing members of society.
​
Museum Work
Museo de Arte Religioso Ex Convento de Santa Mónica
Resident Art Educator
Through the Arquetopia artist residency I worked with the museum to pilot a new educational program, coMONICArte. coMONICArte was a group of young, local artists and architects looking to further advance their understanding of how museums can develop programs for the public while attempting to make the space more accessible to broader audiences. The residency manifested into a day long event where the group activated a variety of galleries in the museum while engaging the public with the museum’s history as a convent and it’s collection of artworks.
National Veterans Art Museum
Curriculum Designer
Esprit De Corps
Developed teacher resource packet to assist instructors bringing class to view the exhibition. The packet included dialogical strategies, conversation starters, writing prompts in and out of gallery exercises.
Tenacity and Truth
Created a gallery guide to assist a viewer's educative experience while viewing the Tenacity and Truth exhibition. The guide spotlighted artworks the represented the various themes with the show and had conversation starters, reflection questions and interpretative exercise to address various modes of approaching and considering an art work.
Kavil Instittue
Education Curator
Worked closely with scientists and designers to create programming and an exhibition to represent the South Pole telescope and the Kavli institute at the USA Science and Engineering Festival.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Teaching Artist
Families were invited to view ​​the ​Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec exhibition, then they were invited to participate in an art making activity in which they took an everyday utilitarian object, a spoon, and think as designers to reconsider it's visual and functional possibility.

National Museum of Mexican Art
Interpretation Design Consultant
Worked with the Education and Curatorial department to implement new forms of interpretive materials for the re-installation of their permanent collection.
Orchestrated focus groups, performed time tracking and gallery observations to evaluate how the public was responding to their current interpretive materials.

The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum Educator
Researched and interpreted museum's collection to develop and implement tours for various audiences (School, family and general museum visitor tours).
Participated in museum professional development seminars.

Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida
Preparator Assistant
Assisted with the installation of artworks and lighting for local businesses and exhibitions at the CAM. Built frames, pedestals and other display mechanisms for artworks to be installed in the museum and around the USF campus.
Interpretation Projects
mp3s in the museum
​​​​Mp3s in the museum is a collaborative project, with Kelsey Nelson, in which we re imagine the possibility of the traditional museum audio guide. Rather than focusing on specific didactic material to share, we lead the viewer/listener through prompts that allow them to create their own tour. These experiences intend to make the viewer analyze and questions concepts such as: one’s own personal interpretation, curatorial choices, the construction of the museum visit and the museum as a curriculum. These experiences are not specific to any particular museum so feel free to download the tour and enjoy mp3s in the museum.
Step Back and Squint
Step Back and Squint is an experiment in interpretation where an individual's response to an artwork is digitally transcribed and anonymously uploaded to www.StepBackandSquint.tumblr.com​
During an art viewing experience the viewer is tasked with interpreting the artist's work, attempting to understand intention, choices and concepts. With Step Back and Squint in the process of leaving the voicemail the viewer has an intrapersonal moment to vocalize their thoughts about a work in an attempt to better understand it. This interpretation is digitally interpreted and then presented so that the artists, and other viewers, have to attempt to understand this individualized interpretive moment.
Moderator
National Museum of Mexican Art Focus Groups
Three groups (teens, bilingual adults, and monolingual Spanish speakers) were asked to walk through the galleries of the National Museum of Mexican, which was followed by a discussion of their experience to evaluate the didactic material and how they interpreted the collection.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Art Education department
Thoughts on Wall Labels: How do we learn best in museums?
An interdisciplinary discussion at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago focused around didactic wall labels used in museums. Artists, administrators and educators discussed how they learned best in museums, the success or failure of labels and alternative ways to inform viewers on art works.

​George Roeder Master’s Symposium
Curriculum, Storytelling and Autobiography: The Complexity of the Personal in Art Education
Lead a discussion among Masters of Art Education and Art Teaching graduate students about the use of autobiography and the personal in relation to artistic practices and the field of Education.

Mp3s at the Museum of Contemporary Art
An Audio Guide Experience and Round Table Rehash
Participants took the mp3 in the museum audio tour in the Museum of Contemporary Art. We then met to reflect on their experience and discuss their thoughts about the tour and how it made them think about their art viewing experience.

Pritzker College Prep
LGBT Awareness
This was a discussion with high school students (LGBT and Heterosexual) at Pritzker College Prep about the LGBT experience socially specifically at their high schools. This talk touched on topics of media representation of the LGBT community, bullying at school, suicide awareness and the importance of opening up a dialogue against discrimination.
Residencies
2015 Arquetopia- Art Educator at Museo de Arte Religioso Ex Convento de Santa Mónica
2015 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago- Teacher Institute
Presentations
2016 National Art Education Association Curriculum Slam
Topic: Mind Over Matter-Performative actions and Mindfulness
2016 Learning Disabilities Association
Topic: Overcoming Fear of Failure: Art as Coping
2015 Museum of Contemporary Art Curriculum Slam
Topic: Mind Over Matter-Performative actions and Mindfulness
2014 Museum of Contemporary Art Curriculum Slam
Topic: Nobody Puts These Kids in the Corner(ed)
2013 National Art Education Association Convention
Topic: Mp3s in the Museum: Exploring the Museum's Curriculum with Alternative Audio Guides
Chicago Student Art Educator Intramurals
Topic: (Part)On Pedagogy: Museum Education and the Dolly Parton Museum
Smart Museum student docent training program
Topic: Talking to vs talking at: The benefits of a dialogical tour
New Prescriptions: Where Art Education can go from here
Topic: Pedagogical perspective in the museum: The importance of an educator's voice in the creation of wall labels
Alternative Art History
Topic: What a Drag!: Contemporary artists and the use of Drag
Curator
Heaven Gallery: Chicago, Il
In The Land of Thieves and Ghosts
Centre Gallery: Tampa, Fl
Space of Abjection: A collaborative art installation with Matthew Schalgbaum​
Centre Gallery: Tampa, Fl
OPENings: Interactive art show
Centre Gallery: Tampa, Fl
Art Breaking the Silence: Queer Art Show
Organizations
Photo Club at Wolcott School
Advisor
Gay Straight Alliance at Pritzker College Prep
Advisor
PAnT Collective (Pedagogy, Art and Thinking) The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Founder and Logistics Coordinator
National Art Education Association
Member
Art History Association
Undergraduate Representative
PRIDE Alliance
President
CISOGI (Committee on issues of Sexual orientation and gender identity) The University of South Florida
Undergraduate Representative