BIO
The arts have been a lifeline for me for as long as I can remember. I started painting and drawing at first just for fun—not taking it seriously. But by the time I was a young adult working in my sketchbook had become the most important part of my days. In elementary school, getting the chance to make art in class, or do creative writing, or play in the orchestra were the things that lit me up. It took me a while to see this as a pattern, but eventually it became clear. My undergraduate degree was in comparative religion, so I went back to school post-baccalaureate to study drawing and painting formally and then received my MFA from Georgia State University in 2003.
My ancestry is full of outspoken, passionate people who were often in distress, and who had great creative ability and courage to think outside the box. Being a fourth generation Atlantan of Jewish heritage shaped my identity in significant ways that I’m still discovering. My family’s roots are intertwined with the civil rights movement here—in the 50s my great grandfather owned a grocery store Merlin’s on Decatur St. in downtown. It served the local black churches on Auburn Ave and employed many in the neighborhood. My awareness of marginalized, oppressed communities in many ways were formed through the stories told by my family as well as first hand experience. There was a lot of bonds that were forged over time that shaped my identity.
Until recently I was an instructor of drawing and painting, and taught for almost 25 years at various universities, most recently Georgia Southern. The language of these different mediums has been handed down through history, and that is beautiful in and of itself. But learning to draw and paint is also personally transformative--a way to know and be known. I created classrooms where students felt comfortable while being challenged to steady their attention, to care about what they see, and how to practice letting go. My approach embraced human imperfection and focused on joy in the process. Students gained confidence, self-connection and a sense of belonging.
Art has been a way for me to create and give back to community. In 2016 in response to the Pulse nightclub attacks. I created the 49 portraits project--a group portrait memorial exhibition made up of artists from around the country. Each artist made a portrait of someone killed in the attacks to donate to their families. When all the portraits were complete there was an exhibit of them held in the Orlando City Hall. So many new relationships were formed as a result of this project, and people gave and received so much—it gave me a taste of what is possible when art and compassion are combined in community.
Currently I have work at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as part of the 2025 Art X Climate exhibition. At the opening reception I got to meet climate scientists who saw the possibility of the impact of art and decided to include it in their report written for congress in 2023. I have participated in international exhibitions through the Art in Embassies program in both Vatican City and Manama, Bahrain, as well as group shows at museums and galleries such as the Huntsville Museum of Art, Emory University, University of West Georgia, University of South Carolina, Buford, and Faye Gold gallery.