Image Alumni ’13 Education MFA in Visual Studies Current Career Artist, Freelance Textile Designer, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Bethel University Location Minneapolis, Minnesota Where are you originally from and how did you hear about MCAD? I moved from Dallas to attend MCAD. My best friend from undergrad was attending and sold me on the program. My husband and I loved Minneapolis so much that we bought a house and settled here. It’s been over eight years—I love living here! Investing in good winter gear makes November through March fairly easy. Why did you choose MCAD for your MFA? The biggest selling point for me was the idea of having a mentor who would help guide my learning and could be someone to bounce ideas off of. What did you enjoy most about your MFA experience? I enjoyed having two solid years dedicated to painting but having a mentor was definitely the best part. Who was your mentor? Betsy Ruth Byers. She was tough and so kind—the perfect balance for me. Best thing you ever got from the free shelf? A hobnail glass dish with a pedestal. My five-year-old has it now and keeps her hair bows in it. What was your favorite MCAD facility? The library is magical—art books and magazines galore. I also miss my old studio a lot. What advice do you have for current MCAD students? Soak it all up! You’re learning about art and trying new things in your cool studio space. Is there anything better?! I miss being a student. Describe what you do for work and how you feel about it. I am an artist, a freelance textile designer, and an adjunct faculty member at Bethel University. I’ve had to learn some serious time management skills but it is all fun! The painting, teaching, and pattern designs all seem to inspire/inform each other. How did you get your job? I’ve wanted to teach at Bethel since moving to Minneapolis. Out of the blue, I saw a posting on Springboard and applied for it right away. With my textile designs, I was asked to create a textile for Maria Stanley and just went for it despite no prior experience! It turned into a really fun way to make money using both my painting and Photoshop skills. How do you network yourself and your art? I keep my Instagram updated with new work as much as possible and that has seemed to work well enough. I don't think I'm very good at actual networking. What inspires you? Being a mom has brightened my paintings in unexpected ways. My daughter reminds me how to be amazed by the commonplace, how to be whimsical and inventive, and how to find comfort and pleasure in repetition. I’ve also learned how to create while working in really small bursts—sometimes from my dining room table. Current obsession? Khadi paper, acryla gouache, and raw linen are my favorite things to work with in the studio currently. More broad obsessions: the One Potato Two pizza at Young Joni, the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and the podcast Dolly Parton’s America (I’m not even a big fan but it is fascinating). I’m also really into the Philip Guston paintings that are at Hauser and Wirth right now. The compositions and colors are so nice. Instagram Website
Where are you originally from and how did you hear about MCAD? I moved from Dallas to attend MCAD. My best friend from undergrad was attending and sold me on the program. My husband and I loved Minneapolis so much that we bought a house and settled here. It’s been over eight years—I love living here! Investing in good winter gear makes November through March fairly easy. Why did you choose MCAD for your MFA? The biggest selling point for me was the idea of having a mentor who would help guide my learning and could be someone to bounce ideas off of. What did you enjoy most about your MFA experience? I enjoyed having two solid years dedicated to painting but having a mentor was definitely the best part. Who was your mentor? Betsy Ruth Byers. She was tough and so kind—the perfect balance for me. Best thing you ever got from the free shelf? A hobnail glass dish with a pedestal. My five-year-old has it now and keeps her hair bows in it. What was your favorite MCAD facility? The library is magical—art books and magazines galore. I also miss my old studio a lot. What advice do you have for current MCAD students? Soak it all up! You’re learning about art and trying new things in your cool studio space. Is there anything better?! I miss being a student. Describe what you do for work and how you feel about it. I am an artist, a freelance textile designer, and an adjunct faculty member at Bethel University. I’ve had to learn some serious time management skills but it is all fun! The painting, teaching, and pattern designs all seem to inspire/inform each other. How did you get your job? I’ve wanted to teach at Bethel since moving to Minneapolis. Out of the blue, I saw a posting on Springboard and applied for it right away. With my textile designs, I was asked to create a textile for Maria Stanley and just went for it despite no prior experience! It turned into a really fun way to make money using both my painting and Photoshop skills. How do you network yourself and your art? I keep my Instagram updated with new work as much as possible and that has seemed to work well enough. I don't think I'm very good at actual networking. What inspires you? Being a mom has brightened my paintings in unexpected ways. My daughter reminds me how to be amazed by the commonplace, how to be whimsical and inventive, and how to find comfort and pleasure in repetition. I’ve also learned how to create while working in really small bursts—sometimes from my dining room table. Current obsession? Khadi paper, acryla gouache, and raw linen are my favorite things to work with in the studio currently. More broad obsessions: the One Potato Two pizza at Young Joni, the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and the podcast Dolly Parton’s America (I’m not even a big fan but it is fascinating). I’m also really into the Philip Guston paintings that are at Hauser and Wirth right now. The compositions and colors are so nice. Instagram