CV 2024

Artist Bio

I have a portfolio of large-scale public sculptures and installations currently on display at sculpture parks in the Midwest, and my smaller sculptures are on display at major science museum maker spaces around the nation. I have a background working with science museums as an education and exhibit project manager, most recently with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History about the Anthropocene and Climate Change. I have participated in several Artist Residencies around the US, and have received grants from the Minnesota State Arts board, Northern Lights, Public Art Saint Paul, Institute on the Environment, and the Knight Foundation.

Professional Experience

Anthropocene Project Manager, Science Communicator, Anthropocene Studies, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA

2020-2022 (2.5 years)

Project Management skills in team and role development, cross-departmental communication, meeting management, document organization, curatorial vision advancement, project planning, budget management, reporting and presentation, managing contracts, invoices, check requests, event planning, activity development, evaluation planning, intern management. 

  • Project Managed and worked with Associate Curator Nicole Heller to develop Anthropocene vision and focused themes for the exhibit We Are Nature: A New Natural History

  • Produced exhibit components Messengers, three Tardigrade shaped time capsules. Worked with Anthropology and Anthropocene curators for accessioning documents for Messengers, the first pieces to be a part of the Anthropocene collection.

Co-founder, Managing Director, REcharge Labs, Minneapolis, MN

2014-2019 (5 years)

  • Facilitated 80 Teacher workshops, training over 2,000 K-12 educators, traveling to 24 states, Canada and the Caribbean

  • Collectively raised over $230,000 through grants, contracts and sponsorships to support outreach programs

  • Developed 9 nationally sold products connected to standards based, hands-on curriculum around STEAM wind and solar energy. Managed custom molds, national manufactures, shipping, warehouse and light manufacturing contracts

  • Director of marketing materials, promotional videos, newsletters, guidebooks, documentation, social media, website and annual reports

  • Presented in 18 national education and renewable energy conferences, engaging over 60,000 participants

  • Led the yearly REcharge Academy, a weeklong intensive professional development program, and trained 125 educators from 34 states

  • Brought in new partnerships, collaborations and contracts with Xcel Energy, WPPI Energy, IPS Solar, Just B Solar, YOXO, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, St. Paul Public Libraries, Children’s Museum of Denver, Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Museum of Discovery in Arkansas, Sparkfun Electronics, Hummingbird Robotics, Midwest Renewable Energy Association, CREATE Lab at Carnegie Melon and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Outreach Director, KidWind Project, St. Paul, MN

2012 – 2014  (2 years)

  • Facilitated 40 Teacher workshops, training over 1,000 K-12 educators, spanning 10 states

  • Collectively raised over $150,000 through the Iowa STEM Scale Up Grant

  • Presented in 20 national education and renewable energy conferences, engaging over 80, 000 participants

  • Supervised the KidWind Challenge, a large scale science fair-like event, culminating from national challenges, with a yearly average of 320 middle and high school youth all sponsored by the wind industry

  • Saved the organization an average of $15,000 annually by streamlining the warehouse production of kits, outsourcing labor to local artists and craftspeople

  • Developed the KidWind Sound and Light Board and the KidWind Wind Tunnel, sold internationally through a licensing agreement with Vernier Software and Technology

Project Specialist, Program Coordinator, Learning Technologies Center, Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

2006 – 2013  (7 years)

Learning Technologies Center

  • Coordinated, managed, trained, evaluated 18 LTC Instructors and 8 teen Instructor aids for camps and classes

  • Developed a low cost professional development program to maintain Instructor enthusiasm and curb burnout, then initiated the teen instructor aids to sub for instructors, saving the department 25–45K a year

  • Improved attendance for technology and science camps and increased female attendance from 30% to 48% by altering descriptions, focusing on cultural trends and providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere

Playful Invention and Exploration (PIE) Institute

  • Artist and activity developer for an NSF grant which organized learning institutes with partners such as the MIT Media Lab, Exploratorium and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Science Math Informal Learning Educator (SMILE) Pathway

  • Partner in a NSF grant through the New York Hall of Science, which developed a digital activity database for informal educators

Making After Hours

  • Initiated and managed a monthly adult workshop series led by artists; partnered with local businesses, libraries, and universities

Engineering Studio Project

  • Worked with a team of exhibit engineers to prototype activities and exhibits about the engineering aspects of fluid power and motion

Adult Learning

  • Collaborated with the Marketing, Education, and Exhibit department to develop interactive exhibits and activities for the monthly after hours Social Science event

Playdates

  • Created learning objects and activities for a weekly program for 5 and under; worked with the volunteer and floor managers and trained/coordinated 15 volunteers

Teen Tech Squad

  • Provided training for Hennepin County Library teens, focusing on integrating programming, art and music with technology

Co-owner and Lead Artist, AAA&E, LLC, Minneapolis, MN

2014 – 2016 (2 years)

  • Garnered local and national attention through radio, news, print and social media for the Plume Project

  • Raised $35,000 for the Knight Challenge match grant for the Plume Project, totaling $70,000

  • Gained fiscal sponsorship through Public Art St. Paul and The Miami Foundation

Partners and sponsors included District Energy St. Paul, Ever-Green Energy, Science Museum of Minnesota, The Landmark Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, Saint Paul College and 85 individual contributions through Indiegogo

Artistic Practice

Education

B.F.A. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 2000

M.F.A. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2019

Grants, Commissions and Fellowships

KidWind and Department of Energy Artist Lead for National Wind Energy Coloring Contest, project commission, Washington, DC, 2024

New Visions, New Castle Public Sculpture, sculpture commission, New Castle, PA, 2023

New Castle Public Art, sculpture commission, New Castle, PA 2023

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Tough Artist residency, Pittsburgh, PA 2023

Osage Park, Walton Family Foundation, sculpture commission, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2020

Assemble Artist Residency stipend, Pittsburgh, PA, 2020

Scott Family Amazeum, sculpture commission, Bentonville, 2018

Scotland MFA Research Grant, Duncan Jordanstone College of Art & Design UK/University of Minnesota CLA, 2018

University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts Graduate Fellowship, $25K for first year, plus tuition remission, no teaching assistantship duties, by faculty nomination, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2017

University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts MFA, tuition remission, with 50% teaching assistantship stipend year 2 and 3, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2017

Minnesota State Arts Board, Artist Initiative Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2018

Nobel Peace Price Forum, sculpture commission, Augsburg University, MN, 2017

Hennepin Theatre Trust, Made Here, Minneapolis, MN, 2017

Institute on the Environment Mini Grant, University of Minnesota, MN, 2016

Franconia Sculpture Park/Jerome Fellowship, Shafer, MN, 2015

Knight Arts Foundation, Knight Arts Challenge, District Energy, St. Paul, MN, 2014

Public Art St. Paul, City Art Collaboratory Artist Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2014

Northern Lights, Northern Spark Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2014

Minnesota State Arts Board, Artist Initiative Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2012

Northern Lights, Artists on the Verge, Minneapolis, MN, 2012

Public Art St. Paul, City Art Collaboratory Artist Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2012

Anderson Center at Tower View Fellowship, Red Wing, MN 2011

Northern Lights, Northern Spark Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2011

Blacklock Nature Sanctuary/Jerome Fellowship, Moose Lake, MN, 2008

Minnesota State Arts Board, Artist Initiative Grant, St. Paul, MN, 2008

Elgin Community College, Liberal Arts Fellowship, full tuition scholarship, 1997

Solo Exhibitions

Gould Library, Engineering and Art, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, 2016

Ames School of Art, Merwin Gallery, Den, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, 2015

Phipps Center for the Arts, Gallery One, Perspective, Hudson, WI, 2014

Rosalux Gallery, Scene from Above, Minneapolis, MN, 2010

Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Kiehle Gallery, Creatures, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, 2006

Museum of Contemporary Art, Emerging Artist Gallery,Growing Up, Fort Collins, CO, 2000

Group Exhibitions (Selected and Upcoming)

NEMO Science Museum of Amsterdam, Animatronic Creatures, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2024

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Tough Art 2023. Lily, Pittsburgh, PA 2023

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, We Are Nature: A New Natural History, Messengers, Pittsburgh, PA 2022

Osage Park, Wetland Grass, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2021

NRW-Forum, Cute Cute, Düsseldorf, DE, 2020

Scott Family Amazeum, Sammy the Sea Monkey, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2019

Regis Center for Art, Katherine Nash Gallery, House/Yard, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2019

Textile Center, Artists in the Kitchen, Minneapolis, MN, 2018

School of Life Sciences, Fiddleheads, University of Dundee, Collection, Dundee, UK, 2018

Silverwood Park, Three Rivers Park District, Wetland Grass, St. Anthony, MN, 2018

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Fiddleheads, Dundee, UK, 2018

Nobel Peace Price Forum, Grasp, Augsburg University, MN, 2017

Hennepin Theater Trust, Made Here, Future, Minneapolis, MN, 2017

District Energy steam plume, Coloring Contest, Plume Project, St. Paul, MN, 2016

Franconia Sculpture Park, Solar Tree, Shafer, MN, 2016

Gould Library, Engineering and Art, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, 2016

Artists in Storefronts, Made Here, Brilliance, Minneapolis, MN, 2015

Public Functionary, Antarctica, Minneapolis, MN, 2014

Northern Spark, Electric Hopscotch, Minneapolis, MN, 2014

Soap Factory, Artists on the Verge (AOV4), Subterranean, Minneapolis, MN, 2013

Teaching Artist

Erie Arts and Culture Teaching Artist, Erie, PA. 2023 - current

Assemble, Artist in Residence STEAM education, teen program, Pittsburgh, PA. 2020

Franconia Sculpture Park, Teaching Artist in Residence for high school STEAM art and renewable energy workshops, Taylors Falls, MN. 2013 – 2019.

Hennepin County Library System, Teaching Artist for teen technology programs, also adult art and renewable energy education, also art and technology education, Minneapolis, MN. 2009-2019

St. Paul Public Library System, Teaching Artist for teen technology programs, also adult art and renewable energy education, also art and technology education, St. Paul, MN. 2009-2019

Silverwood Park, Three Rivers District, Teaching Artist in Residence for teen art and nature programming, St. Anthony, MN. 2018

Science Museum of Minnesota, Instructor for Learning Technologies camps and classes, also teen art and science educator, also Maker Space and Tinker Space educator trainer, St. Paul, MN. 2006-2013

Bell Museum, Teaching Artist for 2nd-5th grade art and nature workshop, St. Paul, MN. 2014

Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Teaching Artist for STEAM workshop, Minneapolis, MN. 2010

College of Fine Arts, Artist in Residence for STEAM workshop, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. 2009

Walker Art Center, Artist in Residence, teen program, also art education for public event, Minneapolis, MN. 2007

Kulture Klub Collaborative, Artist in Residence for homeless and at-risk youth art education, Minneapolis, MN 2005

Franconia Sculpture Park, Teaching Artist for K-12 sculpture workshops, Kids Make Sculpture, Taylors Falls, MN. 2003, 2005

Student Teaching

College of Visual Arts, University of Minnesota, 2 years, Teaching Assistant, 50% 20 hours per week. Minneapolis, MN

Facilitated Formal Education Teacher Training

Recharge Labs

Facilitated 80 teacher workshops, training over 2,000 K-12 educators, traveling to 24 states, Canada, and the Caribbean

Facilitated teacher workshops in 18 national education and renewable energy conferences, engaging over 60,000 participants

Led the yearly REcharge Academy, a weeklong intensive professional development program, and trained 125 educators from 34 states

KidWind Project

Facilitated 40 Teacher workshops, training over 1,000 K-12 educators, spanning 10 states

Facilitated teacher workshops in 20 national education and renewable energy conferences, engaging over 80, 000 participants

Supervised the KidWind Challenge, a large scale science fair-like event, culminating from national challenges, with a yearly average of 320 middle and high school youth all sponsored by the wind industry

Artist Residencies

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Tough Art 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, 6/1/23 – 9/1/23

Franconia Sculpture Park, Taylors Falls, MN, 7/01/15 – 10/1/15            

The Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, Moose Lake, MN, 7/01/08 – 8/01/08           

The Weir Farm Art Center, Wilton, CT, 3/01/07 – 4/01/07           

Kimmel-Harding-Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE, 5/01/07 – 6/15/07            

The Hall Farm Center for Arts and Education, Townshend, VT, 9/01/05 – 9/30/05           

The Neuwirth Institute for the Arts at Wormfarm, Reedsburg, WI, 8/01/05 – 8/31/05

Volunteer

Hoyt Art Center, board member, New Castle PA, 2023 - current

Creatives for Climate, website designer and artist member, 2 years, Pittsburgh PA, 2019-2021

Industrial Arts Workshop, board member, community education, 1.5 years, Hazelwood, PA, 2019-2021

Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Industry consultant, presenter, 4 years, MN, 2012-2016

Public Functionary Artist in Residence, special events, installation production, 2 years, Minneapolis, MN 2012-2014

MNKINO community film showing, Event Coordinator, 1 year, Minneapolis, MN 2012

Minnesota State Arts Board, selection panelist, Artist Initiative Grant, St. Paul, MN 2012, 2014

Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, selections panelist, Jerome Fellowship, MN, 2009,2010

Rosalux Gallery, artist, member, intern manager 6 years, Minneapolis, MN, 2006-2012

L.O.F.I Gallery, artist and member 3 years, Fort Collins, CO, 1998-2000

Skills, certifications

3D

MIG welding, stick welding, Oxy-Acetylene welding, torch cutting, plasma cutting, blacksmithing, grinding, metal jewelry making, cold welding, riveting, soldering, lost wax bronze casting, stained glass, plaster, modeling clay, ceramics, plastic welding, plastic shaping and molding, heat shrinking, carpentry, wood cutting with miter saw, band saw, scroll saw, wood sanding, hand sewing, basic circuitry, basic mechanical and electrical engineering, 3D printer, laser cutter, CNC router, embroidery machine, paper cutting machine, Arduino and microcontrollers, fork lift, wood mill, skid steer, gantry

3D software

Rhino 3D CAD modeling, SketchUp 3D design, Adobe Illustrator, Arduino

2D

Pen and ink, oil pastel, pastel, colored pencil, watercolor crayons, watercolor, oil painting, wood cut, linoleum, lithography, intaglio, Adobe Creative Suite

Media

Arduino Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, Arduino C/C++, Final Cut, iMovie, Stop Motion Studio, Scratch, Qualtrics, SketchUp, Squarespace, Wordpress

Additional Certifications

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) training and award for photovoltaic site assessment, design, and installation