Bio/CV

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My German immigrant and pioneer roots are set deep into the homesteads around the small south Texas town of Cuero, where both of my parents grew up, met and married. I was born in Akron, Ohio, which made me the lone Yankee of the extended family and became the first of many places I would temporarily call home.
    By the time I settled in Billings, Montana in 1993 with my husband Steve, son Collin and soon-to-be-born Emma, I had lived in eleven cities and in some of those, several homes. Out of this came an enjoyment of discovering new places and taking on adventures - hiking, mountain & rock climbing, traveling, skiing, sailing, scuba diving, horseback riding - and a propensity for saying "yes" to interesting, but hitherto unknown or unconsidered, opportunities. This has led me to such immensely rewarding projects as co-directing "Woman + Body" in South Korea and directing "Half the Sky: Intersection in Social Practice Art" in China.  Along the way I have been mentored by some inspirational people and have been encouraged to give back to the world. 
     Influenced by degrees in Political Science and Art as well as my advocacy, activism and campaign work around issues of women’s rights, human rights, environment and education, my art and curatorial practices engages the psyche and soul of viewers, encourages them to ask questions of themselves and the world and builds relationships around the search for answers. My work has exhibited in China, Korea, California, Chicago, Michigan, New York, Idaho and Montana.

PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT DIRECTOR/FACILITATOR/CURATOR
  • Exhibition Co-Director, "Woman + Body", Seoul and Gwangju, South Korea,  2012
  • Co-Director, "Strong Intuitions: Five Women's Perspectives", The Shed Exhibition Space at Level 504, Billings, Montana
  • Director/Facilitator, "Conversations Among Women", Toucan Gallery and The Shed Exhibition Space at Level 504, Billings Montana, 2008
  • Director/Facilitator, "Conversations Among Women," Betty Feves Memorial Gallery, Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon, 2010
  • Director/Facilitator, "Conversations Among Women," Custer County Art & Heritage Center, Miles City, Montana
  • Director/Facilitator, "Conversations Among Women," Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, Montana, 2011
EXHIBITIONS
2016
  • "Grottoes Series", Flow: Interactive Exhibition and Community Project, Northcutt Steele Gallery and other venues, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT
2015
  • "Ancestresses & Wise Women and Conversations Among Women" documentary video, Voices: An Artist's Perspective, NAWA Gallery, NYC
  • "Ancestresses & Wise Women and Conversations Among Women" documentary video, Honoring Women's Rights, Brown University, Rhode Island
2014
  • "Judy", "Hidden Cities Chrysalis" and "Concavities to Convexities", The F Word: The Feminist Perspective", Billings Open Studio, Billings, MT
  • "Corporal Cognizance", Disconnect, Transmission Gallery, Oakland, California
  • "Yellowstone River Grotto", Water: A Universal Right, Robert Morris State Street Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
  • "Corporal Cognizance", MTV: Momentum Technology Videos Online Film Festival, Institute for Women and Art, Rutgers University
  • "Compages: Populus", Multiple Feeds, Los Angeles Art Association's Gallery 825, Los Angeles, Califiornia
2013
  • "Hidden Cities Chrysalis", Capturing the Wonder of Women, Women's Museum of California, San Diego, California
  • "Iridescence Grotto", Women of All Colors, Chicago Urban Retreat Center, Chicago, Illinois
  • "Skin Muscle Sinew", Stories We Tell, Phoenix Gallery, New York City, New York
2012
  • "Skin Muscle Sinew", Woman + Body, Kepco Center Gallery, Seoul, South Korea and MediaCube338, Gwangju, South Korea
  • The Exquisite Uterus Project
2011
  • Solo Exhibition/"Ancestresses & Wise Women", Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, Montana
  • "Ritual Chrysalis", Sanctuaries in Time, The Columbia/Barnard University Kraft Center, New York, New York
  • "Hidden Cities Chrysalis", Hidden Cities, New Centuries Artists Gallery, New York, New York
  • "Ripples Grotto", Montana Women in the Visual Arts, The Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, Bozeman, Montana
  • "Judy", Honoring Women's Rights, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California
  • "Flowing Streams Chrysalis", Transformation, WCA San Diego Online Exhibition
2010
  • Solo Exhibition/Ancestresses & Wise Women,", Betty Feves Memorial Gallery, Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon
  • Group Show/"Ancestresses & Wise Women", By Design: Threads, Custer County Art & Heritage Center, Miles City, Montana
  • "Songwriters", From Our Perspectives, Oakland Community College WomenCenter, Farmington Hills, Michigan
  • "Memories of Beach Combing", Small Works Auction, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
2008
  • Solo Exhibition/"Ancestresses & Wise Women", Toucan Gallery, Billings, Montana
2007
  • "Small Canoe", Annual Auction, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
  • "Small Mesh Lights", Small Works Auction, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
  • "Small Mesh Lights", Ho Ho Holter Show, Holter Museum, Helena, Montana
2006
  • Solo Exhibition/"Chrysalis", Toucan Gallery, Billings, Montana
  • "Turkey Chrysalis", "Pheasant Chrysalis", "Flicker Chrysalis" in Small Works Auction, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
2005
  • "Holding the Spirit of RWK III", in Student Independent Show, Northcutt-Steele Gallery, Montana State University - Billings, Montana
  • "Bronze Texture Series", in Annual Postcard Show, Toucan Gallery, Billings, Montana
2004
  • "Monument Valley God's Eye", Deaconess Billings Clinic Gallery, Billings, Montana
COLLABORATIONS
  • "Points of Many Connections", Collaboration with Sandra Mueller, Half the Sky: Intersections in Social Practice Art, LuXun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China, 2014
PANELIST/SPEAKER
  • Panelist, "Open Doors: Alternative Models for Engaging Communities", Montana Art Gallery Dealers Association Annual Conference, Chico Hot Springs, October 2017
  • Guest Lecturer, "Independent Curatorial Motivations and Practices", Gallery Professional Practices Class, Montana State University - Billings, April 2017
  • Speaker, "Using Art & Activism to Create Community", Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, January 2017
  • Speaker, Artful Women of Montana event, Zonta Club of Billings, September 2016
  • Chair and Panelist, "Considerations and Challenges: Socially-Engaged Art in China", Open Engagement Conference, Carnegie Mellon University, April 2015
  • Lecturer, "Cultural Considerations: Socially-Engaged Art in China", Montana State University - Billings, Montana 2014
  • Speaker, "Relating to Local Government", Public Relations and Promotional Techniques Seminar, YMCA of the USA 
  • Speaker, "Communications Methods", YMCA Southwest Field Conference
AUTHOR/EDITOR
  • Co-Editor, Woman + Body, Exhibition Catalog, printed by the Gwangju Cultural Foundation in South Korea. ISBN 978-0-9831702-5-9
  • Editor, Half the Sky: Intersections in Social Practice Art, Exhibition Catalog, Women's Caucus for Art, ISBN 98-1-939637-03-1
  • Editor/Founder, Earthwards Newspaper, Portland, Oregon
BOARD/NON-PROFIT POSITIONS
  • Chair, International Caucus, Women's Caucus for Art 2012-2014 
  • President/Board Member, Alberta Bair Theater, Billings, MT
  • Member, Health Planning Advisory Committee, Houston-Galveston Area Council 
  • Member, Women's Advisory Board, New Directions Halfway House, Houston, TXMemberships and Affiliations 
  • Co- Chair, Entertainment Committee, National Conference, Public Relations Society of America
  • Chair, Professional Development, Fort Worth Public Relations Society

MEMBER/AFFILIATIONS
  • Member, College Art Association (CAA)Member, UN Rio+ 20 Women's Major Group Steering Committee
  • United Nations Representative,  Women's Caucus for Art
  • Listed, Women Artists Archives National Directory at Rutgers University, http://waand.rutgers.edu/
EDUCATION
  • BFA, Sculpture, Montana State University - Billings
  • BA, Political Science, University of Houston​
SELECTED OTHER EXPERIENCES
  • Founding Member, Beaux Arts Ball Committee, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT 
  • Founder, The Dance Salon, Billings, MT
  • Public Relations and Marketing Director. Downtown Fort Worth YMCA 
  • Member, Fort Worth Ad Club
  • Assistant to City Council Member Christin Hartung, Houston City Council
  • Appalachia Service Project