In my current practice, I explore how our local environments, geographies, and lived histories influence our identities, voices, and stories, especially those of women. The practice has evolved from a drawing and painting practice to a relational and participatory practice which asks women to share their life stories and participate in portrait sittings. Public installation opportunities allow me to envision new and old histories by bringing objects off the wall, asking questions, and inviting participation through interactions like erasing with unconventional objects, mopping drawings with river water, smashing phones, or making wearables from old hardware.

It’s always about drawing and relationships! The accessibility and gestural qualities of drawing mirror the fluidity of women’s identities and help us see our local environments. I love researching, building up an archival surface, the silence of wiping marks away, or questioning traditional structures by drawing on top of painted surfaces. Collecting stories of women’s lives and interrogating where and how we exhibit and interact with creative work is a key component of the practice.

Key influences include the New York Studio School, a Skowhegan residency, Sam Gilliam at the Vermont Studio Center, Columbia University Center for Oral History/INCITE online workshops, and a long history as a worker and Archives staff at Colby College.