Years at Camp: 3rd summer in 2011
Department: Visual Art
Camp Bio:
Last year was my first at Ballibay. It was certainly challenging to recall any and all knowledge in my field to bring exciting projects to the campers. I taught them things that I was never introduced to until college, but kept them simple enough that they felt rewarding and suited their individual levels of experience. I was continuously baffled at how eager each child was to learn and to grow. Together we mastered felting (sheared off the neighbor's sheep!) many different kinds of printmaking, handmade hula hoops, metalworking and soldering, we discussed the meaning and importance of art in our lives, and discovered even more about life, our individual selves, and our relationships to the world that surrounds us. This year, I look forward to teaching a few old lessons to the campers, but I've got a few new tricks up my sleeve, and I'm excited to share my world with theirs once again.
Professional/School Bio:
A recent graduate of the New Hampshire Institute of Art, my education seems to be a spin of the old and the new. While my school remains quite traditional, I found myself increasingly captured my modern and contemporary works. The school's pull toward technique and training has strengthened my skills, while my personal journey in the world of art has strengthened my concepts and ideas. I believe a balance of both are important to create great work, although I look forward to a day where I stumble upon a piece that proves me wrong.
I came to school with a strong interest in painting, but along the way, found printmaking, sculpture, and various other mediums that expressed my ideas more accurately. To this day, I perhaps consider myself a printmaker above all else, but more importantly, I have found the strength of any artwork depends greatly on its medium. Like an individual has a voice, so does a piece of artwork. The right message said the wrong way can make all the difference.
My professional experiences in the art world include my education at NHIA, a list of group and solo exhibitions, summers spent on the road- networking and selling my work at festivals and fairs, personal and business oriented commissions, teaching, and of course Ballibay.
In the future I will complete my Masters and perhaps even a PhD in Art Therapy. Teaching the world to love art, and to use it as a tool to understand themselves sounds like bliss to me.
Arrival Date at Camp: June 17, 2010
Home Town: Tewksbury, Ma
Keywords: Cabin Staff, Farm Arts Camp Staff, Returning Staff, All Staff
