Art is not just about what you make… it’s about how its shared. Access to art and arts education is crucial to every community.
From curating my own art exhibition, to developing educational programming and social media campaigns, the sharing of knowledge will always be a crucial aspect of my practice.
Programming & Outreach
Signs from Above
February - March 2025 / Scripps College’s Denison Library
After noticing the diverse representation of birds in the Williamson Gallery’s collections, I was inspired to develop this exhibition that explores the significance of birds in artwork around the world, drawing comparisons across cultures, religions, and over 1000 years of history. The exhibition grew into a collaboration with Denison Library, drawing in additional works to the project from Denison’s archival collections and serving as the final location of display.
The exhibition took nearly two years to bring to fruition, and featured around 25 works separated into six displayers. All of the wall text, promotional materials, item selection, and research was conducted by myself, with support and editing from gallery staff, Denison librarians, and other gallery interns.
Read more at: https://scrippsvoice.com/passion-takes-flight-in-bird-themed-student-curated-exhibit/
Programming
Though the exhibition was only able to be displayed for a month, we hosted two curator walkthroughs and an educational owl workshop as part of the exhibition’s programming.
The walkthroughs were attended by students and community members, as well as an Animal Communications class from Pomona College as part of their course curriculum. These walkthroughs provided a move in-depth look at each display, as well as additional information on the development of the exhibition and the importance of avian conservation.
The owl workshop was accomplished through a partnership with the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center, a local conservation group that specializes in bird rehabilitation. Their animal ambassador “Thor”, a northern saw-whet owl, was on display outside the library while his handler led an informational lecture and answered student questions.
Impact
Introduced students to art and research resources at the Claremont Colleges
Introduced viewers to local bird species as well as how birding on the local-scale connects to the significance of birds culturally and environmentally at the global level
Contributed to the Williamson Gallery’s database by filling in important information about pieces that had not been researched previously
Creative Workshops
I also developed and led creative programming for students during my time as a steward at the Harvey Mudd Makerspace. Aside from introducing students to new tools, these workshops were intended to cultivate a creative community that encouraged experimentation and learning without judgement. By providing individualized instruction on the Makerspace's equipment, I encouraged participants to return independently and continue working on creative projects, balancing academics with a safe place for self-expression.
Examples of these workshops include embroidery machine + hatch software basics, creating box dioramas with laser cutter elements, and using CAD software to create original 3D printing projects.
Preparing with written instructions + planning how to lead workshop, leading it, practicing with the equipment…
In addition to coordinating and developing workshops, I also served as a marketing/outreach steward, creating social media posts and promotional materials for our weekly events.
I used analytics from our social media posts to optimize how we reached students: tracking which workshops were most popular, how students were hearing about events, and if event time effected attendance.
The result was significantly more visibility on campus, introducing the Makerspace and its resources to more people earlier and developing more consistently in workshop attendance.
