Making Things...

I recently had the privilege of spending a week at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina, serving as the studio assistant for a dear friend as she taught a weeklong Creative Containers course. We arrived not quite knowing what to expect, but fully energized by the promise of a new adventure.

What we discovered was a remarkable experience. The Folk School’s guiding tenets—joy, kindness, stewardship, and a non-competitive spirit—shaped every part of our week. These values foster a nurturing atmosphere where creativity flourishes, and the sense of community is resounding. It may have rained everyday we were there (except the last day) but that did not impact the level of joy for making! The artists in our class were incredibly prolific, often returning to the studio after dinner to continue their work. 

It was an honor to be part of such a meaningful, collaborative space, and I left invigorated with appreciation for the way art-making can bring people together.

Check this out!

I had the chance to do something pretty exciting recently—I was invited to be a guest on a podcast to talk about teaching photography!

It was my first time being on a podcast, so I was thrilled (and a little nervous) to join K12 Art Chat, hosted by Laura and Matt Grundler, a dynamic art education duo based in Texas. We had such a great conversation about all things photography, creativity, and teaching.

If you’d like to listen, check it out here.

Big Orange Monster: An Emergency Exhibition

The Kolaj Institute Gallery in New Orleans recently put out a call for art:

“You mix fear (yellow) and anger (red) and you get a Big Orange Monster. What’s the emergency? There are a lot of Big Orange Monsters on the loose. Monsters only have power if you are afraid of them. So let’s create a space where we can slay our fear of Big Orange Monsters. Art helps us exorcise our demons. Monsters can be glorious and wonderful or horrible and evil. Let’s not cast aside the good Big Orange Monsters because some other Big Orange Monsters are, well… unpleasant.”

This call immediately resonated with me—combining my love of collage and mail art into one outrageous orange opportunity. It felt like the perfect moment to wrestle with the larger-than-life figures that haunt our headlines and cast long shadows over the places where power resides.

Artist Teacher Exhibition: Color Stories

 

The Artist Teacher Exhibition: Color Stories opening reception will be held on Saturday, October 11, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center.

This year’s exhibition features 78 art faculty from 61 FCPS schools, showcasing the incredible range and creativity of our artist teachers.

Color Stories celebrates the power of color — how it can evoke memory, emotion, and narrative, or simply be downright visually delicious! This exhibition is a vibrant tribute to the artistry and dedication of our educators. The show is on display until December 6th.

Silos

  Early in March I drove through Asheville, NC. I was totally smitten with the silos in Asheville’s River Arts District—especially the graffiti-covered one near the French Broad River—have become unofficial landmarks, blending industry with street art. Once used for storage, they now serve as massive canvases that reflect the city’s creativity and evolving identity. 

There’s a striking irony in graffiti artists transforming silos—structures often used as metaphors for isolation, division, and separation—into shared canvases for collective expression. In their original function, silos store things apart, compartmentalized and sealed off, much like the way "siloed thinking" limits collaboration. What once symbolized separation now fosters connection—a public dialogue in spray paint, turning isolation into community.

The Agency of Making...

 

I recently wandered into an art gallery in Chelsea, NYC, and to my surprise, encountered a meticulous recreation of William Kentridge's studio. Among the works was a stop-motion animation, filmed with an 8mm camera, depicting the evolving portrait of a coffee pot. The animation subtly reinforced the analogue, tactile nature of Kentridge’s practice—rooted in process exploration and object intrigue.

Kentridge once said that drawing is “a testing of ideas through the hand.” His trees seem to test the boundary between representation and abstraction. They also echo his larger interest in process—they are not hyper realistic depictions, but meditations on form, memory, and time.

DC Date Night

My sweetie and I spent part of our Valentine's evening at the National Cathedral to check out the Seeing Deeper experience. The ethereal light gliding over the gothic arches, the scale of the vast space undeniable, music gently tickling our ears. 

We were instantly part of an entranced crowd, a tapestry of strangers from all walks of life, sharing this collective experience. The shared awe and quiet wonder made for a moment where the grandeur of art and architecture fostered a much needed sense of unity and peace.