Associate Professor of Art

Education

Siena Heights College, B.A.
University of Michigan, M.F.A.

Recent Awards and Achievements

• Planning Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
• For an exhibition entitled “Bandits and Heroes, Poets and Saints:
• Popular Art from the Northeast of Brazil” to open in May 2007 In Detroit

Teaching Philosophy

“I have a long history with Siena Heights. I received my first degree from here. I took my first painting and watercolor classes here. And I believe strongly in the kind of education Siena provides. I’m happy to be here. The Art Department is strong, involved and interesting group of artists and art historians who are really for the students here. And the students are engaged. It’s a good program, great for the person who is motivated and wants to learn because the faculty will do all they can to help them. Our undergraduate senior exhibitions compare well with those I’ve seen anywhere. I like the sense of community and the sense of the importance of the individual. I like knowing who students are and watching them learn and grow. I like learning along with them. There’s always both a challenge and encouragement here. Bertrand Russell says ‘The painter has to unlearn to habit of thinking that things seem to have the color which common sense says they ‘really’ have, and to learn the habit of seeing things as they appear.’ I think the challenge of life is learning to see things as they really are, and to keep learning.”