Teacher, arts administrator, event planner, entrepreneur, and community arts organizer. Passionate about education and the transformative power of art.
Solo adventurer, hot springs enthusiast, horizon chaser.
Currently based in the Siuslaw National Forest where I live with my dog Wilson, six chickens and a duck named Honky.
Born and raised in small town North Dakota, I grew up immersed in the arts and the outdoors. My family loved going to local folk festivals and swimming in the headwaters of the Mississippi. I often joined my dad, a photojournalist, on assignment, and in the darkroom. As I got older I immersed myself in my drawing and activism. Upon graduating from high school, I was awarded an art scholarship to the University of North Dakota, but after a year in the program I longed for a more non-traditional education and the unfamiliarity of home.
On New Year’s Eve 2005, I took the train to Olympia, Washington, to attend the Evergreen State College- one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I thrived in Evergreen’s unique self-directed studies. I immersed myself in the interdisciplinary classes and soon began focusing on my self-created major; Arts Management. I fell in love with the indie/DIY music and arts community in Olympia. I began to organize shows, arts workshops for under-served teens, art tours of the city, and an annual sustainability conference. I went to San Francisco to study at SFMOMA. And finally, I capped my final year with an independent project; writing a business plan for a non-profit community arts space.
Following graduation from Evergreen, I began working for the largest folk festival in the United States as the Volunteer Coordinator. This multi-cultural event hosts 275,000 attendees annually and is put on by nearly 700 volunteers. I spent two years organizing these events, which led me to become involved with many of Seattle’s premier music and art festivals. While interning at the Seattle Art Museum, I also helped produce large-scale events in many capacities- production, promotion, security, and programming.
In 2011 I moved to Portland, Oregon. Many of my friends from Evergreen were there- making music and art and organizing for social and environmental causes. I began working as an early childhood education teacher, while still producing events and organizing on the side. I taught for three years at my neighborhood pre-school alongside an incredible group of co-teachers. In 2014 myself and three other teachers co-founded Oak + Rose School for Early Childhood Education. We successfully crowd-funded the startup costs and focused on building a learning community that supports experiential learning, creative expression, outdoor adventure, and a garden and food program children can participate in. Above all, we aimed to co-create a space based on community and respect. As one of four owners, I oversaw the enrollment, marketing and communications and licensing as well as taught in the toddler program. Oak + Rose School currently operates in two locations and has a waitlist for enrollment.
Meanwhile, in my free time, I continued to work on creative projects and community events. I discovered my love for natural hot springs and deepened my passion for solo adventuring. In 2017 I began producing and hosting celestial celebrations on Solstices and Equinoxes. These events, set in beautiful remote locations, combined my passions for the outdoors, community, live music and the unique circumstances that time and seasonal change bring about. This nomadic event series continues to this day and has been held all over Oregon and Washington.
After four years of building and expanding, I left Oak + Rose School to pursue arts and events management full time. The school continues to flourish and years later I still keep in touch with many of the families I met along the way.
In 2018 I was hired as the University Events Coordinator at Portland State University. In this position, I produced large-scale community relations events for the Office of the President. This included the university’s annual ten-day homecoming festival, PSU’s advocacy day at the state capitol, commencement ceremonies, and designing (and driving!) the Starlight Parade float. Though I enjoyed the work I eventually moved into a new position at PSU.
In 2019, I was brought on to help oversee the launch of a new art museum opening on campus. As the Operations and Communications Manager of the JSMA@PSU, I drove museum communications, marketing and public relations efforts. I oversaw production of exhibition materials, signage, promotional materials, and advertising. I especially enjoyed developing and producing creative programming to engage a variety of audiences as well as working with artists during the exhibition installation process. In this role, I also established PSU spending accounts, helped develop the museum’s budget, and oversaw the purchasing of supplies and equipment using sustainable practices. I created and implemented museum policies and procedures for general operations, staff management, event rentals, and security and Covid-19 protocols. In 2021, my contract with JSMA@PSU ended.
In 2021 I moved to a log cabin in the Siuslaw National Forest on the Oregon coast where I live with my dog, Wilson, six chickens, and a duck named Honky. We spend our time gardening, kayaking, reading, writing, dancing and adventuring. While, of course, keeping busy with creative projects and events.
