Artist’s Statement
I became deaf at 13 months from meningitis (1949) and am the only deaf person in my family. I met my first deaf person in my second year of undergraduate school in Rochester (1968) which was when I began my journey into the world of Deaf Culture. My first recollection of being creative was when I built a puppet stage and made puppets for the kids in our neighborhood at the age of ten. It was also then that my Grandfather gave me his old Kodak Brownie camera. I loved taking pictures and anxiously waited for the film to be developed, printed and sent by US Postal Service. I remember my mother telling me not to waste the film because it would be too expensive. I did chores around the house and ran errands to earn money so that I could “waste” film. Art has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. Family, friends and teachers have encouraged me in my creative endeavors and I am forever grateful to them. In addition I appreciate the companionship and support from fellow artists. There is so much to learn from each other. I strive to show a story in my art. Each person brings their unique perceptions and interpretations to create their own narratives when viewing my work.

Education
1970 BS in Art and Art History, Nazareth College of Rochester
1975 MST in Art Education and Printmaking, Rochester Institute of Technology

Career
Art Instructor (1971-75) Elementary and High School in Missouri and Rochester, NY
Retired in 2010 (33 years), Rochester Institute of Technology and National Technical Institute for the Deaf Research Assistant, Associate Professor and Academic Chair of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education

Current Art Mediums
Painting (acrylics and watercolors)
Weaving (peg loom)
Drawing (pen, colored pencils, pastels, charcoal)

Exhibits
1970
Finger Lakes Juried Art Exhibit, Corning NY (jewelry – honorable mention)

Nazareth College of Rochester Senior Art Thesis Show (drawings, photography,
sculpture, lithographs, etchings, woodcut prints, ceramics, paintings)

1972-75
Cottey College, Nevada, Missouri (screen prints, lithography and etching)

1979-81
Creators Hands Art Gallery, Rochester NY (screen prints)

1980-82
Rochester Memorial Art Gallery Juried “Clothesline Art” Show (drawings, screen prints, etchings and woodcut prints)

1983
Rochester Corn Hill Juried Arts Festival (drawings, screen prints, etchings and woodcut prints)

1998-03
Framer’s Corner Framing and Art Gallery, Hammondsport NY (photography)

1998, 2000, 2002
Nazareth College of Rochester Art Center Juried “Festeggiamo Le Arti” (best work in photography category)

1999
West End Art Gallery, Corning NY Juried “An Artist’s View” (photography)

1999-2003
Rochester Center at High Falls Art Gallery Juried Shows “Photographer’s Path”, “16×20”, “Eye Contact: The Rochester Scene/Seen” (received Landmark Fellows Pick) (photography)

2000-03
National Technical Institute for the Deaf Dyer Art Gallery at RIT Invitational Shows “Art Works”, “Perspectives”, “On My Own Time” (photography)

2001-present
Rochester Institute of Technology “Image Collections: International Archive of Deaf Artists” (http://wally.rit.edu) (photography, paintings and textiles)

2008
Casa Italiana at Nazareth College of Rochester “Tuscan Windows” – a one person show (photography)

2013-present
Lower Mill Art Center and Gallery, Honeoye Falls, NY Members Shows and invitational themed exhibits (acrylic, watercolor and textiles)

2019-present
“Sign Your Art” A program I developed that provides direct instruction in American Sign Language for people in the Rochester community – supported by the Lower Mill Art Center and Gallery, Honeoye Falls, NY.