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Artist, Author, and Illustrator
Pittsburgh, PA
2007 - Present (17 years)
My watercolor paintings and illustrations have been exhibited in solo and group shows at galleries in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have illustrated multiple titles for Kane/Miller Book Publisher and self-published a third book.
I am a self-taught artist from Denver, Colorado. I illustrated "Old Abe, Eagle Hero" by Pat Young for Kane/Miller Book Publishers in 2010. I wrote and illustrated "When You Are Camping," a picture book for preschool age children, which was published in March 2012 also by Kane/Miller. I wrote, illustrated, and self-published, "Let's Take An Airplane" in 2014.
I love sharing my work with children, teachers, and families. I have conducted art classes, creative writing workshops, and story times to children in grades Prek through 8th at schools and libraries across the country.
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Branch Manager, Youth Services Librarian
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Sep 2005 - Present (18 years 8 months)
The neighborhood library branch is a unique resource and space for the community it serves. As manager I work to create an environment in which all people are comfortable learning, playing, and visiting. I coordinate and facilitate programs and events for all ages: from baby storytimes to school-age summer camps to adult book discussions and fundraisers. I work to include the library in community programs and events, and further collaborate with organizations throughout the community in order to increase the library's visibility and relevance to diverse groups.
My responsibilities included: Hiring, training, and supervising staff; Coordinating adult and youth in-house programming; Coordinating outreach to over a dozen schools, daycare centers, and community centers; Engage with community leadership to advocate for, and promote, library services; Manage budget; Work with collection development department to maintain and grow adult and youth collections; Work with management teams to create system-wide tools and strategies.
Having left my full-time position as Branch Manager, I continue to work in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh system as a substitute librarian at any of the 19 locations. I work in reference, children's departments, and at customer service. I share monthly updates and facilitate an annual training for substitute staff working in children's departments.
I have been happy to work with library staff to coordinate creative writing and art workshops for school-age patrons, and present to parents, teachers, and students.