PERSONAL BACKGROUND:

I was born in New York, grew up in the metropolitan area, and also lived in Germany (Bonn and Berlin) which became our base for family trips around Europe.  I went to universities in Rochester, N.Y., Washington, D.C., and California, and have lived in Maryland, Virginia, and Colorado. 

In elementary school I started taking music lessons and dance; later on I began making art, and writing.  In college, I focused on art history, literature, and philosophy. After graduation, I began working at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.,  and a few years later, with more experience and a Master’s Degree in Art History, I became associate curator of 20th century art.  Moving west to Colorado, I coordinated arts and humanities programs for the city of Boulder.

Settling in the San Joaquin Valley, I taught at California State University, Stanislaus, and earned a second Master’s degree there in Interdisciplinary Studies in 1993.  Modesto Junior College has been my teaching home since 1996. I have taught art history and humanities here, focusing on interdisciplinary aspects which link my interests in the arts with my many questions about life, people, philosophy, history, art, cultural values, and criticism.

I enjoy traveling, camping with my family, playing badminton, and visiting natural and art historical sites and museums.  In 2001 I was fortunate to travel in China to several places of art and natural beauty, and in 2004 I joined an MJC sponsored study trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico. In the spring and summer of 2007 I traveled to great cities and sites in Turkey, Greece and Italy and other years I have photographed ancient Native American petroglyphs in Nevada.

Being familiar with several areas of the art world has helped me teach from experience.  It is  rewarding to create contexts where students can develop and share their skills, knowledge and talents, like my teachers did for me.  Attending cultural events, joining in class learning and discussion, combining imagination, knowledge and critical thinking--all of these, I have found, can help us gain more from our experiences, increase our abilities to express ourselves, and discover what we want to make of our lives.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND