Welcome! Here's an intro to me!

What I do at West Bronx Academy

I am the primary Visual Arts teacher for West Bronx Academy, and every student will probably have me as their teacher at some point during their time here! I teach 7th grade Visual Art, 8th grade Visual Art, 9th grade Intro to Studio Art, usually 2 sections of Intermediate Art for grades 10-12, and then Advanced Art- the first year of AP 2D Art for 11th grade (Ms. Kennedy will be your teacher for your senior year of AP Art). I can be found in my classroom, rm 118, at most times when we are learning in the building! I often host groups of students in the Art room during Lunch and after school. I also facilitate a student-run dance club, the YDDC Dance Team, and a student-run Art Club! If in a Visual Arts class or club, you can expect to have a number of opportunities for exploring the art world around us through field trips and artist visits, as well as having access to a variety of arts supplies, whether for in or outside of class. I started at West Bronx Academy in 2013, and really enjoy building the amount of Visual Arts activity our school has, and am always available to listen, assist, guide, or anything else!

My background in Art and Education

I received my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Art Education from SUNY New Paltz in 2012, and my Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Social Engagement in Art from Moore College of Art and Design in Philly in 2017. Before working at West Bronx Academy, I held a number of different positions, including: tour and group activity guide for the Cradle of Aviation museum (also conducted planetary shows in a mobile planetarium- I knew the summer sky for the northern hemisphere quite well), comic book store clerk, magician's assistant, face painter, balloon sculptor, after school set design facilitator, and assistant to practitioners of assorted divination (kind of like a fortune teller).

Outside the Classroom

Teaching takes up a lot of life, but outside of school I spend my time on my own art practice (primarily traditional media painting and drawing, occasionally presenting works publicly), spending time with my spouse, reading, watching horror movies, walking or going to the beach, traveling, going to concerts, or touring with my spouse's band. During the pandemic, I've learned to skateboard.