EDUCATION:
1993 - Master of Arts, New York University/ International Center of Photography. NY, NY.
1989 - Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Magna Cum Laude; Honors Program
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Present (since 1999) - Teaching social and environmental art/education workshops at colleges (NYU, Vasser, New School, Pitzer College, Hampshire College, Hostos College, Cooper Union, and Pratt Institute) and community centers around the USA
Present (since 1999) - Executive director of More Gardens! Integrating community organizing, art, education, legislation, legal, fundraising, and direct action, to preserve and enhance community gardens in city-wide campaigns: Lower East Side (5 years), South Bronx (5 years), East New York (1 year), East Harlem (4 years)
Present (since 2006) - Director & Teacher of Free Environmental South Bronx Summer Camp for 8-12-year-old campers and their families, Bronx, NY
1997-99 - New Museum of Contemporary Arts - Artists in School. Using photography and design, integrating the arts with the class curriculum.
1996-98 - Arts Teacher at Prospect Heights H.S. and Wagner Institute of Arts and Technology. Using Photoshop and QuarkXpress to design posters. Also a substitute teacher for math and sciences.
1995-98 - Arts, photography, and design teacher at Wagner Institute of Arts and Technology. Computer workshops for teachers, parents, and students. Computer Graphics class.
1991-95 - Stay In School Program. Prospect Height High School. Tutoring and counseling students at all levels. Crown Heights Brooklyn, NY
1988 - Milwaukee Access Telecommunication Authority. Cable video producer & director. Milwaukee, WI.
INSTALLATIONS, PARADES, CAMPAIGNS & PERFORMANCES
2022 - Living Tree Open Restaurant at Thailiscous Restaurant, 71 Clinton Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY.
2021 - Woven Willow Tree at 97 Clinton Street tree pit, Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY.
2021- Living Tree Outdoor Brook Park’s Children’s Living Tree Cabana in collaboration with community garden members and children. Brook Park, Mott Haven The Bronx.
2021 - El Jardin del Paraiso’s Children’s Fox-shaped Living Tree shed in collaboration with community garden members and children. Brook Park, Mott Haven The Bronx.
2019 - Children’s Magical Garden, Egg Chicken Coop, collaborating with community garden members and children. Lower East Side, NY
Present (since 2013) - HONK & More Gardens Parade and Festival. Lower East Side, NY
Present (since 2007) - Coordinator of “Rise Up & Respect the Bronx” Free Summer Camp parade and installations, collaborating with S. Bronx campers, parents, artists & Padre Plaza community gardeners. South Bronx, NY.
2013 - Executive Coordinator & Art Director of the NYC Mayoral Forum on Community Gardens & Parks at the Great Hall of Cooper Union, New York, NY
2012 - Children’s Magical Garden, Rose mural, collaboration with Eve Berkson & Marta Valle High School students led by Feng Chen and Amina Begum. Lower East Side, New York, NY.
2011 - Padre Plaza Community Garden, Ying Yang stone construction herbal bed, collaboration with community garden members and youth. South Bronx, NY.
2008–2012 - Coordinator of Harlem United Garden Parade, in collaboration with East Harlem community gardeners and Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito. El Barrio, East Harlem, NY.
2006–07 - Coordinator and art director at Nuevo Esperanza Community Garden’s six-month-long encampment. Various tree sits, performances, paintings, and outreach demand the need to protect and increase community green spaces. Collaboration with Nuevo Esperanza community gardeners, local residents, community activists, and artists. El Barrio, East Harlem, NY.
2006 - Artist in residence at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. “Coming Home” a collaborative exhibit and community workshops with immigrant students participating in the Museum's Shared Journeys Program. Lower East Side, New York, NY.
2004 - Coordinator and art director at Sunshine Community Garden encampment, creating banners, defense sculptures, a giant earth flower, musical performances, and paintings to protect and advertise the community gardens. South Bronx, NY.
2003 - Coordinator and art director at Morrisania Senior Citizen Community Garden encampment, building and transporting an overnight casita with lock-downs and banners after city administrators bulldozed the community garden. South Bronx, NY.
2002 - Coordinator and art director at Hostos Crimmins Community Garden encampment. Creating tree sit sculptures, giant earth/cement flower shaped lock-down, performances, banners, and paintings to defend and promote NYC community gardens. Collaboration with community gardeners, local residents, Hostos Community College students, community activists, and local national and international artists. South Bronx, NY.
2002 - Coordinator and art director of the ”Preserving All Community Gardens Lockdown Action”. Community garden bees, butterflies ladybugs and friends locked down in front of the Housing Preservation & Development Building, highlighting the preservation efforts at hand, leading to the State Attorney General’s Agreement with Mayor Bloomberg, permanently preserving 198 community gardens Citywide. 100 Gold Street, New York, NY.
2001–02 - Coordinator and art director at Cabo Rojo Community Garden’s five-month-long encampment encampment. Giant sunflower sculpture, performances and paintings to protect and advertise the community gardens celebration. Collaboration with Cabo Rojo community gardeners, local residents, community activists, and artists. South Bronx, NY.
2001 - Coordinator and art director of the “NYC Community Garden Caravan” –riding the four person powered ladybug, the oscillating winged dragonfly, and the nine feet tall bike corns across three boroughs, camping and performing in solidarity with endangered community gardens - highlighting the need for immediate preservation. NYC community gardens citywide.
2001 - Puppet maker visiting artist/activist “common green/common ground” Produced by Jan Cohen Cruz & Directed by Sabrina Peck. New York City community gardens city-wide performances.
2000–01 - Coordinator and art director of the “The Referendum” a 25,000-strong people’s referendum. This culminated in the successful settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General against the City of New York, permanently preserving 198 additional community gardens.
1999–2000 - Coordinator and art director at Esperanza Community Garden six-month-long encampment. Creating the “El Coqui of Esperanza”, live-in giant Puerto Rican frog, sleeping dragon lock-downs, performances, parades, banners and giant 24 foot high lock-down sunflower. Collaboration with Esperanza community gardeners, community activists, local and international residents to protect and highlight city-wide endangered community gardens.
1999–2000 - Coordinator and art director of More Gardens! / Street Theater “Save the Community Gardens at the Auction” campaign. Seven-month-campaign of street art, protest performance and direct action, resulting in the preservation of over 113 community gardens city-wide. Collaboration with community gardeners, community activists, local and city residents
1998–Present - Director of “Street Theater” using human and large scale puppets to bring about social and environmental justice. Lower East Side 1998-2001 & South Bronx 2001-Present, NY.
1998 - Residency and performances at Bread & Puppet, “Our Domestic Resurrection Circus, The New York City Community Gardens Passion play”. East Glover, Vermont
1997–98 - New Museum of Contemporary Arts resident artist at Queens High School. “Whose history is it anyway?” Museum and school installation with Natallie Dupoux, Madelyn Gil, Damaris Lopez, Ingrid Marte, Mercedes Mareno, and Ashly Tapp. New Museum of Contemporary Arts, New York, NY
1997–98 - Installation and Web project for PS1 Museum’s (presently Museum of Modern Arts) education project “Artist; Lynne Yamamoto”, collaboration with Lynne Yamamoto, and students: Danny Marino, Ismaris Molino and Kelly Parta. PS1 Museum, Long Island City, NY.
1996–97 - Teacher and art director of “Heart and Blood”. Collaborative window installations with The Student Advisory Board of The Museum of the Chinese in the Americas' Lena Sze, Thomas Hon, Henry Lau, Lee Wong, Gennie Ng, and Nelson Chan. Art in General, New York, NY.
1993–96 - Teacher, coordinator and art director of Prospect Heights Poster Project. Posters digitally designed and placed in neighborhood around High school establishments. Student members: Jhoy Meade, George Outlaw, Tanzania Roach, and Haydn Hyacinthe. Posters are of student’s poems and photographs, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
1995 - Co-teacher, co-coordinator and co-art director with Lynne Yamamoto of “Telling Stories”. Community specific house installation with students from Booker T. Washington High School. Arts Festival of Atlanta City Site works and Billboard project, Atlanta, GA.
1994 - Mark. Multi-media installation. Barney Building, New York, NY.
1993 - Collaborative, personal multi-media installation with Lynne Yamamoto, “Embrace, Enclose, Include”. PS 122 Gallery, New York, NY.
1992 - Multi-media installation artist, integrating art and sound with the ABC NO RIO hard core music venue. Lower East Side, New York, NY.
References: Provided on request