After a lifetime of pursuing a career centered in art, I have recently found myself facing the final 3rd.

This is my story. If not now, then when?  - John Lewis

The youngest daughter of a political cartoonist and loving stay-at-home mom, I never seriously considered anything other than art for my path. I painted in high school and early college years. In the 1980's all my college painting & drawing professors were white males who had nothing to say to me. In my 3rd year, I reached into things I knew nothing about: printmaking and metal arts. I fell in love with the printmaking process which laid the groundwork for the next 30 years of my identity.

My first airplane ride was to Paris in 1985 to study at Atelier 17 with Stanley Hayter. It was there I realized that a hot plate could be heated by only a light bulb. This experience lit my dream to build a community printmaking studio. Below the Surface Printmakers Atelier (1989-1999 Minneapolis)

 

This was the beginning of my lifelong commitment to building community, and evidently, I had a knack for building studios.  Having landed in Monterey, CA in 2003 I felt displaced from a large network of artists and a vibrant art community. It took me ten years living here before I realized that if I didn't build it, I would likely never feel that connection again. I founded Open Ground Studios in 2013 which has won several awards and has become a second home to many, a launching pad for creative practice and learning, and a flexible community venue for connection, learning, exhibition, and social action.