The story

“…just as it is possible to go from any place to any other, so also, starting from a defined and specialized field, can one arrive at a realization of ever-extending relationships.

Thus tangential subjects come into view. The thoughts, however, can, I believe, be traced back to the event of a thread.”

-Anni Albers, preface to On Weaving

Language is a dynamic material--a complex web of abstract shapes, sounds and gestures-- in and from which we place and receive meaning. Every thought, word read, or sentence uttered rests upon a constantly shifting cultural negotiation.

My work utilizes common and domestic materials (like thread, fabric, newspapers, rugs, paper, or acrylic glass) to emphasize language as a fundamental human tool, whether spoken, written, thought, gestured, or typed; communication is an essential part of both intimate and public life. It can connect and divide, wound and heal, build up or tear down, hide and reveal. It shapes us, and we wield it to shape our world.

I isolate and recontextualize news articles, tweets, and colloquial concepts or phrases to highlight the social categorization that undergirds everyday speech and information exchanges, drawing attention to things often said, but rarely considered. I frequently use patterns of code as a translation tool, drawing attention to language forms, patterns, and systems, and how these change over time and are carried forward into new technologies.

James Baldwin said, “The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.” I would add, it is also present in all that we say.

I am based in Colorado, and received my BFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003. My artwork and writing has been exhibited locally including the Denver Art Museum and RedLine Contemporary, numerous museums and galleries nationally and internationally. Press features include the "Surface Design Journal," The Denver Post, WIRED magazine, TheBody.com, various newspapers, podcasts, and independent publications. Supported by numerous grants and private donations, my community-based projects include Stitching the Situation, a collectively embroidered tapestry in response to COVID-19, and The Denver Principles Flagpole Project, in collaboration with PLWHIV and the CO Health Network. In 2022 I received an Arts and Creative Placemaking award from the University of Florida Center for Arts & Medicine. I will be a resident with Platte Forum in the spring of 2024.

The balance of my artistic and domestic work as a mother has varied over the years, a tension that simultaneously inspires and restricts creative expression and opportunity—a challenge I deeply value.

CV here.