Faculty Artists

When your art teacher comes to class after firing a kiln-full of bowls, you can tell she is deeply connected to her craft. The result is teaching that feels real, practical—and also inspiring. Williston arts faculty are practicing artists. Whether on the stage, at the barre, in the studio, or in the costume shop, they are pursuing their passions both as teachers and as creative professionals. What that means for you is an enriched environment where the arts are energetically alive.

CHORAL + INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

VISUAL ART

I am a ceramicist and produce a line of handmade functional pottery called “slow studio.” I think of myself as a designer as well as a maker and the designs of my pieces are intended to reflect my interest in simplicity and harmony. I am inspired by natural elements and interpret light, textures and forms of nature through clay. Both my personal practice and teaching feed each other to keep each endeavor fresh and vibrant.

PHOTO + VIDEO

Making has always been a way for me to reflect on and better understand the world around me. I first fell in love with photography during my early experiences in the darkroom, and since then I have remained fascinated by analog image-making in all its forms, continually drawn to the magic of creating images with light. As an artist, I work primarily with photography and video art, always searching for new ways to express my feelings and ideas through images. Whether I am shooting a video, squishing raspberries to make an anthotype emulsion, or taking photographs inside of plastic bags, I love to tinker, experiment, and follow wherever creativity leads me. Teaching is an extension of this practice, and I find joy in sharing my passion with students and helping them discover how to tell their own stories through lens-based media.

TECHNICAL THEATER

I’m primarily a set and light designer for live performances locally. Most of my stage designs incorporate light as an aesthetic element as well as a thematic component. In recent years, I’ve traveled to London to study video and projection mapping as well as to Makerspace workshops at MIT. These are being integrated it into my own work, and into my teaching at Williston, where I continue to explore ways to bring physical aspects of the stage to life.

THEATER

While I spend most of my time in the theater these days teaching acting and directing stage productions, my training is in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism. As a dramaturg, I have worked on new play development with aspiring and professional playwrights, collaborated with ensembles in devised projects, and adapted classical texts for contemporary production. For my dissertation, I translated three Spanish modernist plays that were not previously available in the English language. My passion for translation and adaptation informs my work as a director and acting teacher, as I gravitate to texts that reimagine ancient stories and dramatic conventions for contemporary audiences.

VISUAL ART, CERAMICS, YEARBOOK

Since I could hold a crayon, my first love has been representational portraiture. Over the years I’ve worked in a variety of wet and dry media, always coming back around to brightly expressive figures and faces. I also create functional pottery; where I can simply get lost in the relaxing experience of a beautifully crafted mug or play with altered ceramic forms.  Just as I use art as a way to explore the world and capture the memories of people in my life, my objective is to teach students ways in which they can tell their stories through art.

DANCE

When I am not working with the Williston Dance Ensemble, I enjoy training students of all ages at my dance studio in town, Art In Motion. My touring company, The Legible Bodies, produces contemporary dance performance for stage and screen. I truly love creating original choreography and producing dance events in the greater Easthampton area, and I take every opportunity to make dance happen in my community and beyond!

COSTUME DESIGN

When I am not designing shows at Williston, you will often find me in a costume shop at one of the local colleges or regional theaters working as a draper (pattern maker) or stitching. Currently, I am working on a reproduction of a Tudor era child’s dress with my 8 year old using historical patterns. I have found the greatest rewards of my craft come from teaching young people a new skill and I am in the process of developing a series of sewing workshops for elementary age children.