~EDUCATION~ 

M.A., Studio Art with Art Education Emphasis, pending, Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky

M.A., Museum Studies, 1998 Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York; honors: Graduate Assistantship Award & Scholarship, 1996-1998

B.F.A., Studio Art, 1996 Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, Ohio; honors: John Dudley Chamberlain Memorial Scholarship, 1995 Columbus College of Art and Design Scholarship, 1992-1995

~PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE~ 

GALLERY DIRECTOR, 2000 - present, Claypool-Young Art Gallery, Morehead State University, KY

Directs all gallery activities.  Curates, designs, & coordinates exhibitions, associated programming, and university art collection; responsible for all curatorial, exhibition design, and registrarial tasks; develops long term strategic gallery projects along with gallery committee including national call for entries process both for specific and general exhibition opportunities and gallery renovation project (completed 2003); coordinates visiting artist workshop and lecture serieconceived of and coordinates the Bluegrass Biennial, Kentucky's state-specific juried exhibition with cash awards; creates all gallery advertisements & press materials; conducts film, radio, and text contacts with regional and national media; hosts opening receptions & gallery events; administers gallery budget; writes grants for gallery projects; provides gallery educational programming for college & k-12 students; serves on university, college, and community committees to facilitate interdisciplinary and accessible arts programming; supervises gallery graduate assistants and practicum students. 

TEACHING ARTIST, 2003 - present , locations variable nationally

Originates, instructs, and manages art education for out of school adults, college and p-12 students. Teaches art appreciation college courses (MSU's Understanding the Visual Arts); textile construction and surface design; public art lectures; professional practice for the visual artist; works collaborively with peer artists, non-profit art organizations, universities, and schools. Semester, week(s) courses, after-school programming; and one-day and weekend workshops. See selected freelance work for specifics.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR, MSU Arts and Humanities Council, 2003-05 , Morehead, KY

Facilitates the council’s mission of promoting, supporting and developing interdisciplinary arts programming for MSU’s regional community.  Manages and secures event funding. Cultural campus/community art liaison.  Heads council board of university and community stakeholders.  Participates in college leadership committees and initiatives.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES COORDINATOR, Cincinnati Art Museum, 1998-2000, OH

Responsible for supplying art images in-house &  fielding outside requests for reproductions of artworks.  Duties included copyright research, maintaining slide library & photography collection, implementing new photography of artwork, managing department budget, supervising departmental assistants and volunteers, & overseeing large institutional photography projects for publication.

ASSISTANT PREPARATOR & REGISTRAR, Contemporary Art Center, 1998-2000, Cincinnati, OH

Exhibition preparation & registration per the demands of exhibition schedule.  Supervised packing & shipping of contemporary art as well as other registrar-related tasks including condition reports & traveling art exhibition documents.  Assisted Chief Preparator with assembling contemporary artworks, and general exhibition-related tasks.

GALLERY GRADUATE ASSISTANT, Lowe Art Gallery, Syracuse University, 1996-1998, Syracuse, NY

Participation in all aspects of gallery design, preparation & installation of exhibitions: design and execution of exhibition graphics and extended labels, collection management tasks, matting & framing of artworks, and gallery construction.  Responsible for purchasing materials for gallery.  Creation and dissemination of exhibition publicity including press releases.  Research and activation of art exhibition web site.

REGISTRAR ASSISTANT, Columbus Museum of Art, 1994-1996, Columbus, OH

Expansion and clarification of 4-Dimensions database, including creation of new information fields on non-western art.  Inventory of museum’s collection: formulation of solutions for art storage & supervision of project interns.  Development of intern instruction manual for database information management.  Art handling & research for scholarly & collection management needs.

EDITOR, Columbus Museum of Art, 1995-1996, Columbus, OH

Editing & design of DepARTures Anthology, a book of children’s artwork & poetry based on their experiences at the museum.  Responsible for all stages of desktop publishing, & also worked extensively with children in a museum setting.  Management project volunteers.

~AWARDED GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND HONORS~ 

Kentucky Arts Council, Funding to support Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen Professional Development Workshop (sought on behalf of the KGAC), 2006, $1250.00

Kentucky Foundation for Women, Art Meets Activism Grant, 2006, $1000.00

Kentucky Foundation for Women, Artist Enrichment Grant, 2005, $1000.00

The Cathedral Foundation, "Visions XI International Juried Exhibition" Best in Show award, 2005, $1000.00

MSU Campus Partnership Fund, "National and State Art Funding Opportunities Workshop", grant (co-author), 2005, $1800.00

Morehead Tourism Commission, "Fiber Optics: Kentucky Art Quilts Exhibition", grant, 2005, $500.00

Johnson County Museum of History, "Pieces from the Past and Present Quilt Exhibition" Best Contemporary Quilt award, 2004

Southern Ohio Museum, "Cream of the Crop Art Exhibition" Merit award, 2004

Americans for the Arts, "pARTicipate 2004 Convention" Competitve Underserved Region Scholarship, 2004, $1600.00

MSU Campus Partnership Fund, "Bluegrass Biennial Juried Exhibition", grant, 2004, $1000.00

Morehead Tourism Commission, "Bluegrass Biennial Juried Exhibition", grant, 2004, $500.00

PT3 Collaborative Education (Federal), "Exploring Issues of Identity through Time-Based Media Project", grant, 2003, $15,000.00

Kentucky Arts Council, "Claypool-Young Art Gallery Visiting Artists' Lecture & Workshop Series", grant, 2003, $1100.00

PT3 Collaborative Education (Federal), "On-Line Cultural Resources", grant (co-author), 2002, $15,000.00

PT3 Collaborative Education (Federal), "Integrating Technology into Art Appreciation Courses", grant, 200, $1500.00

MSU Campus Partnership Fund, "Claypool-Young Artist Lecture Series", grant, 2000, $600.00

~SELECTED FREELANCE WORK~

~2006~

Artist-in-Residence, "Embellished Textile Icons" week-long workshop, University of Kentucky Art Department: Fibers Program, Lexington, KY

Teaching Artist, "Embellished Textiles Collages" weekend textile workshop, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA

Teaching Artist, "Embellished Textiles at Blackacre Nature Reserve" week-long middle school student workshops, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY

Teaching Artist, "Prayerful Objects", embellished textile workshop with high school students (focusing on special needs students working with AP Art Class peer tutors, Rowan County Senior High School, Morehead, KY

Teaching Artist, "Dimensional Embellished Textile Objects" one day workshop, Cave Run Arts Association, Morehead, KY

Presenter, "Crafting Your Artist Statement", professional practice seminar, Greenbo Annual Art Show, Greenup, KY

Presenter, "Crafting Your Artist Statement", professional practice seminar, Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, Berea, KY

~2005~

Juror, Woodland Arts Festival, Lexington, KY

Juror, Midwest National Abstract Art Exhibition, Franklin, IN

Faculty, "The Embellished Textile Collage" week-long workshop, Miami University's CraftSummer Program, Oxford, OH

Teaching Artist, "The Embellished Textile Collage" one day workshop, Cave Run Arts Association, Morehead, KY

Presenter, "Crafting Your Artist Statement", professional practice seminar, Photos In Common, Morehead, KY

~2004~

Visiting Artist, Appalachian Art, upper level art history course, MSU

Presenter, “Crafting Your Artist Statement”, professional practice seminar, Morehead Art Guild, Morehead, Kentucky

~2003~

Faculty, "Non-traditional Embellished Quilt Sampler" weekend workshop, Kentucky School of Craft, Hindman, KY

~2002~

Presenter, "Professional Presentation for the Artist" public seminar, Morehead, KY

Teaching Artist, "Folk Doll Workshop", Kentucky Art Education Association annual conference, Morehead State University, KY

Teaching Artist "Quilted Self-Portrait Project", week-long workshop, Camp Impact, Rowan County Public Schools, KY

Teaching Artist, "Folk Doll Workshop", Appalachian Celebration, Morehead, KY

Juror, "Lexington Art League Summer Open 2002" Exhibit, Lexington, KY

Teaching Artist, "Surface Embellishment" workshop, Quilter's Day Out, Cave Run Lake, KY

~2001~

Design Consultant, Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead, KY

Presenter, "Professional Presentation for Practicing Artists" workshop, Ohio River Valley Art Assocation, Maysville, KY

Juror, "Images from the Mountains Exhibition", Appalshop, Whitesburg, KY

~SELECTED CURRENT & FORMER BOARD SERVICE/PROFESSIONAL & HONOR ASSOCIATIONS~

Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Council Web and Listserv Committee

Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen Board of Directors; Officer: Secretary; Exhibiting member (juried selection)

Rowan County Jaycees; Officer: Secretary

Cave Run Rock n Blues n BBQ Festival, Executive Committe, Publicity Director, Morehead, KY

Cave Run Arts Association Board Member

MSU Interdisciplinary Women's Studies Program Advisory Council Member

MSU Appalachian Heritage Program Advisory Council Member

MSU Arts and Humanities Council Board Member

National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Chapter 148, Member

Surface Design Association, Member

Studio Art Quilt Association, Member

~SELECTED PUBLICATIONS~

2000 - present: "Gallery Guide" column published monthly, The Morehead News, Morehead, KY.

2005: “Embellished by Ebay”, article on artwork with reproductions including magazine front cover,  Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall 2005, N. Bronner.

2005: “The Business of Art”, article on Art Business Institute and artist with images, Lexington Herald-Leader, May 12, 2005, B. Heath.

2005: “Questioning Reality: Surrealism Past and Present”, article authored and published, Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall 2005

2005: “Americans for the Arts: A Voice of Advocacy”, article authored and published, Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Summer 2005

2004: “’Babes’ at Semantics”, artwork reproduced and mentioned, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/9/04, M. Bauer.

2004: “Identity Crisis: Searching for a Sense of Self”, article authored and published in Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall 2004.

2004:” Contemporary Art Quilts by Rebekka Seigel, David Walker, Susan Shie, and James Acord”, article authored and published in Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Winter 2004. 

2003: “The Signs, They are A-Changin: Modern Iconography”, article authored and published in Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall 2003.

2002-03-04:   Art Gallery column, authors monthly in the Morehead News, bi-weekly newspaper.

2002: “Art Works: The Ohio River Valley Art Guild”, article authored & published in Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall.

2002:  “Embellishing Workshop”, artwork reproduced in Morehead News, 3/12/02.

2001: “Those Who Teach, Create”, article authored & published in Arts Across Kentucky magazine, Fall.

2001: “Works Can’t Contain Faculty’s Enthusiasm”, artwork mentioned in exhibition review, Lexington Herald-Leader, 11/25/2001, B. Heath.

~CURATED EXHIBITIONS~ (all hosted @ the Claypool-Young Art Gallery, MSU, unless noted otherwise)

“Fragmentations: A Group Exhibition”, October – November 2006, thematic exhibition

“Techni-Color”, October – November 2005, thematic exhibition.

“Question Reality: Surrealism in Contemporary Art”, September – October, 2005, thematic exhibition.

“Town & Country: The Landscape in Contemporary Art”, January – February, 2005, thematic exhibition.

“Identity Crisis: Search for a Sense of Self”, September – October 2004, thematic exhibition.

 “The Bluegrass Biennial: A Juried Exhibition of Kentucky Artists”, June – July, 2004.

“Contemporary Art Quilts by Rebekka Seigel, David Walker, Susan Shie, and James Acord”, January – February 2004.

“Modern Iconography: Symbols Public & Private”, September-October 2003, thematic exhibition.

“Divine Object: The Venerated Image”, August-September 2003, thematic exhibition.

“Pop, Rock, and Roll: Popular Culture in Contemporary Art”, January – February 2003, thematic exhibition.

 “Kurt Gohde and Rich Fruth: Contemporary Sculpture”, September – October 2002.

“Real/Surreal: Photography and prints by Maureen France, Andrew Au, and David Mohallatee”, August – September 2002.

“Still Life: Contemporary Photography”, January – March 2002, thematic exhibition.

“Walters, Robbins, Terry”, October – November 2001.

“Saulnier, Hollingsworth, Keech”, August – September 2001.

“Word/Text/Language”, January – March 2001, thematic exhibition.

“ Marshutz, Blanch, Abrahamson, Loewenstein“, October – November 2000.

“Arts and Healing”, August – September 2000, thematic exhibition.

~EXHIBITS OF CREATIVE WORKS~

~2007~

Elizabeth Mesa-Gaido and Jennifer A. Reis: Installations, invitational two-person exhibition, Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (pending)

~2006~

Spotlight 2006, American Craft Council Southeast juried exhibition, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY

Hanging by a Thread, invitational group exhibition, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, WY

Greg Penner and Jennifer Reis, juried two-person exhibition, ArtWorks Time Warner Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (pending)

2006 National Prize Exhibition, national juried exhibition (Juror: Cheryl Brutvan, Beal Curator of Contemporary Art, MFA, Boston), Cambridge Art Association Galleries, Boston, MA

Fandangle Spangle, invitational national exhibition, Museum of the American Quilters Society (AQS), Paducah, KY

LIFE INSIGHT: The Human Experience, invitational national exhibition, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY (pending)

~2005~

Visions IX International Juried Art Exhibition, (Juror: Matthew Distel, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati), Cathedral Basilica, Covington, KY

Dia de los Muertos Annual Exhibition, nationally juried exhibition, Maude Kerns Arts Center, Eugene, OR

Dolls, invitational group exhibition, ArtWorks Time Warner Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

The Ladies Room invitational exhibition, Vitale Bros. Artworks, Tampa, FL

National Bead and Fiber Exhibit, juried national exhibition, Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, MD

Fiber Focus 2005, national juried exhibition (Juror: Bhankti Ziek, internationally renowned textile artist, educator, and writer), Art Saint Louis Gallery, St. Louis, MO

CraftSummer Annual Faculty Exhibition, invitational exhibition, Miami University Art Gallery, Oxford, OH

Westmoreland Art Nationals Juried Exhibition, national juried exhibition, WCCC, Youngwood, PA

Greater Midwest International Exhibition XX, international juried exhibition, Central Missouri State University Art Gallery, Warrensburg, MO

6 x 6 Miniature Exhibition, national juried exhibition, Northern Kentucky University Art Gallery, Highland Heights, KY

Hand-Crafted: A Juried Exhibition of Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Metal, and Wood, national juried exhibition, Rocky Mount Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC

Arts on Main, juried regional exhibition (Juror: Jenine Culligan, Senior Curator, Huntington Museum of Art), Shelbyville Community Theatre Building, Shelbyville, KY

~2004~

 12 x 12”, national juried exhibition, Northern Kentucky University Galleries, Highland Heights, KY

Pieces from the Past and Present, invitational exhibition, Johnson County Museum of History, Franklin, Indiana

Kentucky School of Craft Inaugural Invitational Exhibition, KSoC, Hindman, KY

Art Faculty Exhibition, group show at Morehead State University, Morehead, KY

Art Official Materials, invitational exhibit; ArtWorks Time Warner Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

Kentucky Colors, juried exhibition at Imaginatrium Art Gallery, Morehead, KY

Arts on Main, regional juried annual exhibition, Shelbyville Community Theatre Building, Shelbyville, KY

Cream of the Crop, regional juried biennial exhibition at the Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth, OH

Babes in Toyland, group show at Semantics Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

~REFERENCES~

Dr. Michael Seelig, Dean, Caudill College of Humanities, Morehead State University 212 Rader Hall, Morehead, KY 40351, 606.783.2650 (UNIVERSITY REFERENCE)

Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, M.F.A., Professor, Department of Art, College of Fine Arts, University of Kentucky MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 25153, Lexington, KY 40524-5153, 859.273.8898 (VISITING ARTIST IN RESIDENCY REFERENCE)

Ron Stevens, M.F.A., Director, CraftSummer Program, Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056, 513.529.7395 (ph), 513.529.1509 (fax) (TEACHING ARTIST REFERENCE)

Michael Brechner, M.F.A., Chief Designer, Frist Center for the Visual Arts 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203, 615.244.3340 (MUSEUM REFERENCE)