Bio

A product of the human condition, art, architecture, and artifacts consistently reflect societal values, as well as shifting personal and collective identities, often in spite of difference or geographical disparity. Knowledge of the history of art promotes a greater understanding of both commonalities and distinctions amongst the multitude of contexts that have produced art across place and time. As such, developing visual literacy enables us to better navigate new media and the proliferation of images in the twenty-first century.

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My pedagogical approaches arise from my diverse experiences at private and public institutions of higher learning in the United States and Europe. I have found that the most effective ways of teaching involve building collaborative relationships with students and actively engaging them in the classroom in ways that foster their personal and intellectual growth. Because I was drawn into art history as a studio art major in college, my curriculum also emphasizes techniques, methods, and materials. I encourage my students to look interdisciplinarily at a wide range of media to discover how identity is expressed and constructed through the visual arts.

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I am happily married to my wonderful husband Petar. Petar is from Bulgaria originally and we met in Austria during our studies at the University of Vienna. We have two cherished daughters, Emma and Maria. We also have two darling Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Honey and Rosie.

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