PROFILE

Energetic visual and performance artist. Dedicated, caring, and responsible education professional deeply committed to supporting students and teachers develop diverse, inclusive, equitable learning environments. A full-time grad student whose art practice focuses on amplifying the voices of local marginalized communities sleeping outdoors and shifting ideologies of inclusivity. Collaborated with the LGBTQ+ community of Long Beach as a live performance artist for the winning group of the Long Beach Augmented Reality Challenge at the Harvey Milk Promenade Park. Exhibition at SoLA Contemporary Gallery in Los Angeles.

 

EDUCATION

MFA, Sculpture Program Grad, California State University Long Beach, CA. 2021

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BA, Business Administration and International Trade, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL. 2007

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AA, Business Administration, Broward Community College, Davie FL. 2001

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WORK EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant, CSULB, 2019-Present

• Assisted in preparing and supervising in-class assignments for undergraduate students.

• Cultivate students’ creative talents while deepening their knowledge and understanding of art, design, and art history.

• Managed student time and classroom routines to maximize learning time and create a positive classroom environment.

• Assisted professor to build class assignments, demonstrate various sculpture-making techniques, and grade.

• Assisted professor to instruct virtual online class with supervised breakout rooms.

• Demonstrated in person class mold-making techniques.

• Post demo videos and answer student in-progress questions over social media platform.

• Help students create performance art, sound, light, and sculpture installations for interactive and multi-sensory viewer experience.

• Assisted professor to conduct virtual online class and gallery art critiques of students work.

• Created virtual real-time artist reference links of professor’s lecture for online class portal.

• Helped students develop performance, video, and sound artwork for class assignments.

• Assisted professor recording demo videos using various materials, including polyurethane, clay, concrete, fabric, wood, metal, and silicone.

• Assisted professor to plan and implement creative art assignments in accordance with the director of the school, college, and department guidelines.

• Fostered team collaboration between students through group projects.

• Assisted students for solo exhibition, where the class, department and college could view their work in an Art Gallery Opening venue.

• Assisted students in developing and design public art installations on campus.

• Creatively tailored instruction to meet individual student needs and learning styles.

• Help students produce stylized and realistic photos for online websites.

• Help students explore an interdisciplinary approach to art-making.

 

Virtual Moderator, Race Matters, San Luis Obispo,  2021

• Conducted moderator services for artist-led lecture series discussing artists work and current trends in the art world.

• Developed a safe space for meaningful discussion about race.

• Carefully and respectfully held space for others to feel heard.

• Successfully defuse volatile situations during discussions.

 

Research Assistant, CSULB, 2020

• Assisted professor conducting qualitative analysis for social geography research.

• Conducted in-depth interviews with students, faculty, and family for a report.

• Conducted surveys and data entry for the purpose of evaluating and identifying needs of particular marginalized populations.

• Conduct surveys, collect information and analyze results to develop a plan of action for the project.

• Created a coded database using Excel and Nvivo.

 

Virtual Moderator, College of Art, CSULB, Long Beach, 2020

• Moderated listening series for students to share their experiences openly with COA on all topics including diversity, equanimity, and inclusivity.

• Probed for information and feedback from the student on ways the college can be more equitable for all.

• Carefully discerned between valuable insights and non-pertinent discussion.

• Mediate discussions with respect for all while maintaining a safe and brave space for all.

• Established clear community guidelines to promote an inclusive discussion.

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Studio Lab Tech, Digital Fabrication/Sculpture/New Genres/Foundation, CSULB, Long Beach, 2019-2021

• Supervising outside-of-class student usage of the respective instructional facilities in the assigned areas.

• Supervising in-class students’ projects and the use of equipment in the respective assigned areas and spaces.

• Monitoring and providing minor repair and preventative maintenance to the instructional facility/equipment in the assigned area or space.

• Advising, counseling, and communicating with the area faculty relative to facility/equipment maintenance, safety, and supervision issues.

• Creating and maintaining area supply inventories in consultation with the appropriate faculty, facilitating supplies needed for facility/equipment maintenance and supervision.

• Maintaining current records of MSDS information specific to the materials used in the shop area.

• Conducting safety and procedures demonstrations for students at the beginning of each semester.

• Providing one-on-one instruction to individual students in technical matters that supplement coursework.

• Teaching a limited number of 1-hour workshops in a limited range of topics determined by area faculty.

• Through mentoring with faculty and staff become conversant in all sculptural mediums CSULB makes available to students.

• Provide clean and safe working environments for faculty, students, and staff, through daily inspections and cleaning of studio spaces.

• Prepare the gallery and event spaces for local events weekly.

• Operated various shop equipment including but not limited to metal, woodwork, digital fabrication, and video production.

• Assemble and install shop machinery.

• Organize student supplies prep kits for online classes.

• Perform routine maintenance on machineries such as oiling, manual clamping adjustments, and clamp/finger replacement.

• Perform work from manufacturing information, bills of material, written and oral instructions.

• Work from 2D and 3D drawing, sketches, verbal and written instruction.

• Work as a team with co-workers to maximize productivity.

• Assisting and instructing students with woodwork, metalwork, and hand tools on the technical matters related to assignments.

• Skilled in Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Premiere Pro, Audition, Blender, and Maya.

• Assisting students with pre and post-video art production and documentation.

• Assisting and instructing additive/subtracted fabrication, including the use of multi-medium 3D printers, laser cutter, water jet, CNC, and modeling.

 

Regional Sales Rep., Unique Products Source, Van Nuys Blvd, CA 2011-2018

• Identified and closed new sales opportunities to achieve sales quotas.

• Prospect 25 customers per week through email, phone, and in-person contact and maintain a solid 60% conversion rate.

• Increasing income and revenue by maintaining and negotiating with clients, generating leads, qualifying prospects, researching sales competition, and managing product, and services sales.

• Cultivates new and expanded sales prospects and customer opportunities to achieve sales growth.

• Promotes teamwork across departmental lines to ensure timely resolution of customer issues.

• Coached and trained outbound lead staff for business development potential of sales territory.

• Set quality leads and re-qualified those leads daily before pursuing them for purposes of time management.

• Developed sales strategies to maintain a high productivity rate.

• Prepare monthly reports for upper management, including P&L and sales trends.

• Educate and train store staff by emphasizing the features to highlight and how they may solve customer problems.

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to accurately bill clients for services rendered, negotiate prices, terms, and prepare sales agreements.

• Customer service skills to listen to customer’s concerns and address their needs.

• Following up with potential sales leads and develop client relationships.

• Attended industry trade shows to identify potential sales leads and make meaningful contact with existing customers.

• Follow industry trends to identify new opportunities for potential sales.

• Recommend marketing strategies to target a specific region or demographic.

• Generate and submit monthly sales reports to management.

• Generate outside leads to increase sales revenue.

• Develop and maintain relationships with existing customers.

• Designed targeted promotions to increase sales while delivering top-notch customer care.

• Visited customer locations, created brand awareness through enthusiastic demonstration and product offerings, and proposed strategic solutions to diverse client needs.

• Mentor associates on sales presentations and product applications. Accurately keep records of customer database and report weekly sales to management.

• Compiled customer feedback and recommended services delivery improvements to management.

• Coordinate product knowledge sessions for assigned categories, involvement with merchandising, training, and motivating sales staff.

 

Director, Intrigue Styles – Fort Lauderdale, FL 1999-2010

• Created and executed marketing programs to increase sales.

• Communicated effectively with partners and clients in a fast-paced environment.

• Designed dynamic and effective in-store and online marketing promotions.

• Managed a successful sales team that consistently exceeded sales goal.

• Scheduled team members and delegate specific tasks to staff.

• Monitors both customer issues and merchandising issues.

• Supervised three stores and ten employees over five years.

• Interview, hire, and train qualified new hires.

• Reviews daily, weekly, and monthly sales and inventory reports.

• Manager On Duty responsibilities able to assist in all aspects of the business.

• Director and fashion buyer for three stores.

• Knowledgeable about up-and-coming fashion trends.

• Budget preparation and allocation of funds for new fashions.

• Research and analyze various wholesalers in terms of price and fashion-forwardness.

• Cut down on company costs by finding lower-cost, equal-quality wholesalers.

• Providing outstanding customer service for all customers, in-store, over the phone, and online.

• Coordinate product knowledge sessions, sales training, and merchandising techniques.

• Perform customer service training, including resolving issues with returns.

• Train staff on POS system, how to generate closing reports, and make deposits.

• Identify new store locations and conduct new store setup.

 

Entertainment Coordinator, Hedonism II – Negril, Jamaica 1996-1998

• Promoted a positive atmosphere and went above and beyond to guarantee each customer received exceptional entertainment and wedding services.

• Enhanced guest satisfaction rating by scheduling on-site service requests.

• Organized and executed entertainment and weddings for hotel guests.

• Organized weekly activities and excursions for guests.

• Vendor coordination, programming schedule, create budget administration, rehearsal, and day of event coordination.

• Coordinated florist, photographers, videographers, musicians, officiants, and ceremony participants during rehearsal, pre-ceremony, ceremony, reception, and wedding.

• Evaluated existing plans, processes, and events planning services to identify opportunities for improvement and cost reduction.

• Quickly identified problem situations and skillfully resolved complaints empathetically and professionally.

• Managed administrative scheduling on-site service requests, including contract signing and accounts payable.

• Supported senior leadership by developing status reports on activities related to planning, scheduling, cancellation, inquires, resourcing, risk mitigation, and proposed scheduling development for various events.

 

SHOWS

UBUNTU, CSULB, Long Beach California, 2021

Grad Week, CSULB, Long Beach, 2021

Alloy, Harold Missoni Gallery, San Luis Obispo, 2021

FRESH 2021, SoLA Contemporary, Los Angeles, 2021

Long Beach Augmented Reality Challenge, Harvey Milk Park, 2021

Insights 2021, CSULB School of Art, Long Beach, 2021

Untitled 2021, Werby Gallery, Long Beach, 2021

Pillow Project, College of Art Galleries Plaza, CSU, Long Beach, 2019

HOME, College of Arts Galleries Plaza, CSU, Long Beach, 2019

HOME, Merlino Gallery, Long Beach, 2019

Relatively Calm, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, 2019

Change, Gatov Gallery, Long Beach, 2019

Asphyxia of Free Speech, Chora Gallery, Long Beach, 2018

Mindfulness, Chora Gallery, Long Beach, 2018

Human Freedom of Speech Wall, University Art Museum Pavilion, Long Beach, 2018

Annual Student Juried Show, CalPoly University Art Gallery, San Luis Obispo, 2015

Making-Space-For-Free-Play, CalPoly University Art Gallery, San Luis Obispo, 2015

Room To Grow, CalPoly University Art Gallery, San Luis Obispo, 2015

Annual Student Show, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, 2015

Annual Student Show, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, 2014

Juried Show, Morro Bay Art Association, Morro Bay, 2013

 

Publications

Primary Magazine, Volume 1, nicolaalee, Pillow Project (2020), July 19, 2021 Cal State Long Beach

Students Protest Museum Director’s Firing, Hyperallergic, November 19, 2018

New Student Art Exhibit up at Cuesta, Annual Student Art Exhibition, Paso Robles Daily News, April 17, 2015

Cal Poly University Art Gallery, Annual Juried Student Exhibit, NewTimes SLO, April 22, 2015

 

AWARDS

Graduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity Award, Long Beach, 2021

Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity Award, Long Beach, 2021

Werby Endowed Scholarship, California State University, Long Beach, 2020

Olsen Graduate Art School Scholarship, California State University, Long Beach, 2019

Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery Best Sculpture, Cuesta College Annual Student Show, San Luis Obispo, 2014

 

VOLUNTEER

• Long Beach Rescue Mission, 2019-Present

• Los Angeles Poverty Department, 2019/2021

• San Luis Obispo Art Museum, 2013-2015