Creating environments where inspiration can flourish within fertile ground. Enhancing the awareness of practice, passion and play while supporting the emergence of the naturally creative self. Tapping this imaginative presence to guide me, as an Artist, Master Arts Educator and Community Collaborator. Walking within a living Folk Arts tradition, occupying the worlds of Multi-Media Visual Arts Expression, the performance mediums of Dance-Theater, Music, Poetry, Story and ritual based Eco-Somatic practices, with self, community and the earth.

Enlivening within as well, my strong devotion to Farming, Natural Medicine Making, Partnership and Motherhood. My innate expression thrives within the venues of Public Collaborative Installations, Artist Residencies and Intra-Generational Multi-Media Arts Experiences, where the edge between audience and nuclear fragmentation melts away as a vehicle to ignite abundant creative expression and inner personal transformation at the hearth, helm and heart of community.

1976 to 1979 . San Francisco Art Institute . San Francisco, California

Accelerated study of Fine Arts, Ceramics, Painting, Drawing, Creative Writing, Women’s Studies and Art History with Master Artists and Educators: Richard Shaw, Bob Rasmusen, Ron Negal, Bruce McGaw, Howard Smagula and Angela Davis. Gaining a Bachelor of Fine Art, while participating in many exhibitions throughout my time, held at the college and local venues.

1981 to Present . Studio locations in California, Massachusetts and Maine

Comprehensive study of Dance, Voice, Somatic Experensing Techniques, Improvisation, Modern, Ballet, Folk, African, Haitian, Caribbean, Contact Improvisation, Motion Theater, Performance and Vocal Improvisation, with Esteemed Artists: Paul Human, Keith Hennessey, Carol Swann, Martin Keogh, Sara Shelton Mann, Jess Curtis, Nina Wise, Simone Forti, Remy Charlip, Andrew Harwood, Deborah Hay, Chris Mathias, Scott Wells, Maria Freebairn-Smith, Melecio Estrella, Joe Goode and Nancy Stark-Smith.

August 1988 . The Penland School of Crafts . Penland, North Carolina

Concentrated Paper-Making workshop in Oriental and Western style Paper-Making techniques. Pulp-preparation, sheet-formation, wet collage, screen and deckle constructions and Holender beater operation.

September 1987 . Haystack Mountain School of Crafts . Deer Isle, Maine

Intensive salt-fire kiln-building workshop held at Maines premiere Craft School. We were involved in the design, bricklaying, wall-construction and arch building techniques to complete the building of a kiln in one week.

1996 to Present . Master Arts Educator TumbleWeed Expressions . Santa Rosa, California

Life time of Multi-Media Arts Education

2018 to 2021 . Co-Director IsIzWe Studios . Coarsegold, California

IsIzWe Studios, collaboration with Musician, Musical Arts Educator and Sound Therapist, Paul Human. Hands on Learning, Inspired Art Appreciation, Encouragement of Imagination, Musical and Visual Arts History and Project Based Engagement, Curriculum Integration, Multi-Subject Learning, while expanding awareness with regard to environment, expression, and community collaborations.

2004 to 2020. Instructor . Sebastopol Center for the Arts . Sebastopol, California

Multi-generational workshops for Home School and After School participants and their families in a varied medium, open-studio, mentorship based, expressive arts environment. Teaching adult classes in Visual Arts, Contact Improvisation and Motion Theater. Speer-head Coordinator and Director for School Year, Spring and Summer Multi-Media Creative Arts Programs.

2012 to 2019 . Artist in Residence . Shoreline Unified School District . Tomales, California

Experiences in curriculum integration with class room teachers in an Artist in Residence program, infused with multi-medium expressions, hands-on experiential learning and arts history focuses. Including annual arts exhibits and the instigation and fruition of 17 large scale hand-made tile and mosaic installation pieces with students, staff and community volunteers. From start to finish, design, planning, tile making, mosaic work and installation. Grades K-8th.

2010 to 2017 . Artist in Residence . Twin Hills Union School District . Sebastopol, California

Teaching solo, and collaboratively with Sally Briggs at Apple Blossom Elementary School as part of an Artist in Residence program, infused with multi-medium explorations, curriculum integration, hands-on experiential and arts history focuses. Including annual arts exhibits. Grades K-5th

2002 to 2011 . Artist in Residence . Oak Grove Union School District . Graton and Santa Rosa, California

Artist Residence in multi-media curriculum based arts program. Including collaborations with Music teacher in sound exploration and instrument making. Including annual arts exhibits and the instigation and fruition of 18 large scale hand-made tile and mosaic installations with students, staff and community volunteers. From start to finish, design, planning, tile making, mosaic work and installation. Along with collaborative art works production in an event setting, producing work for the annual auction. Grades K-5th.

2008 to 2011 . Instructor . REACH School . Sebastopol, California

Teaching within an experiential clubs model. Introducing low-fire ceramics, multi-media, painting, drawing and collage. REACH is an integrative, arts magnate, hands-on learning environment. Grades 4th-8th.

2007 to 2009. Artist in Residence . Willowspring School . Sebastopol, California

Teaching visual arts in a one-room style schoolhouse. Multi-medium arts explorations and ceramics in a curriculum based, seasonal and theme based orientation, Including Fine Arts and Traditional Crafts techniques, and an annual arts exhibit. Grades K-3rd.

1997 . Artist in Residence . Santa Rosa Arts Council . Santa Rosa, California

Teaching workshops in a varied multi-medium approach in Santa Rosa Public schools. Projects created to develop self-esteem, within a co-operative creative learning experience. Special programs were funded by grants `for Youth at Risk. Grades K-8th.

1990 to 1996 . Artist in Residence . LEAP . San Francisco, California

Residencies provide curriculum and culturally based multi-media based collaborations with the classroom teacher. LEAP, or Learning Through Education and the Arts Project supports the presence of the Artist Residences in the classroom in public and private schools throughout the city. Grades K-8th.

1996 . Visiting Artist . San Francisco Art Institute . San Francisco, California

Lectured and offered hands-on experience, as part of a course called The Artist as Teacher. Presented to student artists preparing for residences in schools. Integration of my experiences, in the field of Arts Education within Public and Private Schools, Art Centers, After School and summer Arts programs. College level course.

1992 to 1993 . Artist in Residence . Nonesuch School . Sebastopol, California

Teaching ceramics; hand building, and wheel throwing techniques, paper-making, textiles, and sculpture within an open education environment. Mentorship in design, proposal, execution and installation of a large-scale ceramic installation. Grades K-12th.

1990-1993 . Artist in Residence . Synergy School . San Francisco California

Teaching visual arts during the school day and within an After School program. Multi-medium arts explorations in ceramics, curriculum integration, recycled materials use, with a seasonal, theme based orientation to Fine Arts and Traditional Crafts techniques. Grades K-5th.

1990-1993 . Artist in Residence . Pacific Primary and Children’s Day School. San Francisco California

Teaching visual arts during the school day with young children, while eveloping multi-medium arts explorations, hands on tactile experiences in ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing and collage, recycled materials use and annual arts exhibits and auctions. Pre-School Ages 2-5.

January 2012 to 2021 . uMuti . Cotati, Sebastopol and Coarsegold, California

uMuti is a precisely rich, collaboration with partner Paul Human. Developing voice, song-writing, and instrumental meanderings of improvisation, overlaid with, poetry and sound, with an intention for communal healing and deep expression. uMuti meaning “Tree, Wood, Medicine” is a poignant word to describe who we are together, chosen from Paul’s ancestral roots in South Africa. We come to this connection, through, prayer, tenacity and a focus on the purity of vibrational healing, articulate verbal sounding, poetry, music, song writing and expression.

1993 to Present . TumbleWeed Expression, Ceramics and Performance . Coarsegold, California

Open Studio Exhibitions of functional-ware, sculpture and large-scale ceramics installations works, including fountains, and Interior and Exterior Installations. Speer-head producer of multi-media dance-theater collaborative performances intertwining voice, dance-theater, story, improvisations, video projections, poetry and live music. Production of and teaching of workshops in Contact Improvisation, Motion Theater, Somatic Expression and Voice, with an emphasis on social transformation through creative expression and co-creative cultural reactivation, in sustainable community building, through events, workshops and collaborative cultural arts experiences.

2012 to 2015 . Piñata Collective . Bay Area, California

Ritual based Performance in collaboration with, Liz Boubion, Afia Walking Tree, Diana Lara, Nao Kobayashi, Bricine Mitchel, and others, developing embodied deconstruction of the Piñata Ritual and earth based expression. The Piñata Dance Collective is an international group of artists, perma-culturaists and educators who are committed to sustainability in the arts through performance, ritual, education, environmental justice and community outreach.

Spring 2011, 2012 and 2013 . Sprint Copy Center . Sebastopol, California

Annual Showing of student and Arts Educators work from Apple Blossom School. Educators presentation of ceramic functional-ware, painting, photography and student multi-media works in collaboration with Sally Briggs and Grades K-5th student body population.

June 2012 . Dhyana Center Lofts . Sebastopol, California

Solstice Concert, infusing and intertwining improvisational movement and voice, with musician Mark Growden and musical duet- Moments of Confusion featuring Diana Strong and Myra Joy.

April 2009 . The Imaginists Theater . Santa Rosa, California

Dance-theater, Sound-scape, composed and directed by Jesse Olsen Bay and Frieda Kipar Bay, "Towards the Meeting Grounds" with musicians and dancers Peter Bergquist, Anne Carol Mitchell, Donna Denevan-Lynch and Claire Drucker.

2005 to 2008 . Truth Be Told Series . Sebastopol Center for the Arts . Sebastopol, California

Collaborative multi-media improvisations, “Adjacent to Now“ with musicians and dancers, Elliot Fintushel, Julian Blaire, Melecio Estralla, Jesse Olsen Bay, Frieda Kipar Bay, Claire Drucker, Julie Drucker, Karin Demarest and Maria Friebarin-Smith and “Circumference of the Soul” Grace Merdock, Elliot Fintushel and Julian Blaire.

August 2005 and 2006 . Peace Wall Mural Installation and Sculpture in the City . Santa Rosa, California

Co-creative Dance-theater, Performance Ritual, “Pebble of Peace” and “Sculptures in the City” with musicians and dancers, Paul Human, Melecio Estrella, Nao Kabayashi and James Schlesselman.

May 2004 . Creativity Lodge . Santa Rosa, California

Co-created Dance-theater, live video, scored improvisation, voice and music “Narcissus” with musicians and dancers, Kim Adams, Amanda Snyder, Elizabeth Lakin, Julian Blaire, Steve Shain and Dylan Bolles.