Writing

Whether journaling in sheep pasture below England’s White Horse or writing a curriculum in my Montana study, writing plays an integral part in my professional and personal life.

Because the written word is so important to all the things I do, there are a number of projects in which I have been involved.

A few of the examples include:

• E-Commerce 101 for the Artist, CraftNet/RTS, Carrboro, NC
• Hidden in Plain View, Montana State University, Great Falls, MT
• A Template for Montana’s Creative Sector, Montana State University, Great Falls, MT
• Artrepreneurship: Sustaining the Creative Life
• The Craft Heritage Trails of North Central Montana, Hands of Harvest, Fairfield, MT
• “How to Write Life Stories,” Writer’s Digest Yearbook
• “Skeletons in the Closet,” Writer’s Digest Life Stories
• “A Sense of Place and the Rural Adult Learner,” Proceedings of the 40th Annual Adult Education Research Conference
• The Cascade County Album: Our History in Images, Great Falls, MT
• “Boundless Horizons: Space and Place,” Unfettered Spirit: Art and History on the High Plains, Paris Gibson Square, Great Falls, MT
• “Framing A Boundless Horizon,” text for a traveling exhibit funded by Humanities Montana
• From the Corners of My Mind: A Workbook for Writing Personal Histories

Teaching

I believe that the drive to learn is one of the markers of our humanness. Because of that, I see learning as a basic human right, just as it is a life-long drive. There is an excitement in becoming part of someone’s quest for knowledge, of being honored as a guide, in being trusted to be part of the sharing that is part of every strong learning experience.

My teaching experiences include:

• Developing and delivering programs to help artists become more sustainable in the business of art.
• Building awareness of the importance of the creative cluster in the realm of micro-business.
• Developing and teaching programs in the humanities
• Leading sessions to build awareness of the importance of place in developing a way of knowing
• A few examples of my experiences teaching are:
• My Artrepreneurship Preparation, Idaho Commission on the Arts, Boise, Idaho arts.idaho.gov
• Montana Artrepreneurship Preparation, Montana Arts Council, Helena, MT art.mt.gov
• Introduction to Artrepreneurship, Hibbing College, Hibbing, MN
• Creative Arts Enterprise, Montana State University-Great Falls, Great Falls, MT gfcmsu.edu
• Humanities, Montana State University-Great Falls, Great Falls, MT; Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ scottsdalecc.edu; and Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI alverno.edu
• Personal History Writing, Highlander Center, TN highlandercenter.org; Mayo Hospital, Scottsdale, AZ; Phoenix College, Phoenix, AZ
• Individual advising, Marquette University International Student Program, Milwaukee, WI marquette.edu/oie
• Individual instruction in preparing artists for the Kentucky Crafted Show Louisville, KY, artscouncil.ky.gov/kentucky-crafted-market/ and the ACRE show Las Vegas, NV.
• Informal instruction in the field, teaching about place, the land, conservation of open spaces and the heritage of the land, Cascade, MT.

Consulting

In my work, I see the journey to reach potential lying at the core of every fulfilling situation– whether it involves a paid position, encompasses expertise provided informally to a group through volunteer work, or includes guiding an individual toward their goals.

In general terms, the work has included:

• Building community support
• Developing interpretation
• Directing non-profit organization
• Nurturing grantsmanship
• Providing curriculum development

In addition to having created, written, implemented and directed the Montana Artrepreneur Program (MAP) and the Montana Circle of American Masters (MCAM), other examples of projects include:

• Montana Preservation Alliance, Helena, MT preservemontana.org
• Hands of Harvest, Fairfield, MT handsofharvest.org
• Sage and Stone and Travel Montana, Helena, MT
• Alpine Artisans, Seeley Lake, MT alpineartisans.org
• First Peoples’ Buffalo Jump Interpretive Center and Park, Ulm, MT fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/first-peoples-buffalo-jump
• River Advisory Commission for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, MT
• Lewis and Clark Bi-Centennial, Great Falls, MT
• Great Falls School District Social Studies Curriculum Review, Great falls, MT
• Museums Association of Montana montanamuseums.org
• Judge for Writer’s Digest National Writing Contest writersdigest.com/competitions
• Mentor for Oklahoma State University Adult Education graduate students, Tulsa, OK
• High Plains Heritage Center, Great Falls, MT greatfallshistorymuseum.org
• Pinnacle Communications, Phoenix, AZ