TOSS - The Old School Studio

In 2015, I co-founded an art advocacy studio in Morganton, NC, with Kirksey Lowther and Hannah Thrower. I spent 10 years nurturing this initiative as the Creative Director. Our arts-based learning lab merged with The Industrial Commons in 2021, to focus on environmental stewardship, civic engagement, and the future of work in rural North Carolina. This work transformed access to visual arts education for elementary and middle school youth in Burke County, supported creative practitioners through development and funding, and expanded opportunities for civic participation leading multi-year, public art projects.

Highlights

Strategic Planning & Program Administration: I focused on building impactful programs while leveraging the power of collaboration to strengthen the regional arts sector. From developing an afterschool program and public school workshops to collaboratively designing an engineering competition with our local municipality, my goal was to use the catalyst of creativity to bring people together. One of my favorite initiatives was an annual downtown art show that engaging 30 local businesses and every public school in the county while creating a consortium of public school art educators in collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Public Art Development: I developed and led a multiyear community arts campaign supporting 25 emerging artists and resulting in six permanent public art installations across Burke County. Convening hundreds of students, artists, educators, manufacturers, small businesses, and everyday citizens, we collaboratively illustrated community stories highlighting themes of identity and belonging. This project lives on through our documentary, an ongoing walking tour, and a K-12 curriculum for the community.

Art Instruction & Curriculum Development: While at TOSS, I developed nine curriculum units for elementary and middle school arts education. These units were designed to build technical art-making skills while integrating interdisciplinary themes, including social studies, career and technical education (CTE), environmental science, and civic engagement. My approach emphasizes both skill development and meaningful connections to broader academic and real-world contexts.

Programatic Areas