Performing Arts Programming
In my work managing performing arts festivals and events, I have developed extensive project management skills, a talent for public speaking, and the ability to communicate effectively with artists, audiences, and media contacts. I enjoy streamlining administrative processes, increasing capacity for ancillary activities, and building significant community partnerships that allow these programs to grow and thrive.
Make Music Madison
Make Music Madison is part of the larger Make Music Day celebration that occurs annually on June 21st in over 1000 cities worldwide. Always, free, fun, and outdoors, Make Music Madison celebrates the joy of music at over 100 venues spread throughout the city. Since November 2021 I have served as Managing Director of this small non-profit, overseeing event planning, multi-media marketing initiatives, outreach and development activities, and assisting performers and venue hosts as needed to ensure they have the best possible Make Music Day experience.
Make Music Madison 2021
International Festival
Established in 1981, Overture's International Festival is a yearly cultural festival celebrating the diversity of Dane County. Free and open to all, the festival annually presented 30+ performers in 6 venues, 40+ food and craft vendors, and more than 60 cultures to tens of thousands of visitors. I selected and contracted performers and vendors, determined the event schedule, planned auxiliary programming, established stage manager staffing, and coordinated logistics from marketing and security to front-of-house staff and technical needs.
International Festival 2020, photo courtesy Anya Kubilus Photography
OnStage Field Trip Performance Series
The OnStage series brought over 30,000 PreK-12th grade students a year to Overture for cultural experiences that connected to curriculums across academic subjects. I developed and maintained relationships with teachers from public, private, and home schools throughout Wisconsin while also managing all aspects of ticket ordering. ​I marketed the performances via email, brochures, and in-person events. I also assisted in transitioning the administration of the program into the ticket management software Tessitura, providing critical recommendations to streamline the order process and improve user experience.
OnStage Audience, photo courtesy Anya Kubilus Photography
Kids in the Rotunda
Entertaining audiences since 1982, Kids in the Rotunda was a free weekly family performance series that brought over 35,000 children and their families to Overture each year. Presenting music, dance, magic, juggling, and more to children aged 2-10, the program ignited a passion for art in young minds and provided a welcoming, fun environment for family bonding. I selected, contracted, and managed performers. As the face of the program, I also presented the curtain speeches, operated the Kids in the Rotunda Facebook page, engaged audiences at community events, and built brand awareness on a monthly news spot.
Madison Mystery Tour at Kids in the Rotunda, 2019
Teaching Exprience
I believe the role of a teacher is to encourage critical thinking and lifelong learning, rather than to present information that is passively absorbed. I equip students with tools they can use to accomplish their own learning and aim to create learning environments that are active, varied, and engaging. I hope that students leave with an understanding of how they can shape their own learning in order to become more critical and thoughtful individuals. ​
Academic Library Instructor
As part of the Library Information Literacy Instruction (LILI) practicum in the School of Library and Information Studies at UW-Madison, I provided library and information literacy instruction to undergraduate students. Over the course of the Spring 2016 semester I designed three lesson plans, independently taught six information sessions, and assisted in 20 additional sessions spanning various subject areas and academic levels.
Americorps Art Instructor
In my position as an AmeriCorps member with Partners for After School Success (PASS) I taught art lessons to middle school youth at the Goodman Community Center. I also provided homework assistance, engaged students in community service, and guided social-emotional learning.
Art History Teaching Assistant
As a teaching assistant for Art History 1002: World Cultures and Civilizations at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago I mentored a cohort of undergraduate students, graded essays, lead group discussions, and museum tours and taught an introduction to art history citation and research methods.