Hi, I'm Jess. I help people make the world they imagine through transformative experiences in creative community. As an artist, educator, and community builder, I have always been drawn to making an act of transformation. When we transform material, time, and space together, we can better understand ourselves and each other. I am always looking to connect with other humans for accompaniment in this work - drop me a line. You can sign up for my occasional newsletter below. Header photo by Chrisina Wnek.
Organiations I have worked with Art for All, Artisan’s Asylum, Boston Advocates for Dance, Boston Community Leaders Cohort, Boston Children’s Museum, Boston University, Call to Arts, Center for the Arts at the Armory, CraftMass, Dance For World Community Festival, DNAWorks, Engine, Factory 3, Green Street Studios, New England Foundation for the Arts, New Movement Collaborative, OnStage Dance Company, Permaculture Institute of the Northeast, Permaculture FEAST, Sacred Design Lab, Somerville Arts Council, The Umbrella Arts Center,Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Woman’s Club, and Watch City Arts.
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Teaching / Facilitation 2019-2022 Student Resource & Mentor, Arts & Culture and Social Impact, Boston University BUild Lab 2011-2021 Independent Choreographer and Dance Educator: Collective Motion Arts, Onstage Dance Company, Newton Community Education, the Dance for World Community Festival, Moving Target, Nazar Bollywood Training Series. 2013Teaching Assistant, Permaculture F.E.A.S.T. Certification Course, Holyoke, MA 2008-09Teaching Assistant, New York University, Dangerous & Intermingled: Subaltern NY 2006-2008 Head Dance Instructor, BB&N Summer Day Camp 2008Co-facilitator, Dance Theatre Etcetera @ Brooklyn International High School 2007Teaching Assistant, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Political Ecology of Food & Gender & Sexuality Studies 2006-08Flatfoot Dance Company Dance Development Programs, Durban, South Africa
Talks 2022 Keep it Local Maine Podcast on the creative economy and arts organizations 2020 Arts in Emergency talk on creative responses to COVID-19 2018 Panel on Artist Residencies presented by the Somerville Arts Council, Center for the Arts at the Armory 2015-2018 General Assembly, Creative Somerville talks on small business and local manufacturing 2009 TEDx NYU Talk on Embodied Education
Curatorial Projects 2020 Hope Shadows, Somernova Art Project, Somerville, MA 2019Art Ramble 2019: Witnessing Change, Hapgood Wright Town Forest 2019 Earth Press Project: Witness, Minute Man National Historical Park Inaugural Art-in-the-Park Project 2019 Migration, curated fiber arts exhibition, The Umbrella Arts Center Main Gallery 2012-17 National Choreography Month (NACHMO) Boston annual dance performance series
Select Dance/Choreography/Performances/Residencies 2012-17 Intimations Dance, Artistic Director and Choreographer, 2012-2017 2015Somerville Arts Council Dancing in the Streets, mentored by David Dorfman 2015aMaSSiT Program 2015Green Street Studios Company Residency 2014GreenWorks Residency
2008-2015 Independent Choreographer with work presented at JOMBA! International Dance Festival, Somerville Arts Council's ArtBeat, OnStage Dance Company, Dancers/Choreographers Alliance, MIT/Hacking Arts
2006-2015Performer for Flatfoot Dance Company, Cambridge Dance Company, Moving Target Repertory/Annie Kloppenberg, Hearbeat/George Woods and Jennifer Kuhnberg, Dear Olivia/Selmadance, OnStage Dance Company, DanceWorks Boston, Heather Inglis/PMT Dance Studio, Crabtree Carabetta Collective, 24Hour ChoreoFest/Sarah Mae Gibbons
Exhibitions 2020 Exquisite Corpse Game of Chance, Somerville Arts Council, Somerville, MA 2019 Earth Month Exhibition, The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord, MA
Education / Training / Certifications 2022 Maine Association of Nonprofits Leadership Institute 2019 University of Pennsylvania, Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy 2009 New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, B.A. with Presidential Honors, Dance in Education as Transformative Pedagogy 2006-2007 University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dance & Performance Studies and Economic Development 2017Daring Leaders Training by Bréne Brown 2012Master Gardener Certification 201172 Hour Permaculture Certification, Permaculture FEAST (for ecological and social transformation) 1989-Study in a variety dance, movement and embodiment practices