Professional Art Activities / Achievements
MFA The School of the Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois 1981

RESUME

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / WRITER "Jamesie, King of Scratch"
70-minute documentary about Scratch Band or Quelbe music focusing on James “Jamesie” Brewster, the legendary musician from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (2006)

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / WRITER "Mom's Medicine"
10-minute trailer about a Garifuna woman living in Chicago and her mother who is a midwife and healer in Belize. (2001)

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / WRITER: "The Garifuna Journey"
45-minute video documentary and study guide about a group of people in Belize whose African/Amerindian ancestors successfully resisted slavery (1997).

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR: "The Long Road Home"
30-minute video documentary and study guide about Guatemalan refugees (1992).

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / WRITER: "Jump Up/ Mix Up"
10-minute 16mm film about the masquerade festival in Toronto known as "Caribana" (1990).

CO-DIRECTOR / CO-WRITER:
"Who is Jim Taylor & What is the Community Film Workshop,"
40-minute video Dino Malcolm, Producer (1990).

PRODUCER / WRITER: "Voodoo and The Church In Haiti"
40-minute, 16 mm film documentary about Voodoo as a traditional African religion in the new world (1988)

PRODUCER / CO-WRITER / DIRECTOR:
"The Musicians Building"
40-minute video documentary about a building that housed musicians in Chicago (1987).

WARDROBE ASSISTANT: "Warzone"
Feature film. Roger Barski, Director & Producer (1988).

PRODUCTION MANAGER: "Sunset Freeway"
A dramatic production for a theater project (1988).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROJECT DIRECTOR: "The Jamesie Project" an educational documentary and archiving project about scratch band music in the Virgin Islands. Copies of all video and audio materials placed in Center for Black Music Research archives in Chicago, Illinois.

FOUNDER / CO-DIRECTOR: REELTIME, a free monthly series of public programs at the Evanston Public Library. The series presents independent media and brings the public at large and film/videomakers together to promote discussion about issues of concern to the community.

PROJECT DIRECTOR: "The Garifuna Journey" a collaborative archiving project with the Garifuna people documenting aspects of their culture. Completed work resulted in several video documentaries and a multi-media traveling exhibition and archives for the Garifuna Nation. Copies of materials placed in Center for Black Music Research archives.

CO-OP MEMBER: New Day Films, Inc., a group of independent filmmakers who work cooperatively to self-distribute social-issue documentaries. www.newday.com

PROJECT DIRECTOR: "The Long Road Home," a collaborative project with Mayan refugees living in Chicago which resulted in a multi-media traveling exhibition and a 30 minute documentary. Exhibit included: Drawings, photographs, and pottery.

TEACHING & RELATED EXPERIENCE

Visiting Artist, St. Vincent, West Indies 2005. Traveled around the island presenting "The Garifuna Journey" to Caribe descendants.

Panel Participant: International Council for Traditional Music Conference, Brazil (2001); "Echoes of the Bone," Northwestern University Conference; Caribbean Studies Association Conference; and the Evanston Arts Council.

Columbia College, Chicago, Il. Taught documentary production in film/video department (1999-2001).

Panel Co-Facilitator/Presenter on "outsider/insider" collaboration in documenting ones’ culture: Field Museum of Chicago; American Museum of Natural History, NY.

Co-authored: "Special Project" article, Cultural Survival Quarterly, Spring 1996 & 1998

Authored, "A Personal Distribution Story," Angles Magazine, Vol. 3, #2, 1997

Authored, "Garifuna Settlement Day: A Celebration of Resistance," ACM Magazine, Spring 1996

Panel member for application review, Chicago Artists International Program, 1995

Juror, Women In The Directors Chair Film Festival, 1994, 1997.

Panelist, 1994 Presenters Incubator Regrant Program, funded by NEA & MacArthur Foundation
Conferences attended: NEFVF 1994, NAMAC 1993, Robert Flaherty Seminar for Independent Video and Cinema: 1994

Juror, American Film Festival, Chicago, Illinois, 1989.

Panel Moderator, Chicago Area Film and Video Network Conference, 1989.

Authored, "Collages, Carvings and Quilts," The Visual Arts of St. Vincent," Caribbean Review, Vol. XIV, No. 1,1985.

Guest lecturer, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, 1983-86.

Guest Lecturer, Parkside University of Wisconsin Extension, 1986.

AWARDS & GRANTS FOR FILM/VIDEO

2005
Virgin Islands Arts Council grant for “The Jamesie Project”

2004
Virgin Islands Humanities Council grant for "The Jamesie Project."
Virgin Islands Arts Council grant for "The Jamesie Project."
Illinois Humanities Council grant for "The Jamesie Project."

2003
Virgin Islands Humanities Council grant for "The Jamesie Project."

2002
Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award

2000
Grants for Reeltime program: Illinois Humanities Council, Illinois Arts Council, Playboy Foundation
Illinois Humanities Grant for "Valentina, Midwife and Healer."

1999 Rotary International, grant to distribute "The Garifuna Journey" video and Study guide for distribution to schools in Belize.

1998
Evanston Arts Council Cultural Fund, Major grant for "The Garifuna Journey"

Zonta International, Grant to develop study guide for Garifuna project.

The Artistic Achievement Award in Ethnographic Video, Huntington International Independent Film Festival

Award of Merit in Film/Video, Latin American Studies Association

Honorable Mention, Phila Film International Film Festival

Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film Festival

1995
CAIP travel grant (Belize), Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

Special Assistance Grant: Illinois Arts Council (Garifuna project)

1994
"Bronze Apple" National Educational Film and Video Festival.
Grants for "The Long Road Home" project: Resist & The Shefa Fund

1993
"Honorable Mention" Columbus International Film & Video Festival.

"Certificate of Appreciation" Earth Peace International Film Festival.

Grants for "The Long Road Home" project: Chicago Office of Fine Arts, Peace Development Fund, Resist, New Prospect Foundation, Landau Family Foundation.

Special Assistance Grant: Illinois Arts Council, for arts consultant Morrie Warshawski.

1990
Community Arts Assistance Grant: Chicago Office of Fine Arts.

1989
Build Illinois Filmmakers Grant: Community Film Workshop

1988
Community Arts Assistance Grant: Chicago Office of Fine Art.

1985
Chairman's Grant: Illinois Arts Council.

SELECTED ART EXHIBITIONS & COLLECTIONS

2005 & 2008
Michael Banzhaf Gallery, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Solo exhibition

1986
Art Institute of Chicago, School Gallery, "Extentions" (catalog)

1985
Chicago Public Library/Cultural Center, West Gallery

1984
Morton College Art Gallery, Cicero, Illinois

1983
Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Illinois
Rubiner Gallery, Royal Oak, Michigan

1982
Kit Basquin Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, Illinois, "Static Motion" (catalog)
Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

1979
Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, Illinois
Borg Warner Corporation
Citycorp Inc.
Altshuler, Melvoin, Glasser Associates
Peat, Marwick, Mitchell Associates
Cellular Business Systems
Numerous private collections

ART REVIEWS

1985
"Leland Sets Sail With Ocean Images," Chicago Sun Times, October

1983
"Static Motion," Hyde Park Art Center catalogue

1982
"Group Show Takes Its Cue From Nature," Milwaukee Journal,
"Gallery News," Chicago Sun Times, June

1979
"New Trends In Fiber," Fiberscope, Volume