About

I am a third generation artist (my grandfather was a commercial photographer and my dad a drawer and painter) who specializes in photography and book making, while being an educator and historian. Hailing from Northern Virginia, I was exposed to history, art, and architecture from an early age, all of which continue to inform and influence my work today. In 2004 I moved to Philadelphia, and it was here that my interest in photography was nurtured and flourished as I explored the city, going on walkabouts with one of my best friends. After moving to North Carolina in 2016, I decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in photography, first receiving two Associates degrees from Central Piedmont Community College in 2018, whereupon I transferred to Appalachian State University to study commercial photography. During that first semester I took a course in book arts, which changed everything. It made me realize how much I loved working with my hands, and midway through that first semester I changed my major to studio art with a concentration in photography. In 2021 I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Appalachian State University, and in 2024 I received my Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from East Carolina University. After completing my MFA, I returned to Boone and began teaching as an adjunct professor of art at App State, as well as at Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University, both in located in Hickory, North Carolina.

 

Besides being an artist, I am an avid historian and for over 30 years has been researching the life of beer baron, philanthropist and inventor Robert Portner, the history of his brewery, and the history of his summer home Annaburg, located in my hometown of Manassas, Virginia. I have written two books, spoken at several symposiums, and curated a museum exhibit on the subject, and serve as a consultant to on-going restoration and rehabilitation efforts at Annaburg.

​

Click here to view my CV, or click here to download a PDF copy of it.