Growing up, I learned many forms of art including dance, martial arts and painting, thinking that each form was beautiful in its own way but then learned that i had a disease that could one day steal my eyesight. It was a bleak diagnosis, especially for an artist but, for me, it just made my vision for success that much clearer.
Born and raised in Chicago, I graduated with a degree in Art Education from the University of Illinois, Chicago. I founded Unicoi Art Studio in 1998, teaching after school art classes out of my home while I was also a kindergarten assistant at a private school in Chicago. Having no idea the company would quickly take off; I found art studio teaching hundreds of children per week at over 23 schools who shared my passion for art!
From 1998 – 2018, I managed my company Unicoi and directed all the art classes, birthday parties and camps there while writing thousands of new and unique lesson plans used across the Unicoi curriculum inspiring children to learn art! I was one of several artists to work on the interior design of the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in downtown Chicago and was featured on the news several times for my work in the industry and my entrepreneurship. Even though i am currently legally blind, diagnosed with Cone Rod Dystrophy at 21 which has slowly deteriorated my vision, I still create art today and encourage people to never give up on their goals. After moving to St. Croix with my family in 2018, my husband Zach and I opened a fun toy and souvenir store called Dodat in downtown Christiansted, now in the Pan Am Pavilion. Here you can see my custom art, other Crucian Artisans work and unique toys and games for the whole family.