Artist's Biography
Born in Leominster, MA in 1957, I was introduced to photography by a friend who showed the darkroom to me as if it were a magic trick, and by my father, who was a hobbyist. A horrible student in school, I thought that photography might be my only way to make a living, and so I went to Rhode Island School of Photography, a trade school for training professional photographers. Learning very quickly that I had neither the inclination nor aptitude for portrait, wedding or advertising work, I left that school to attend the Maine Photographic Workshop for a three- month residency program in fine-art photography. This was a life-changing experience, as it let me know that photography is a large mansion, and that there might be a room there for me. Because I still hadn’t solved the problem of how to make a living, I decided that I would like to teach photography, even though it required a post-high school education. I enrolled at Greenfield Community College as an art major. The college had a wonderful program, and it propelled me forward just when i needed it. After two years, I transferred to Ohio University as photography major.
Upon graduation with a BFA, I returned to the Pioneer valley and started teaching in the Greenfield, MA public school system as a learning skills assistant (the irony was not lost on anyone who knew me). Soon, I found a job as a photography teacher at Northfield Mount Hermon School, where I remained for fourteen years. I took a similar position at Milton Academy. At both schools I detoured into administrative work as a Dean of Students. All during this time, I practiced my photography, earning a MFA degree from Bard College, and producing and showing my work frequently. I now live in Norwell, MA, making images and trying to live a life that lets photography remain at the center.