I am a third-generation female artist. My grandmother, Dixie Dugan, started as a watercolorist, and because of a car accident, she switched to collage, too stubborn to let something as simple as a broken back stop her from creating art. Collage is a simplification of what she does, she creates incredibly intricate paintings with paper. My mother, Susan Dugan, followed in her footsteps and became a professional photographer. A phenomenal nature photographer she has taught journalism and photography for over 30 years at Benedict College. My grandmother taught me how to draw and passed on her passion for the arts to me. My mother taught me photography, layout and got me interested in film and sound.
Focusing on illustration and graphic arts with the full support of my family, I have always had one foot in the fine art world and one foot in the graphic art world. I love typography, infographics, and sketchbooks. I’ve dabbled with FX works, videography, sculpture, painting, mural art, animation and graphic design. I’m currently learning to fly a drone for aerial photography and becoming more familiar with woodworking techniques.
Typically, I’m given a problem of some sort; “We need to come up with a marketing strategy” or “We need to convey this information in a way that’s easy to understand”. I get to solve that problem visually in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing, taking a boring concept, or a complicated idea and making it memorable and more accessible to a broader audience. I like to think of myself as more than just an artist, operating as a facilitator to the arts for others. Anyone can make art and can participate in creative pursuits, you simply find an avenue of expression that works with who you are.
Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, I went to college and worked in Baltimore for six years. I was fortunate to both intern and work with the Smithsonian Office of Exhibits (OIC) and National Aquarium to hone my graphic and artistic skills. After Grad School I moved home to work with the AmeriCorps Program, serving the community that had served me. Then to Tallahassee Florida, to work at the Museum of Florida History (MFH) as a Museum Artist before returning to Columbia to design exhibits for EdVenture Children’s Museum.
As EdVenture’s Exhibit Designer, I coordinated with other designers, fabricators, the community and donors to creatively and cohesively put together interactive exhibits. Being involved with projects from beginning to end I wasn’t merely the artist or the graphic designer but one of the creative forces in the background placing the pieces of the puzzle together. Our collective goal was to complete the project on budget, on time, and on message. After helping mentor several graphics interns while at EdVenture I was presented with the opportunity to become an adjunct art professor. While I previously was a teaching assistant in Grad School, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching my first solo class and sharing my considerable working knowledge with the next generation of graphic artists. After working at Edventure for three years, doing several major revitalizations to the main museum and helping kickstart two satellite museums, I wrapped up my projects and due to their shift away from traveling exhibits I had to bid them a fond farewell.
I’m currently focusing on strengthening my teaching acumen and further developing my freelance business. If you like what you see here and are interested in a commission or quote on a more extensive project, please check out my freelance page. I’m a certified federal contractor (registered in SAM) and can work on both projects big and small. I’d be excited to work with you on any of your design needs.