SUMMARY Globally minded, motivated and sensitive team player, with a background in art, education, web, design, marketing, consulting, and research. My relationship orientation fosters healthy communication and inclusion. I am committed to realizing goals in inspiring ways to nurture compassionate understanding. US Passport, Norwegian Residency and Førerkort B. PDF Portfolios Email MariAmmanArt@icloud.com or click here: Resume_References_Education Documents
CREATIVE & PRACTICAL SKILLS Photography, video, editing, copywriting, fact-based editorial writing, creative writing, poetry, hand drawing, graphics, illustrations, color theory, spacial design, painting including large scale and various substrates/papers/canvases, lighting design, interior design, space planning, styling, staging, installations, branding, concept development, design, layouts and print production, singing, music composition, classical and modern dance, frontend web development and marketing, presentations for education or sales, relationship and cultural bridge building.
TECHNICAL SKILLS Mac/PC, Digital/Film Cameras, Apple Suite, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, CaptureOne, iMovie, Vimeo Expert, YouTube Studio, Hubspot/CRM, SoMe, Miro, WordPress/WebDevelopment, Analogue Film Developing/Scanning/Archiving, Digital and Darkroom Print Making, Printing and Pre-production for CMYK and RGB output on machine or plate printing, glass and matte-cutting including museum glass, art handing and installation.
INSTRUCTION Movement and performance, dance, yoga, meditation and breathwork, art foundations, colour theory, drawing, painting, photography, visual literacy, pattern recognition, body architecture.
PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCES
2023 – now MARI AMMAN FOUNDATION FOUNDER | International
The Mari Amman Foundation is dedicated to experience based learning through liberal art studies that integrate global perspectives, building compassion and understanding. http://mariammanfoundation.org
2022 – now KATAPULT/SNOWMARKETS CURATOR/COFOUNDER | International
Snowmarkets is where a curated community of Nordic artists and collectors meet through Digitally Backed Assets and Crowdfunding. My role began in curating artists, relationship building, and consulting creative, design, communications, strategy and resources. My role eventually became that of co-founder. Snowmarkets utilizes agile working methods with an international team across digital workspaces including Miro, Google Workspace, Hubspot, and Social Media. https://snowmarkets.com
2011 – now FOUNDER/AUTHOR | International
Brand development of mind/body services, products and trademark for Yoto. Brand development of bespoke knitwear Veveri Co. Designed teaching courses in movement, dance, yoga, visual arts and crafts. Research, networking, creating products and courses, WordPress.org website/shop design/development, photographing/content, sales, shipping, administration. https://yotostudio.com, http://veveri.co Writing https://lelapin.substack.com/ artwork and voice work for https://operajupiter.substack.com
2008 – now CREATIVE CONSULTANT | Content and Media
Secured $250,00 folk art collection permanent care/exhibition. Branding and communications for web, digital, print for tech, health, consumer goods, start-ups and cultural projects. Fundraising, project management, photography, copywriting, trademark registration, medical and fact-based research, community and relationship building. Product creation, management, events. On-site/hybrid work in USA and Nordics. Selected Clients: BBC, House of Norway Foundation, 22nd Century Media, Nordre Aker Bydel, Ekebergparken, MIT, Art Farm Iowa, Outdoor Illinois, Dales Bottle Stoppers, Vasli Souza Galleri. https://mariamman.net/publications/
Selected Clients: BBC, House of Norway Foundation, 22nd Century Media, Nordre Aker Bydel, Ekebergparken, MIT, Outdoor Illinois, Art Farm Iowa, Dales Bottle Stoppers.
2016 – 2021 PHOTO REVIEWER | LensCulture
Writing editorial content, artist interviews, and over 400 project reviews. Building rapport with artists and connecting audiences to critical discourses in contemporary photography.
2015 – 2016 ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR | Otis College – Los Angeles, California
Counseled graduate and undergrad applicants. Grew enrollment through individual portfolio reviews and group presentations, national and international travel. Data entry and maintenance of detailed CRM records. Attentive listening and empathy throughout international, admissions processes. Solution oriented research for administrative and applicant questions. Maintained a maximum 48-hour response time with positive attitude and diplomacy. Led campus tours. Mediated communications between department chairs and applicants.
2013 – 2015 TEACHING ASSISTANT | Otis College – Los Angeles, California
Supported professors in teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in art and photography with materials preparations, assisting in critiques and individual mentorship, conducting research and organising materials, providing support during student studio time, labwork, and field-trips around Los Angeles. Taking the initiative to digitise class materials for the professor and students to access through download. Classes: Graduate Modernism to Conceptualism, Undergraduate Advanced Photography.
2012 – 2013 GALLERY MANAGER | College of Lake County – Grayslake, Illinois
The Community Exhibits Coordinator position included managing daily operations for a gallery and annexed gallery sales shop. Developed inventory sales system with the IT department, instituted gallery sales shop policies, formalised artist contracts, grew artist network and built community rapport. Delivered financial reports and deposits to accounting. Grew art sales for both artists and the college, built trust within the visual communications department by running a student logo contest. Rebranded and built up the gallery sales shop website. Juried a student photography contest. Managed and planned themed exhibitions and events with catering and live musicians. Organised the holiday fundraiser with over 200 attendees and 30 artists in cooperation with the facilities, biology, accounting, PR departments. Led meditations and yoga courses for professors, faculty, and staff.
2012 – 2016 PHOTOGRAPHER | 22nd Century Media – Illinois & California
Editorial photography and editing, within 12 hour max deadline. Consistently delivered cover images on multiple events in a day. Gathered permissions/ages for publication. Published in North Shore Chicago & Malibu newspapers.
2012 – 2012 GALLERY ASSISTANT | ZIA Gallery – Winnetka, Illinois
Consulted with customers on museum quality framing and art collecting. Technical skills learned and used on the job included glass cutting, matte board cutting/layering, stitching and mounting artwork. Worked in-house with frame cutter, placed orders for materials. Built rapport with buyers to facilitate art sales, logged inventory and financial reports, promoted and photographed events, contributed to the gallery blog.
2008 – 2010 AUTHOR | Chicago Tribune Media – Chicago, Illinois
Author of The Art of Advice column on living life as art. Creating original written content on a schedule for Chicago Tribune’s blogsite. Interviewed live 2x on WGN Radio.
2006 – 2008 COPYWRITER | MSI & Momentum – Chicago, Illinois
In-house and contract agency work. Wrote client-winning presentations, taglines, headlines, concept development, style guides, and body copy for consumer packaged goods. Branding, product naming, trademark, patent research in government database for client such as Wahl, The Home Depot, BonTon, Sam’s Club, Kohl’s, Kraft, Triscuit, Tombstone, A1, Mac ’n Cheese, and Chicago Blackhawk’s Pitch. Photographed produced in-house for the agency’s portfolio and mockups for client presentations. Assisted on photoshoots.
2006 – 2009 GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRINT PRODUCTION | Alphagraphics & Freelance – Chicago, Illinois
Branding, typography, logo design, layout and pre-production for digital and plate printing presses.
2006 – 2009 LIBRARY ASSISTANT | Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg, Illinois
Checking books in and out of college library. Assisted patrons in research and critical thinking for projects. Catalogued books, magazines, and audio-visual materials. Processed book orders and assisted library manager in inventory duties. Ensured daily facilities operations and closing maintenance responsibilities.
2002 – 2003 ADMIN ASSISTANT | State Farm Insurance – Oregon, Illinois
Answered phone calls, filed payments, maintained database records, client follow-up and support, scheduled appointments with office manager. The job was coordinated through Byron High School work/study program.
EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS
2013 – 2015 MASTER FINE ART | Otis College of Art and Design – Los Angeles, California
Art history from 1800s, modern & post-modern theory, studio art, critique. Honours.
2003 – 2006 BACHELOR ART | Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg, Illinois
Interior Design, Advertising Communications. Dean/President Honours.
2017 – 2019 JAPANESE CULTURE | Keio Univerity & University of Oslo
Courses: Rare Books, Washi Paper, Butoh Dance, Avante-Garde, Music Moves
2015 NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE | Rosenhof Voksensopplæring – Oslo, Norway
2013 PHOTOGRAPHY | College of Lake County – Grayslake, Illinois
Courses: History of Photography and Darkroom
2013 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | Ehime University – Matsuyama-shi, Japan
Grant sponsored education through chaperoning, writing and photography. Bound By Water.
2012 YOGA TEACHING CERTIFICATION | Akasha Yoga Center – Crystal Lake, Illinois
1993 – 2003 CLASSICAL PIANO | Byron, Illinois
1990 – 2003 DANCE | Various Studios – Ogle County, Illinois
Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop
PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC REFERENCES
ANE VIGDIS ØVERÅS, Founder, Kjerringøy Land Art Bienale & Residency, Norway
T: +47 901 20 184 E: kjerringoylandart@gmail.com
KERI HAUG | Haug + Maberg AS, Oslo, Norway
T: +47 924 84 230 E: kha@boffistudio.no
ANNETTA KAPON | Graduate Chair, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
T: +1 (310) 665-6848 E: akapon@otis.edu
CHRIS SISSON | Associate Professor of Art; Department Chair of Art & Art History, Rockford College, Rockford, IL, USA
T: +1 (815) 632-7984 E: cisisson@rockford.edu
ERICK ROWE | Instructor Art Photography, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL, USA
T: +1 (847) 543-2552 E: erowe@clcillinois.edu