Areas
Profile
Hometown: Pender Island, Canada
Education Background: BA, MA l’Ecole nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD Paris)
What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
I lived in Western Canada, South of France, and Paris after high school. In that time, I completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree at l’ENSAD Paris.
Why did you choose Penn?
I first became aware of UPenn through different members of its history such as Denise Scott Brown, Louis Kahn, Ian McHarg and through the work of the artist and current Chair of the MFA program, Ken Lum. Looking closer at the MFA program, I was interested in the interdisciplinary aspects of the School of Design and within the studio-based program itself.
I was interested in the proximity to New York City and the opportunity to live in a smaller city. The city is also situated halfway between the two places I consider home.
What has been your favorite class so far?
My favourite courses so far have been David Hartt’s FNAR 5410 - If Night Is a Weed and Day Grows Less, Rachel Cypher’s ANTH 5585 Ecologies of Belonging, Sculpture II with William Udell and Krzysztof Wodiczko's course Interrogative Design: Cultural Prosthetics.
What are you learning right now that will help you in the future?
Right now, I am excited about the course Across Forms: Art and Writing with Sharon A Hayes and Syd Zolf and expanding my approach to writing as art.
What do you like best about Philadelphia?
I enjoy the scale of the city and I particularly enjoy living in Center City. The food is great in South Philadelphia. I enjoy the abundance of galleries, museums, gardens, and the cities extensive brick work.
What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
I enjoy going to concerts hosted by Penn Live Arts (they offer a generous student discount, too). I use recreational sport as a way to find balance during the busy academic season. My top two are playing tennis at the Hecht tennis center and swimming at Pottruck.