Erika is an artist and educator from North Baltimore, Ohio. Erika received her Master of Arts in Education from the University of Findlay in 2005 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2002. Erika is in her 6th year as an Art Educator at Powell Elementary. Before coming to Powell, Erika was a Professor of Art and Tiffin University and Owens Community College. She also spent almost two years working with Adults with developmental disabilities as the manager of Kan Du Studio.
Erika has long been an advocate for the arts in Northwest Ohio, as Director of Artist Relations for Red Tornado Gallery, she focused on both visiting artist and emerging artist programs. Erika helped link up area artists with institutions where they could give workshops and presentations. Erika also served as secretary on the Board of Directors for Awakening Minds Art from 2010-2014. In her position at Kan Du Studio, Erika successfully wrote and received and State capital improvement grant totaling $520,000 to build a community Fine Arts Center to help better integrate people with developmental disabilities into the community. Erika just completed a two year term as the President of the Powell Parent Teacher Association.
In the summer, Erika is the Arts and Crafts Area Director at Camp Walden near Cheboygan Michigan. Camp Walden is a traditional, co-educational, residential camp for children ages 7-17. Erika mentors the counseling staff to provide world class instruction to campers. Campers can select classes in painting, drawing, fibers, ceramics, jewelry, lapidary, tie-dye and batik, sculpture and mixed media.
In her own art work, Erika focuses primarily on painting in drawing. Erika has exhibited in at The Toledo Museum of Art, Paper Crane Gallery in Chicago, IL, the Owens Community College Faculty Art Show, and the Red Tornado Gallery. Erika's work is held in public and private collections world wide.