Professional Summary:

As a socially engaged artist, educator, and researcher, Allida Creates participatory experiences that connect people and communities through interdisciplinary learning experiences that ignite personal and community development. Allida is able to synthesize knowledge across disciplines, putting her expertise as a teacher and artist often in collaboration with experts, from Anthropology and Engineering to Dance and Music in order to modulate them to groups of learners, young and young-at-heart alike.

Education

2018 Ed. M. Arts in Education

Harvard Graduate School of Education

2017 CoRE Certificate

HBX @ Harvard Business School

2010 B.A. Art & Education

DePaul University; Art & Education

2006 TEFL Certificate

Ministry of Education and Culture of the Autonomous Community of Madrid
EFL Conversation Teaching Fellow, Madrid, Spain

Additional Education

BFA Coursework Fiber and Materials Studies

The School of the Art Institue of Chicago

BFA Coursework Costume Technology & Design

The Theatre School at DePaul University

Languages in order of proficiency

English (Native)
Spanish (Bilingual)
French (Proficient)
ASL (Conversant)

Employment Experience:

Development Associate
Conservatory Lab Foundation

Create systematic development and communications calendar to document and share the work of the school so that donors and other constituents understand the work that teachers and students do every day.

Manage donor and foundation relationships to steward the positive impact of the school through data management and consistent outreach through a variety of channels, from social media to in person relationships; and donor letters to volunteer and board driven telephone campaigns.

Results: Raised $423,500 (FY2020 goal) by the end of the second quarter.

Research Assistant
Project Zero; Cambridge, MA — 2018

Analyze qualitative survey data from teacher professional development platform to find trends and connect to the narrative of Project Zero in impact stories and other analyses.

Quality Performance Assessment Intern
Center for Collaborative Education; Boston, MA — 2017-2018

Co-author a white paper about micro-credentials (Teacher Professional Development). Develop tool to orient teachers to the cognitive demands on Learners of EAL, and compile resources for EL and K-5 Quality Performance Assessments team to use in coaching.

Program Director, FLY Children’s Art Center; Ypsilanti, MI – 2013-2017

Develop, teach, and curate interdisciplinary student-centered curriculum in an innovative multi-modal arts outreach program. FLY does OOST programming, summer and weekend classes, and community events in collaboration with other CBO’s. Manage teaching staff, and operations.

English Langauge Assessment Consultant
Michigan Language Assessments; Ann Arbor, MI — 2013-2017

Assess spoken and written English. Develop test-items for speaking tests. Monitor other speaking-test examiners and raters for Quality Control and inter-rater reliability. Participate in linking studies and piloting of tests and test items.

Conversation Teaching Fellow; Colegio San Agustín; Madrid Spain – 2007-2009

Teach speaking and writing skills for English as a Foreign Language instruction for the equivalents of Kindergarten, 7th grade, 9th grade, and 11th grade. Used art and design as a medium of motivation and instruction. Give assessments of speaking and writing.

Conversation Teaching Fellow, CEIP Valderrey; Algete, Madrid, Spain – 2005-2007

Design curriculum for PreK and Kindergarten , art classes, and some science classes. Teach Pre-K-5th grade. Receive training and certification for TEFL, CLIL, and Bilingualism via the MEC of Madrid.

Craft Department head; Pearl Art & Craft; Chicago, IL – 1999-2005

Manage up to 10 employees day to day tasks. Control inventory and purchasing for upwards of 100k SKU’s in for a department with $1 million annual gross. Manage relationships with corporate office, other stores, and vendors during transition to central inventory control.

Selected Consulting Projects

Education and Non-Profit Consultant; Beyond Walls, Lynn MA — 2019-Present

Write pilot tour curriculum which received local and national press coverage for Middle School Tour program focused on Lynn Public Schools strategic plan.  Contribute to larger education and curatorial strategy as Beyond Walls deepens and scales their programming.

Curriculum Designer; Reflection Theatre Company, China and Cambridge MA — 2018-2019

Write curriculum materials and adapt a traditional Chinese children’s story to scaffold TESOL and SEL, and STEAM learning goals through a cross-disciplinary visual and dramatic arts framework.

Education Consultant; KindScreen, Allston MA — 2018-2019

Contribute to start-up team to develop content and processes for a new app that connects parents using examples in children’s media to promote and model SEL skills.

Guest Lecturer; Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI — 2013-2017

Deliver design-learning and character analysis in the context of the Technical Theatre class and serve as a long-term substitute during a prolonged absence by the TD, including supervision of the shop, set-construction, and running the boards during weekly assemblies. Design and coordinate volunteers for costumes. (see below)

Digital and Graphic designer; SCP and Kunst & Papier; California — 2011-2020

Manage product websites for importers of Art Materials using skills in product photography, graphic layouts, Spreadsheets, HTML, CSS, WordPress and transfer to print catalogs and product headers, as needed. Assist at trade shows and create product demos. Launch social media efforts.

Production Consultant; Photozini Inc; Menlo Park, CA — 2010-2013

Perfect and reduce time on hand-folding production process by 40% and train new production team to hand it off. Streamline person-run magazine photo-layout process and set design guidelines in collaboration with COO and other design-team members using Adobe CS (Photoshop, Bridge, InDesign, Illustrator). Track and fill social media and orders using CMS (Salesforce, HootSuite).

Fashion Design and Production; Weltenbuerger LA; Los Angeles, California — 2011-2012

Designed garments based on description and/or by patterning and modifying from existing vintage pieces. Trained and managed 2 interns and gave pattern-making and drawing lessons to owner. Maintained industrial Merrow and Zig-zag machines as well as 2 heavy-duty home machines. Run productions of 5-7 items, and make patterns to source larger runs.

Guest Instructor; Drama Bee Summer Camps; Los Angeles, California — 2012

Give visual arts and digital photography instruction to young learners. Contribute to story-telling during ideation and rehearsal and back-stage work during performances. Design paper-bag-based flower costumes.

Instructor; Studio in a Backpack Independent Art and English, Madrid, Spain 2006-2009

Teach English as a Foreign language to people from 3 years old to adult. Use art directly with young learners to foster language acquisition in visually and kinesthetically rich environments that reflect authentic American culture. Select mostly art-industry adult clients, including people in the graphic design, curatorial, and fine arts professions and help them to improve their linguistic range and control of industry specific language via radio, magazines, and journals focused on the arts.

Publications

Kuriacose, C. , Warn, A. (2018) A Movement Towards Personalized Professional Learning: An Exploration of Six Educator Micro-credential Programs. Boston, MA. Center for Collaborative Education. accessible on: http://cce.org/files/CCE-Micro-credentials-White-Pape.pdf
[and Blog: http://cce.org/thought-leadership/blog/post/whats-a-microcredential ]

Conferences and Selected Workshops

Harvard Graduate School of Education
2018 Student Research Conference

Presentation on Making Music Visible: YPAR to raise Critical Consciousness and Art. An in-progress youth driven curriculum design to raise empathy through understanding of music theory. http://makingvisiblemusic.com

Harvard Graduate School of Education
2018 China Eduation Symposium

Present a “Rube Goldberg” Maker Space to promote the use of STEAM education in China. Beginning with OK Go! and their use of Rube Goldberg devices in Music Videos as an inspiration, attendees made a seasonal Automata (an Exploratorium project expanded and kid-tested in FLY Creativity Lab outreach) and Marble Chutes (a project developed at FLY).
Harvard Graduate School of Education

2017 October Monday Night Remix

Present a fun mono-print exercise using styrofoam plates, tempera paint, spray-bottles, towels, and printmaking paper. Make cards with HGSE students, faculty and staff.

2012 Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show

Create educational materials and provide demonstrations for Wee-Scapes and Kunst & Papier sketchbooks.

Art Showings

Fossil-Fools, April 3, 2020,
Wonderfool Productions, Kerry Town, Ann Arbor, MI

Install participatory digital project focused on urban ecology to honor the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  Inspired by the work of Finnish composer Ainojuhani Rautavaara, the work combines digital animation, sound, and participatory elements, and incorporates a planned tour.

In-Between THoughts, September 2019
Invitational Showing, Jamaica Plain, MA

An invitational open-studio showing of current digital installation work.

PhotoRelay, April-May 2018
Peabody Terrace and Petsi Pies, Cambridge MA

Participate in a community photo-association project

In the Midst of Our Portraits April 2018
Gutman Library, Cambridge MA

The Cathedral of M-14 selected Photos, and Lake Superior Rocks digitally printed quilt wall-hanging

PopX: Marie Tharp, October 2016
The Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI

Installation in collaboration with colleagues from FLY Creativity Lab to document our work with youth and raise local awareness of Marie Tharp, a pioneering woman cartographer from Ypsilanti.

FLY Teacher Feature: Honeybee Festival, September 2016
The Off-Center Gallery/FLY Creativity Lab

Curator for the show and display Walk-in Honeycomb installation

UNTIED-UNITED, December 2016
DIYpsi/Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI

Interactive fiber installation to celebrate the diversity of people and choices as it makes Ypsilanti a stronger community.

FLY Teacher Show, October 2015
FLY Creativity Lab, Ypsilanti MI

Curator and showed Prints, Drawings, and Fiber Works in Progress

The Circle Show, Spring 2015
FLY Creativity Lab/Full Circle Community Center, Ypsilanti Michigan

Added paintings and collaborative mobile from FLY project to the permanent collection of the community center.

“El Torrejon” 2007
Segovia and Madrid, Spain

Handmade Book and Documentary Project

“Candidam Nubem” 2006
Madrid, Spain

Video documentation project in collaboration with Spanish Artist, Curra Rueda

Blossoming, Summer 2005
River North Gallery District Starbucks, Chicago, IL

Prints drawings paintings (one-man show)

Urban Flowers, Fall 2004
Anna’s Bar*, Chicago, Chicago IL

Prints, drawings, paintings (one-man show)

Fall: Group Show, Fall 2003
Monkey Business, Chicago, IL
“Forest” textile piece in window, assorted prints, mask and jewelry

Turning, Fall 2002
Gallery B, Chicago, IL

Drawings of leaves and flowers in group show

Fall, October 2001
Gallery B, Chicago, IL

Prints based on leaves in group show

Theatrical Productions

Urinetown

Costume Designer
Upper School Musical
March 2017 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

The Madwoman of Chaillot

Costume Designer
Upper School
November 2017 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Alice in Wonderland

Costumiere & Mentor to student Designer
Middle School Play
November 2017 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Photograph 51

Costume Consultant
August 2016 Carriage House Theatre Company

Hamlet: All Female Version

Costume Designer
July 2016 Carriage House Theatre Carriage House Company, Ann Arbor MI

Macbeth

Costume Consultant
Senior Shakespeare Class
June 2016 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Charley’s Aunt

Costumiere
Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

The Addams Family

Costume Designer
Upper School Musical
March 2016 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

The Picnic at Hanging Rock

Costume Designer
November 2016, Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Schoolhouse Rock

Costume Designer
Middle School Musical
Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Ice Glen

Costume Designer
August 2015 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI
Ice Glen Costumer

Romeo and Juliet

Costume Mentor
Shakespeare Class
June 2015 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

The Music Man

Costume Designer
Upper School Musical
April 2015 Greenhills School Upper School, Ann Arbor MI

Vanya & Sonya & Masha & Spike

Costume Consultant
February 2015 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

You Can’t Take it with You!

Costume Designer
December 2014 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

Moon Over Buffalo

Costumer & Mentor
Upper School Play
November 2014 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

The Arkansaw Bear & The Lottery

Costumer & Mentor
Middle School Play
October 2014 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Grace and Glorie

Props and Costumes Consultant and knitting Coach
September 2014 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

Costume Instructor and Designer
August 2014 U-M Musical Summer Camp

Fallen Angels

Costumer
June 2014 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

Into the Woods

Costume Designer
Upper School Musical
March 2014 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

Costume Designer
Upper School Play
November 2013 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

Costume Designer
Middle School Musical
October 2013 Greenhills School, Ann Arbor MI

Lend Me a Tenor

Costume Designer
September 2013 Riverside Arts Center, PTD Productions, Ypsilanti MI

The Lion King

Make-up and Costume Consultant
August 2013 U-M Musical Summer Camp

Richard III

Assistant to Costumer
1999 The Shattered Globe Theatre, Chicago IL

Shakespeare’s Dog

Costume Designer
Fall 1997- Summer 1998 The Griffin Theatre Company, Chicago IL