Resume

Jessica S. Harris

Objectives

To work teaching art being active with youth and in a community setting while continuing to develop my art portfolio.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Art received from Humboldt State University in December 2003.

Interests

I enjoy a wide variety of arts and crafts, such as painting, knitting, jewelry making, and working with textiles. I am interested in becoming involved in community activities, such as working with youth. Creating and promoting my art.

Professional Accomplishments

Teaching Art

Currently, I teach art classes at the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Since I began teaching at the Essex Art Center, I have taught various mediums including,pottery on the wheel, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and art history.  I have had students between the ages of 3-adult. My primary class is pottery on the wheel for children over the age of 10.

Through the Essex Art Center, I have also taught art for the Middle school girls of the Esperanza Academy.  www.essexartcenter.org , www.eperanzaacademy.org. Teaching art for the Esperanza Academy girls was very rewarding work. I taught them all mediums of art including art history. I began teaching for Esperanza in 2007, working with 6 grade girls and I continued with the same group of girls until they graduated from 8^th grade. I also taught 6th grade girls beginning September 2010 ending in April 2011 due to the birth of my son.

I have been teaching art classes for the Worcester art museum since March 2008.  I teach a variety mediums and methods and my students are between the grades k-8.  I have also worked “off site” going into Worcester public schools to teach art after school. I inspire students with the museum’s rich art collection whenever possible. This work gives me a wide range of experiences working in the community. Through this program, I have taught at public schools, churches, and community centers. Through this program, my youngest student was 3 and the oldest was 83. www.worcesterart.org

I also taught art classes at the Danforth Museum School since spring of 2007. My students ranged from kindergarten to middle school ages. I worked mostly with clay and three-dimensional art, ranging from general sculpture classes to pottery on the wheel. www.danforthmuseum.org

Additional Work

-      Mark’sgarden and Gifts in Watertown, Ct from spring until summer of 2005.  Assisted customers with gardening needs,specializing in trees and shrubs.

-      I have worked seasonally at Smolak Farms on and off for several years. I worked in their bakery cooking large batches of doughnuts,cleaning, and assisting the bakers as needed.

-       Worked as sales associate for 3 months at Clay’s, a family owned chain of women’s clothing boutiques. Assisting customers, maintaining a clean and organized store, designing displays and sales promotion.      

-       Worked as a server for Friendly’s restaurant in Framingham Before relocating to Webster, Ma.   Nov-Dec. 2007

RecentEmployment History

☼    February2008- Present Employment; Teacher at the Worcester Art Museum

☼     55Salisbury Street, Worcester, Ma 01609 - (508) 799-4406 www.worcesterart.org

☼     April 2007 – January 2009; Teacher atthe Danforth Museum

☼     123Union Avenue, Framingham, MA 01702-8291 — 508.620.0050 www.danforthmuseum.org

☼     January 2006 – Present; Teacher at theEssex Art Center

☼     56Island St., Lawrence, MA 01840 ♦  (978)685-2343 ♦ www.essexartcenter.com

Referencesare available on request.