Curriculum Vitae
Whether I am teaching studio art or I am teaching design I seek to do it from within an artist’s framework, including not just the technical instruction, but a rigorous examination of the context – the “why?” and “what-if…” and “how come…” – which drives our daily lives.
In most institutions grades are a fact of life and unfortunately students often perform only for the sake of their grades. Personally, I believe successful learning happens when students come to class not to get a grade or to complete a requirement, but instead to have an experience.
Teaching art and design is unlike teaching a subject where there are definite right or wrong answers. In art and design it seems that often there are no permanent or secure answers, only more questions.
PRINTABLE CV
Full CV (pdf) - Includes all of the information presented here, as well as course descriptions and syllabi of courses taught and courses designed but not taught.
The foundation of an interdisciplinary practice is engaging passion, establishing context and embracing process. Interdisciplinary artists create, and live in, a practice that is rooted in their passions and directed by a multi-disciplinary methodology. I approach art and life as an interdisciplinary artist – this is how I choose to experience the world.
I write this as a person with a passion for teaching about art and life. As a person who embraces the Lasallian education model, I am looking for an opportunity to teach art and design at Saint Mary’s. I believe in student-centered, explorative learning. I believe in a greater emphasis on the questions than the answers. I believe that creative problem-solving skills are the most important skills to develop and that experimentation is fundamental to developing an artistic practice. I believe, most of all, in stretching ourselves farther than we thought we could ever go.
February 2007
Master of Fine Art in Interdisciplinary Art
Thesis/Portfolio – Life Weaves Its Way: A Cloth Is Made Of Many Threads (pdf)
Goddard College, Plainfield VT
May 2004
Bachelor of Arts, Graphic Design & Multimedia, summa cum laude
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
May 1998
Associate of Arts, Accounting, with honors
with extra coursework on computer network management
Western Wisconsin Technical College, La Crosse, WI
Professional Artist, 1985 – present
Working artist with twenty-five years of experience in producing art for commissions and galleries Commissions include: photography (B&W and digital), fiber art, mosaic, and graphic and web design
Director of Web Communications, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN, 2007 – present
Responsibilities include: planning and implementing major redesign of entire SMU web presence, managing/supervising website redesign team, review of content on all SMU websites, participation in SMU portal design and implementation, micro-site development, training departmental/office web contributors, developing style guides, photography and photograph management, software review, university-wide web technology planning
Associate Web Manager, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN, 2005 – 2007
Responsibilities include: website content management, new feature development, training departmental/office web contributors, developing style guides, photography and photograph management, software review, university-wide web technology planning
Graduate Programs Administrative Assistant, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN, 2000 – 2005
Responsibilities included: admissions counseling, database programming and management, web design and programming, graduate program marketing, process analysis and project management, student support (technology), faculty training and support, course building in online course management system, photography
Website Redesign Team, 2007-present
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Responsible for planning and implementing redesign of university website, including all aspects of collaboration with vendor(s), design supervision, project management, maintaining deadlines, managing expectations of all stakeholders, determining key performance indicators, and communicating progress to all university constituencies
Portal Implementation committee, 2007-2008
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Responsible for planning and implementing university online portal in regard to integration between portal and external websites, and portal contents and related design (structure)
Technology Planning committee, 2006-present
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Responsible for operational planning in regard to communication (university websites) technology
Volunteer committee, 2002-2008
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Responsible for planning and implementing community-focused volunteer projects for university employee participation; developed and maintained gift-matching/family-sponsoring database for SMU Gifts for Winona; participated in hurricane and flood relief efforts, environmental efforts and local community projects
Salary & Benefits committee, 2000-2002
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Responsible for participation in planning, proposals to cabinet and president, and notifying staff and faculty of process and results
Arts Related
Winona Arts Center – President, Board of Directors, January 2010-present
Responsible for planning events, volunteer management, redesign and management of website, online calendar and e-communications
Winona Arts Center – Board of Directors, 2008-present
Responsible for planning events, volunteer management, redesign and management of website, online calendar and e-communications
Other
Gifts for Winona – Database programming, 2003-2008
Maintained database, performed gift matches, other tasks
Coursework taught at undergraduate level
AR 403 Graphic Design II, with Br. Roderick Robertson, FSC
Spring 2008, Taught web design and implementation section of course – 7 weeks
Dreamweaver CS3, Flash CS3, Photoshop CS3, Illustrator CS3
ID 160C Artscore, with Nancy Edstrom, MA, Instructor
Fall 2007
Special lectures taught at undergraduate level
“Interpreting Visual Art – Developing Context and Story”
ID 160 Artscore, Fall 2007, Lecture and workshops for sections taught by other instructors, 3 sections – B, G, H
1.25 contact hours each course section
Seminar: Partner Violence Intervention, HS 465 Human Services, Spring 2007
Lecture & Workshop: “Designing Evocative Buttons”, 2 contact hours
Lecture: “The Arts & Crafts Movement as Art Movement and Social Movement” *
S407 Social and Political Movements, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, 1.25 contact hours
Lecture: “Art as a Vehicle for Social Awareness and Change” *, S407 Social and Political Movements, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, 1.25 contact hours each semester
Lecture: “Multimedia for Websites”
AR 403 Graphic Design II, Spring 2004, 1.5 contact hours
Special lectures taught at graduate level
Lecture on presentation techniques and document design *
RA536 Presentation Skills, Fall 2002, Fall 2003, Fall 2004, 9 contact hours each semester
*included assigning and grading assessment/enrichment project.
Weblog
Always Swimming Upstream – Spending Life Doing Things the Hard Way… Being an Artist in a Chaotic World www.montagael.blogspot.com, designer and author
Websites
Monta May – Portfolio
www. montagaelmay.com
Beelandia
www.beelandia.com
Bluff Country Studio Art Tour
www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com
Fine Artists of Southeast Minnesota
www.semnfineart.org
Initial Teaching Alphabet
www.initialteachingalphabet.org
Saint Mary’s University
www.smumn.edu; www2.smumn.edu
Saint Mary's University Literacy Clinic
www.smuliteracyclinic.org
Sustain Winona
www.sustainwinona.org
Tatu Royale
www.taturoyale.com
Winona Arts Center
www.winonaarts.org
Workshops
Web pages for Artists Workshop
October-November, 2008
Winona Arts Center
Intermediate Mosaics Workshop
October-November, 2008
Winona Arts Center
Introduction to Mosaic Workshop
March – April, 2008, July – August, 2008
Winona Arts Center
“Effective Presentations for Graduate Faculty”
June 2006, June 2005, June 2004, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
90-minute workshop on presentation skills, focus on both design of visuals and use of presentation software
“Effective Presentations for Graduate Students”
June 2004, June 2003, June 2002, June 2001, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
90-minute workshop on presentation skills, focus on both design of visuals and use of presentation software
“Effective Presentations for Marketing”
March 2003, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Two-hour workshop on presentations skills, focus on introductory design principles and use of presentation software
“Effective Presentations for Graduate and Undergraduate Faculty”
March 2003, June 2002, June 2001, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
Two-hour workshop on presentations skills, focus on introductory design principles and use of presentation software
Gallery Experience
Assistant gallerist
Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Fall 2006, Goddard College MFAIA Residencies
Gallery assistant
Fall 2005, Saint Mary’s University – assisted with gallery duties during Sister Margaret Mear’s leave of absence.
Art Shows
Fine Artists of Southeast MInnesota
July – August 2010, Saint Mary’s University Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries and Winona State Watkins Gallery
Juried show, multiple artists
Fine Artists of Southeast MInnesota
July – August 2009, Saint Mary’s University Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries and Winona State Watkins Gallery
Juried show, multiple artists
Interstices
August – October, 2007, Saint Mary’s University Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, Winona MN. Encaustic, mixed media, sculpture, fiber art (3D fiber sculpture), photography
Presentations
“Stories – life, love, art, and the search for understanding, really…”
March 2007 - Faculty development luncheon, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
February 2007 - Thesis/portfolio presentation, Goddard College, Plainfield VT
Stories – life, love and the search for understanding, really…”
February 2007, Goddard College, Plainfield VT. MFA thesis/portfolio art show – encaustic, fiber art (3D fiber sculpture), photography
From Gifted Hands
June – August, 2005, Saint Mary’s University Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, Winona, MN. Sculpture, fiber art (3D fiber sculpture)
Conversations from the Well
February 2005, Goddard College, Plainfield VT. Sculpture, fiber sculpture
Fiber and Textile Art Exhibit
May 1996, May 1995, May 1994, May 1993, Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, Glenwood, MD
Performances
“Remembrances – a collaborative, intimate reading of life stories”
October 2007, Author, performer, Winona Arts Center, Winona MN
“Queen Sheba’s Medicine Show – The World Peace & Full Belly Tour”
April 2007, Author, performer, lyricist, Winona Arts Center, Winona MN
“Niagara Journey”
March 2006, Author, performer; Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona MN
“Niagara Journey”
February 2006, Author, performer; Goddard College, Plainfield VT
“Not Many Memories – Three Stories from an Imprecisely Remembered Childhood”
February 2005, Author, performer; Goddard College, Plainfield VT
Collaborations
Monkey Cat Blues
With Wes Miller & the Rubrics
Summer 2006, Lyricist – “Hunger,” Lyricist – “I Am”
The Rubrics, independently released, 2006
“ArtCar – A Collaborative, Community Art Experience”
November 2005, With Eileen Daily, Ph.D., Winona MN (three events in two locations)
College Art Association
275 7th Ave, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10001
National Art Education Association
1916 Association Dr.
Reston VA 20191
Art Educators of Minnesota
www.aem-mn.org
Society of American Mosaic Artists
P.O. Box 624
Ligonier, PA 15658-0624
American Craft Council
72 Spring St
New York, NY 10012-4019
Scholarly Interests
Mosaic – glass tile, smalti, alternative materials, history and design
New/digital media
Art and sustainable living, sustainability
Identity as a construct
Native theory (personal native theory, not indigenous peoples)
Media
Mosaic – glass tile, smalti, rock/stone/pebble, found object/mixed media
Sculpture –found object, wood, metal (welded and cast), clay/ceramic, mixed media
Painting – encaustic
New Media – digital imagery, multimedia and digital video
Photography – B&W film (including processing), color film & digital
Fiber/textiles
Performance – spoken word monologue, collaborative readings/spoken word
Story – creative non-fiction
