Colleen graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and received her BFA from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an art educator and has taught in the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of the Arts, The Mural Arts Program and Gloucester City Community Education Program. She was the Resident Artist at Cheltenham Center for the Arts for 2 years and has continued to volunteer and teach at the Center.  She co-founded A Square Deal (2006 – 2013) which functioned as a means for artists to expand their exposure using non-traditional venues and making art affordable and accessible, and to demonstrate art as an integral part of everyone’s daily life. Her work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions throughout the tri-state area. Colleen recently moved from New Jersey to South Philly with her loving, supportive husband, Stephen and their very senior cat, Tang. They are proud empty-nesters of their son Noah, who continues on an inherent creative spirit.

“The dictionary defines ‘ah’ as an expression used to describe delight, relief, regret or contempt. Our everyday world is filled to the brim with objects and people and places that demand nothing more of us than the acknowledgment of their existence. In my work I am trying to show you all the ‘ah’ that I see.

Artist Joseph Cornell has been my main muse for wanting to create collage and assemblage work. I have collected much material over the past several years that I either use or share with fellow artists. After reading an article a friend shared with me, RESOLUTIONS: STEPHEN SHEFFIELD’S 365 DAYS OF ART-MAKING I was inspired to take on a similar challenge of creating a collage a day for a year. While moving and renovating a new home and studio space, this challenge gave me as it did Mr. Sheffield, the opportunity to pursue a fun “creative habit”. I hope you enjoy these collages as much as I did constructing them and be inspired to find a moment everyday to create something simply for the joy of it.”