What have you been doing since graduating from Rhodes in 2004?
After majoring in studio art at Rhodes, I attended the Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 2008. After graduation, I worked for architecture firms in St. Louis, MO, and in San Francisco, CA. In 2013, I returned to Memphis, joined LRK Architects, and completed professional licensure exams in fall of 2014. I’m currently an architect and associate at LRK.
My professional work has been largely centered on urbanism and urban reinvestment. The majority of the projects I’ve been involved with are associated with the adaptive reuse of blighted structures within urban areas. Since returning to Memphis, I’ve been involved with the redevelopment of Crosstown Concourse (formerly the Sears Crosstown building) and the Chisca on Main (formerly Hotel Chisca).
How did you get to where you are now? What paths can one take in the arts?
I came to Rhodes with a multitude of interests and pronounced uncertainty of what I wanted “to do” with my life. Studying art provided a framework to help me better understand and then define what I wanted to accomplish through creative pursuits.
How did your time as an art/art history major prepare you to meet your career goal?
My time as an art major taught me many things, but the most valuable was heightening my appreciation for the role context plays in form & design. Studio art and art history create a foundation for understanding the intrinsic relationship between making, meaning, and environment.
What art and art history course(s) where you most impacted by?
Senior Seminar (Valgardson), Modern II (McCarthy), Advanced Drawing (Harmon), Intro to Architecture 1 & 2 (Lutz)
Any advice for Rhodes students?
Do something (and study something) that you’re genuinely interested in. Try your best not to forget what led you to initially care about it.
