Gretchen

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

This fall and winter, I am keen to learn about developing and maintaining sustainable food sources.

Description

I am a lifelong practicing artist, a storyteller working in comics, murals, puppetry, and installation. In 2017 I co-founded Agitator Artist Collective in Chicago, and curation is now also a vital part of my practice.

Travel is woven into all of my work. I have attended artist residencies at the Buinho FabLab in Portugal, the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, Sundress Academy for the Arts in Tennessee, the Puppet Lab through the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in South Korea, and the Trinacria Perfromance Residency in Pezzolo, Sicily.

Interests

Events & social

Charity work

Fashion or beauty

Sustainability

Videography

Politics / Social justice

Culture

DIY & crafts

Art & design

Writing

Astronomy

Architecture

Blogging

Cooking & food

History

Books

Languages

Performing arts

Drawing & painting

Nature

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent

More details about my language interests
I am a native English speaker. I have experience teaching English to non-native speakers at the college level. I would love to learn Spanish and French, and also work on improving my German, which I studied in high school and college.

Find a language partner

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Eco Projects

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Charity Work

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

Art Projects

More details about your skills

I will talk a lot about art below, but I am also perfectly happy to do house or pet sitting. I love animals, and would take good care of your pets and home while exploring the area, making comics, and writing my novel.

As a lover of public art, I am proud to have created three murals in Chicago. I worked in video production for ten years, and still remain active as a video editor for my own creative pieces. I create comics and am currently working on a speculative fiction novel.

Co-founding and directing Agitator Artist Collective in Chicago has unleashed my natural skill for managing people and setting up events; and my writing skills have made me an expert grant writer for both Agitator and myself.

I have been a teacher for almost thirty years, focusing on art and English composition. My students have ranged from grade school well into adulthood.

Age

58

What else ...

Since June of 2025, I have been attending art residencies, workshops, and festivals around the world, including the Disquiet Writing Program in Lisbon, the Somer Akademie in Salzburg, the Writers Festival in Stockholm, and the World Puppetry Festival in Charleville-Mézières.I was in residency for three months at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Arts in South Korea, and I perfrmmed a new puppetry piece at the Trinacria Performance Festival in Sicily.

I travel to the UK in November, and I can spend up to six months in the region. Ideally I would spend one month with a host, or longer if it suits us; I am interested to get to know the regions where I stay, and to see how projects develop over time. I would bring enthusiasm and curiosity, and hope to learn patience and long term vision. I can also offer mural painting, graphic design, writing, and video editing.

During my time with a host, I would also work on my art practice. While I am in the UK this will include writing, drawing, and developing my puppetry skills - specifically ventriloquism!

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  no

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  Special dietary requirements
  no