Sarah Dees – Artist, Educator, Writer, Entrepreneur

PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN , New York City, NY
Major: Illustration; Graduated, Bachelor of Fine Arts, May 1982
1979-1982

ECKERD COLLEGE , St. Petersburg, FL
Early admission entry at age 16, Student Senator ‘76-’77, Director of Student Activities Board ‘77-’78, Publicity Artwork for SAB ‘77-’78, Tutor in English, Active in Theater, Art, Dance, Music
1976-1978

COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL , Lake City, FL
President, Drama Club, Winner Art Club Scholarship, Honor Society, skipped 7th,12th grades, left for college in 1976

CURRENT WORK: PROFESSIONAL
• Professional artist in my freelance, home/studio business, Sarah Dees Art.
• Writing two features for online magazine Examiner.com
• Part Time – Office Assistant, Acrylic Painting Teacher and Painting Assistant
Painting with a Twist, 2527 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713
727-327-4488 – Supervisor Mrs. Leslie Gay, Owner

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:
Writer for online magazine Examiner.com
Writer for an online magazine, as the “Tampa Bay Visual Art Examiner”.
Part Time, freelance – From: 9/1/2010 to present
Sarah Dees, Tampa Bay Visual Art Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/visual-art-in-tampa-bay/sarah-dees

Added second feature, as writer of articles about cancer issues, resources, and people living with cancer
PART TIME From: 12/1/2011 to present
Sarah Dees, Tampa Bay Cancer Advocacy Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/cancer-advocacy-in-tampa-bay/sarah-dees

Professional Artist in Freelance Home and Studio- based business
Sarah Dees Art
Studio Location: 2309 ½ Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713
Fine art printmaking studio and art gallery

PAST EMPLOYMENT:
Education Coordinator
Also cutting counter, cashier, customer service
From: 5/4/2012 to 2/12/2013, 941-351-343
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft,store # 2282
8441 Cooper Creek Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34243, University Parkway exit off Interstate 75
Supervisor – Chad Cunningham, Store Manager

REPORTER CBS TAMPA ARTS AND CULTURE
http://tampa.cbslocal.com/category/best-of/arts-culture/
Writing a feature about the best of Arts and Culture in the Tampa Bay area for the CBS Local web site.
PART TIME: From: 1/1/2012 to 12/30/2012

SUNSHINE DISCOUNT CRAFTS, Largo, Florida
Customer Service Representative, August 1, 2011 to December 14, 2011
12335 62nd St. North, Largo, Florida 33773,
727-538-2878

MICHAELS ARTS AND CRAFTS STORE
Part-time custom picture framer and store associate at the Michaels store in Pinellas Park. Teaching acrylic painting, sponsored by Chart-Pak, the manufacturers of Grumbacher Academy Acrylic paint.
Pinellas Park Store: Michaels Arts & Crafts, 7240 US Highway 19, Pinellas Park FL 33781, 727-526-4543
PART TIME: From: 9/14/2010 to July 27, 2011
Left job to take full time position, as they could only offer part time work with not enough hours.

US CENSUS BUREAU
Enumerator, St. Petersburg, Florida
Duties: Taking information from people, door-to-door, attending crew meetings
Renne Proulx- Crew Leader 727-772-3781, Census Office 727-290-2040
Dept. 2945-St. Petersburg, Florida
Atlanta Regional Census Center, 285 Peachtree Ctr. Ave. NE
Marquis II Tower, Suite 1100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303-1230, 866-861-2010
Temporary Job, From: 5/2/2010-6/20/2010

GREAT EXPLORATIONS; THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM , St. Petersburg, FL
Teacher – Visual Arts and Performing Arts, Taught painting and printmaking, Dance, Musical Theater, Child supervision-grades one through six
Supervisor: Ms. Julia McAllister, Education Director, jmcallister@greatex.org
Shelly Lee, Director of Operations, 727-821-8992 x214 slee@greatex.org
1925 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33704, 727-821-8992
Temporary Job, Summer Camp
From: June 2008- To: Nov. 2008
Summer 2008 Full time, Part Time through Fall, until Halloween

WELLINGTON SCHOOL , Seminole and St. Petersburg, FL
Performing Arts Teacher, Substitute Music Teacher, Upper and lower campuses, grades Pre K -8th . First worked for a year as a volunteer, assisting drama, music and art teachers, then hired to work on staff in exchange for daughter’s tuition. Painted large mural of school mascot in gym.
Duties: Wrote, Directed and Choreographed Musical Plays for Children, Taught children painting backdrops, sets and props for Theater
Supervisor-Mrs. Carol Moon, Former Head of School,
Mrs. Linda Mileski, Principal, Supervisor at Seminole Campus,
Email: lmileski@wellingtonschool.com, 727-397-4565
8000 Starkey Rd. Seminole, Florida 33777 PART TIME: From: 8/2002- To: 5/2004

FLORIDA FRAMES, INC. Clearwater, FL
12011 44th St N, Clearwater, FL 33762, (727) 572-4064
Gallery Director, Manager, Custom Picture Framing Department
Duties: Sales, Supervision and Production in Custom Picture Framing Department, Marketing, Brochure and Catalog Production, Fine Art Production.
Employer: Greg Brodnick info@floridaframes.com, 727- 572-4064
Reason for leaving: Had baby, decided to work in my own business, “Dees Design Graphics” full time again to keep baby with me during work day
FULL TIME: From: 10/1991- To: 7/1995

JOANNE JAMES INTERIORS/ RESORT DESIGN GROUP
Staff Artist, Freelance commissioned Art.
FULL TIME: From: 11/82- To: 7/83

SCANDIA INTERNATIONAL, INC. St. Petersburg, FL
Freelance pen and ink drawings of furniture, paste-up and ad design PART TIME: 1985

HOME SCHOOL TEACHER , St. Petersburg, FL 8/2004-6/2007
Taught my daughter grades 4, 5 and 6.
Highlights:
• She won the Progress Energy Calendar Art Contest, grade 4.
• She won the Seminole City Spelling Bee Grade Five.
• She researched and wrote a 16-page coloring book for children for Environmental contest grade Five; it was published by the Sierra Club.
• She advanced three grade levels each year and in 6th grade tested at 11th and 12th grade high school level.
• She was tested and accepted for the gifted program for 7th grade in public school, and placed in all advanced classes. She scored 99% on intelligence test, placing in the top 1% of all gifted students in the State of Florida.
• She was active in performing arts and visual arts.
• She auditioned in two Talent Rock Competitions in Orlando, in Acting and Singing, and recorded a CD of original songs in 2005, for which she was invited to NYC to meet with Warner Music execs and a manager in June 2007.
• She studied acting at John Robert Powers and auditioned for professional opportunities. Azuree Talent Agency, Orlando, signed to represent her in June 2006. I taught her singing, acting, art and academics.

DEES DESIGN GRAPHICS , St. Petersburg, FL
Owner, President, Artist
Dees Design Graphics was successful for twenty years. I managed up to five employees continually, when producing large jobs in the hospitality industry, such as resort hotels. We also produced art for hospitals, health care facilities, commercial buildings, condominiums, and high-end residences.

Duties: Began new business, produced original fine art prints to market wholesale;custom picture framing design and production; Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Artist, Administration, Art and Design, Production, Color Separations, Bookkeeping, Printing, Purchasing
Partner: Suzanna Dees, Sister, Silkscreen printer,
Email: sdees@peregrine.net, phone 704-504-8041
Associate: Bill Jonson, Owner, The Framing Source,
12728 59th Way N. Clearwater, Florida 33760
Email: theframingsource@tampabay.rr.com
FULL TIME: From: 7/1983-To: 12/2002

In addition to paid professional work, I have done a lot of volunteer work for nonprofits and charity organizations throughout my career.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE:
Detailed list available, including painting murals, creating theatrical sets and props, writing and directing children’s plays and events, teaching visual arts and performing arts to children, designing and constructing costumes,
Feather Sound Christian School (preschool)
Dees Design Graphics
Wellington School, middle school and elementary school
Steps School of Dance
Mildred Helms Elementary
City of St. Pete Beach
Home School Class
Great Explorations; The Childrens Museum
Gulfcoast Chapter, Gulfcoast Oncology Foundation
American Lung Association
Pinellas Park Middle School
Relay for Life, American Cancer Society
The Outdoor Arts Foundation

• Sales and Marketing, Customer Service, Maintaining client relationships
• Administration, Business Management, Supervising employees, Team Player
• Telephone skills, answering phones, taking orders, data entry on computer
• Writing, editing, proofreading, newsletters, articles, research, photography
• Education, teaching, communication and great rapport with students, associates and employees based on respect and positive reinforcement
• Excellent organizational abilities
• Computer Skills – Mac G-5, Creative Suites programs and other business/design programs
• Designing art projects for interior designers, including residential and hospitality, new construction, and renovations on large properties
• Custom picture framing design, production, installation
• Custom murals in acrylic / latex on interior / exterior walls
• Faux finishing on walls and furniture, decorative painting on furniture
• Acrylic portraits on canvas, Watercolor portraits on paper
• Landscapes in a variety of media, Realistic and Abstract art, Illustration
• Custom original paintings on canvas in acrylic
• Original graphic prints, including etchings, oil monoprints, printmaking
• Pen and ink drawing
• Theater arts, set and prop design, dance, choreography, directing, and writing for school theatrical productions
• Representing artists, creating and maintaining social media pages
• Publicity, publications, arranging art gallery shows

Teaching

NEWH-The Hospitality Network