Community Life

st'ART Stroudsburg

st'ART Stroudsburg is the latest venture into public art for the Pocono Arts District and Downtown Stroudsburg.

As the former volunteering director of the Media department, Ashley maintained the st'Art Stroudsburg website, assisted in brand development by creating graphics and graphics packages, and was the lead video editor for various video projects- including the borough requested Historical video for the Stroudsburg Bicentennial Time Capsule, and the drone fly-by project documenting the town's many murals and artistic heritage.

Origins Gallery

Hailed as the Contemporary Arts Gallery of the Poconos, Origins boasts a rapid selling of local art, community outreach, and comprehensive educational options.

As the co-founder and former Assistant Director, Ashley worked with Director Jody Singer to organize and run events, teach classes, and man the space during gallery hours. Ashley also designed and maintained the website.

Origins holds up to 2 events a month including group exhibitions, featured shows, live music, poetry, and comedy. For up to date information regarding events and exhibitions, please visit the facebook page. Ashley is no longer affiliated with current operations at Origins, and the gallery is now located within the Pocono Arts Council.

Art in Motion

After volunteering at the School of Visual Arts in Stroudsburg, PA for close to 9 months, Ashley was asked to teach a one day class in digital painting at East Stroudsburg University. After coming face to face with twenty or so upper level illustration students who had not had nearly as much exposure to digital design programs as they could have, Ashley developed a digital arts/modern painting curriculum for young children. "Startin' 'em young".

The course offered affordable classes for students (only fees collected went towards supplies) in Digital 2-D Animation, Drawing, and Painting for children ages 9-12.

Ashley taught 3 classes a week for a total of four elementary-age students from October 2014-April 2015.

project street art | summer 2014

part one

In May 2014, Ashley was among twenty other artists chosen to participate in one of the largest live mural events ever held in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania- Project Street Art Part One.

Part One was made up of many wooden panels set up as a wall to protect and cover a large empty lot spanning almost half of a township block in Stroudsburg, PA. Each of the panels were an artist's representation of a local business, many of whom sponsored the project in one way or another.

Ashley was selected to paint The Main Street Jukebox, one of the largest and oldest record stores still in existence in the country. This was a particularly personal project for Ashley, as the owner allowed her to show her college admissions portfolio as part of their gallery years before, after she graduated high school.

Her panel "9 Muses" is still visible on the 600 block of Main St. today, along with the other incredible works of urban art all by local Pocono artists!

part two

After the success of Project Street Art Part One Ashley was asked to become a core staff member for the next Project Street Art mural event.

Part Two was much larger, utilizing ten walls within the municipalities of East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg, PA. Dozens of artists from all over the world competed to win the chance to paint murals all over town. With more than 150 volunteers at their disposal, the winning artists painted ten gorgeous murals throughout the towns, ending during a day long celebration live painting event.

Ashley's role in Project Street Art Part Two was largely administrative as one of 5 project managers. Her roles included assisting director Shayne Izykowski, and other team members Sonia Leticia, Jody Singer, and Brandon M. Jones in day to day logistical tasks, keeping the books and managing expenses, fundraising, marketing, managing volunteers, and anything else to help the project accomplish its goal of bringing accessible street art to the people of the Pocono Mountains.