My Story

Where to start? Where to start? I am a Pennsylvania native, a maker, artisan, and entrepreneur. This website you are visiting is the beginning of the process to launch my business, Artigiano Serio, a woodshop focusing on manufacturing furniture and lamps of my own design. I also provide workshops, where I share my extensive experience in the public arts arena on a local and regional level with grassroots advocacy, grant writing, festival planning, volunteer coordination, and non-profit fundraising.

Once upon a time, I oversaw the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts regranting program and served as Director of Creative Opportunities for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) handling a grants portfolio of over $6.4 million. Before working for the Commonwealth, I was Director of Development for Habitat for Humanity serving two local affiliates; and long ago, Program Manager with the Berks Arts Council, where I also served as Festival Director of the Greater Reading Film Festival. While working at the Berks Arts Council, I was a founding member of the Berks County Literary Festival and started the Community Arts Program of Berks County. I have a degree from Kutztown University, where I focused on arts administration, craft studies, and blending computer-assisted design with traditional arts.

I have recently funneled my love of electronics into a new career as a Lead Service Technician for Uptronix, where I help to provide preventive maintenance, emergency service, and battery replacement for mission critical Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS). And I am a Adjunct Instructor with Penn State University, spending my time teaching in their Launchbox located at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.

As for my outlook as an artist, I see myself as a creative problem-solver. The solution to a design often becomes more interesting to me than the final work. The maker movement, in general, and several YouTube creators, specifically, have had a tremendous impact on my work and thought process. I am not limited to any media and often explore mixed media simply to learn what does not work. Woodworking, electronics, and technology as a whole influence my artistic process but only in the creative process and not always the final product. I enjoy using technology but not having the technology be the main focus of the art. It should always be second to the creation of the work. Much like the paintbrush or the paint used by the masters, when looking at their work the first thought that comes to your mind is not what type of brush did they use or where did they get their paints. Technology should never overshadow the work.