Sara Forsythe

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2013-2012 Idaho Commission on the Arts Art Educator
2013 Kinder Center Art Educator, Hayden, Idaho
2012 Art Educator for Montana Arts Council
2012-2007 Zootown Arts Community Center, 501c3 Founder, Arts and Programming Director, Executive Director 4 years, Paint Your Own Pottery Studio, Gallery Operations, Educational Programming, Fine Art Teacher, Funding and Development, Grant Writing
2009-2006 VSA Arts of Montana, Art teacher for children with disabilities
2009 Potters for Peace, Nicaragua, Traveling Artist and Educator, Ceramic Workshops
2008 Independent Artist Collective, Founder, Missoula, MT
2007 Jay’s Hawthorne House Art Teacher for adults undergoing therapy/rehabilitation
2007 Camp Eureka! Art Coordinator/Teacher for visually impaired children
Science and Art: Interpreting a Wildlife Refuge with Dr. Geerat Vermeij
2007-2005 Paraeducator in Special Services at Hellgate High School and Substitute Teacher
2005 Elementary and High School Art Instructor, Missoula, Montana

Profile

Sara is a Northern Idaho artist and certified fine art and history instructor.

She lived in Montana for ten years and worked as both an artist and educator for students in the valley. She is the Founder of the Zootown Arts Community Center in Missoula, MT; a non profit on the Northside of Missoula. Sara conducts professional development for teachers, and works alongside various organizations in the Western Montana and Northern Idaho area. She is an Idaho Commission on the Arts Arts Educator. Sara served three years as a board member for VSA Arts of Montana. She teaches art to people with disabilities and works with youth in alternative settings. Sara commissions master study replications, and creates ink drawings as well as mixed media large work acrylic paintings.

She is the proud owner of Hobbes the Wonder Dog and likes taking long walks with him through her neighborhood.

In 2007, Sara created an art-on-a-cart business called Zootown Arts which delivered arts experiences to nursing homes, schools, rural areas, events, and organizations. In 2009, after the founding of the Independent Artist Collaborative, the ZACC emerged as a non-profit arts center delivering all ages arts education, fostering sustainable community development, and promoting accessible, life-enriching art experiences for Missoula residents and visitors.

In 2010, for the MEA-MFT Conference in Missoula, Sara presented a lecture on Arts and Communities in Montana for the MT Alliance for the Arts. She is working on a large scale project aimed at aligning artists in schools for special projects and fine arts development for regular classroom instructors.

In 2009, Sara was recognized by Montana Community Development Corporation as a community business success story and presented at the Business and Entrepreneurship Seminar for Young Adults.

In 2010, She received the YWCA Salute to Women Award (Rising Star) for her work in the Missoula Community and was listed in the news as one of the top ten notable people to know in Missoula.

Sara is inspired by her golden retriever Hobbes. She marvels at his ability to scoff at the alarm in the morning, know when to take a break, his ability to not sweat the small stuff, run in the rain, find every mud puddle to roll in, slobber on her favorite dresses, forgive others quickly, and get his beauty sleep every afternoon.