My roots are in Delaware City, Delaware, a small town sandwiched between an oil refinery and the Delaware River. My father is a prominent archaeologist, and I have vivid memories of digging up fossils in the dikes of the canal next to our town. My mural proposal is about how I have this strong sense of history embedded in my brain, and how that affects me as an artist and teacher. Although not primarily based in Salem, I have taught there, as well as Peabody and Beverly. My connection to the past, through my father, made me more compassionate and a more informed artist on the North Shore. My intention is that personal connection is illustrated in my proposal, in my lifelong journey from Philadelphia, to Portland, Oregon and landing in Beverly. Like an ancient trilobite, I feel my core being is here.