Jean O’Neil comes to DAIS with over 20 years of experience in visual arts curriculum, instruction, and administration. She is a certified Washington State Educator K – 12 in Visual Arts and English. O'Neil received her B.S. in Education and Studio Art from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. While at Keene, she obtained the first female studio assistant position under the Sculpture Department Chair, Jack Marshall. “It was in the midst of the smoke and fire of the Keene sculpture studio that I fell in love with clay”. O’Neil went onto receive her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from City University of Seattle where she later became an Associate Faculty and Field Supervisor for the Albright School of Education. Some of her previous professional positions in the visual arts also include: Art Specialist, Art Department Chair, California College of the Arts, Assistant Director of Admissions, and Director of Joline Art Center. O’Neil is a nationally exhibiting visual artist, who is committed to supporting community based visual arts programs. As a Southwest Washington Community Idea Grant and CTRAN Community Grant Award Recipient, she was able to forge community alliances for project based service learning programs. In her words “Art is for everyone and is connected to every facet of our current world culture and those of the past. We are able to cross all cultural boundaries through the integration of the arts.
