Through teaching, writing and workshops Alison King sets up unforgettable experiences that motivate people to create art & design
Masters of Art and Art Education, January 1999
Teachers College, Columbia University
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, May 1996
Specialization in
Printmaking
Parsons School of Design
Bachelor of Arts in World Art History, May 1996
Eugene Lang College at The New School for Social Research
Assistant Professor of Digital Design
Graphic Design, Advertising and Social media emphasis
Grand Canyon University
2018 - 2021
Teach college level courses including:
Associate Professor of Graphic Design
The Art Institute of Phoenix
2000 - 2018
Taught college level design courses and weekend workshops including:
Founding Editor, ModernPhoenix.net
2003 - Present
Edit, write, photograph and publish the internet's only comprehensive clearinghouse of information about midcentury modern design in Phoenix Arizona. Conduct primary source research and record oral histories. Moderate message boards and do community outreach through workshops and educational events. Organize annual home tour and produce all resulting collateral.
Freelance Journalist
2005 - Present
Design research, reporting, editing and criticism for Modern Phoenix, Desert Living, Art Ltd., Java, and 944. Serve as a go-to resource for The Arizona Republic, The East Valley Tribune, The Phoenix New Times, Sunset and Java Magazine.
Faculty Development Director
The Art Institute of Phoenix
2004 - 2006
Managed the professional development of 100+ faculty at a private design college. Developed and presented New Faculty Training, Learning Centered Education seminars, Book Clubs, Museum Visits, Instructional Methodologies and software-specific seminars. Prepared documentation for accreditation visits. Presented seminars both online and face to face for other professional developers.
Freelance Web Designer
2000 - Present
Develop brand identities and e-marketing campaigns for small businesses and nonprofits in Phoenix, AZ. Services include logo, identity, business sets, web sites, e-blasts, e-marketing, search engine optimization and more.
Senior Curriculum Consultant for Technology and the Arts for Teaching Matters, Inc.
1996 to 2003
Developed content and design for a distance-learning website to
support clients of Teaching Matters. Designed and delivered
how-to courses for curriculum integration over the internet,
using voice-enhanced teleconferencing software. Designed and
produced company publications, including @School Magazine. Developed
original integrated arts projects with New York
City School teachers. Special assignments included multimedia
arts instruction for the Project Arts initiative in Queens
and the Lower East Side, and curriculum development for the American
Gateways Federal Challenge Grant on Immigration for the Lower
East Side and Harlem. Workshops and one-on-one instruction for
teachers in all subject areas and all grade levels helped educators
discover ways that technology and the arts could enhance their
own classroom curriculums. Long-term consultations in public schools
included:
Traditional and Digital Art Instructor
1996 to 2003
Taught students both young and old digital art techniques including
scanning, digital photography, web publishing, painting
and robotic programming. Held a Summer Sketchbooks
art camp to help girls develop artist's habits through
sketchbook-keeping. Designed and held a Multimedia Arts
Summer Institute at School of the Future to help middle school, high
school, and adult students pioneer the development of their own digital
art portfolios. Designed and taught a mainstreamed Paper Craft class
for 4th and 5th grade students as part of the Brooklyn Friends after
Guest Presenter at New York University Graduate School of Education
1997 and 1998
Presented innovative projects by New York City teachers and students
that integrated technology across the curriculum.
Invited lectures include "Multimedia Arts in New York City Public Schools" and "Technology in the ESL Classroom: A View from the Trenches".
Presentations included hands-on collaborative creation
using multimedia authoring software.
Researcher and Editorial Assistant for the Children's Environments Research Group at the City University of New York Graduate School and University Center
1993 - 1996
Researched and edited drafts for Children's Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care by
Roger A. Hart. (Earthscan/Unicef). Advised and instructed a team of students age 11 - 18 in the
use of high-tech and traditional publishing methods to
help them publish their own series of how-to books.
Students learned Quark XPress, Adobe Photoshop, scanner, paste-up
and editorial illustration techniques. Helped community members in
the Bronx and on the Lower East Side design and build natural play
gardens for their young children by facilitating participatory design
workshops.
Digital Arts
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Bridge, Acrobat, HTML, CSS, Fontlab TypeTool
Traditional Media
Woodcut and linoleum relief printing, silkscreen
printing, reduction printing, etching and intaglio
Visit www.pixelpixie.net for recent publications
2019 Best Memory for How it Used to Be The Phoenix New Times
2013 American Express Aspire Award National Trust for Historic Preservation
2014 Daughters of the American Revolution Arizona Chapter Award for Historic Preservation
2012 + 2013 + 2014 AZ Central Critic's Pick for Best Home Tour
2009 + 2011 + 2012 + 2013 + 2014 + 2015 + 2016 The New Times Best of Phoenix, Best Home Tour
2014 The Art Institute of Phoenix Faculty of the Quarter
2010 Most Intriguing Arizonans of 2010 The Arizona Republic
2010 The AIA Arizona Chapter Award of Distinction
2010 The Art Institute of Phoenix Vanguard Award
2009 Web Marketing Association Standard of Excellence Award
2008 AIA Arizona Chapter President's Commendation
2007 The Art Institute of Phoenix Vanguard Award
2006 The New Times Best of Phoenix Award
2006 944 Magazine Platinum Award