About Ms. Fitz...

I always wanted to be an artist. My high school art teacher was a great influence on me.

 I earned my BFA in painting from Moore College of Art and Design. While at Moore, I was awarded the Emily Sartain Traveling Fellowship. The award allowed me to travel to 11 countries in Europe where I visited dozens of art museums studying Symbolist art. As an added bonus, one of the fellowship judges bought a painting displayed in my competition exhibit. As a senior in art school, I won the Rohm and Haas painting award and made Dean's list.

After college, I worked in art libraries for 2 years and I almost went to library school! After that, I worked in the interiors and design field for 7 years. I designed carpets, drapery and other custom home furnishings. I designed a large series of ensembles for the Philadelphia Home Show. I worked with architects and interior designers creating custom, high-end marble and hand-painted tile installations for residences and businesses in and around Philadelphia. Simultaneously, I exhibited my art. I painted landscapes and participated in many exhibits of my artwork (the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Moore College of Art, Zone One Gallery, and more). 

     In my late 20s, I needed a career change and felt I should try to make more of a difference in the world, so, I decided to teach art in Philadelphia's public schools.  I earned a masters in teaching with a K-12 visual arts certification from the University of the Arts. Teaching art in the Philly public schools, I became a demonstration teacher and train other art teachers. I have worked for the Philadelphia School District for 24 years and Bodine for 13. I also taught for 7 years at the University of the Arts in the Saturday Lab School & Pre-College Programs and I taught children at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Abington Arts Center. Additionally, I served on the teachers advisory committee of the Barnes Foundation.