She received a B.F.A. in Printmaking in 1978 and M.A. in Printmaking and Art History in 1980 from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D in Art History and Studio Arts from the University of Georgia in 2002. She has previously taught at the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Vermont College and the Art Institute of Atlanta. Her research presents a new knowledge of the circumstances in which America came to the forefront in the international arena of art, criticism and art educational practices between 1930 and 1950 and examines the interaction between European and American artists, the development of a modern aesthetic philosophy unique to this country, and the introduction of avant-garde practices into the educational systems of universities and schools.