
OUR HISTORY, OUR VOICES PROJECT
The Dorothy Verbick Exhibit
About Her Exhibit…
I am a middle school art teacher and a meditation/mindfulness practitioner. Before college, I had only taken an art class in elementary school. I doodled the comics (mostly Garfield), did NOT draw all the time, and did not have an encouraging family to support my art curiosity.
Somehow, I still went for it…. art school made sure to let me know how far behind in knowledge I was…especially during critique. :p I think it was just this year that I decided I would call myself an artist and I have been teaching art for ten years.
I am finally surrendering to themes reoccurring in my work… skulls, hearts, clouds, crows/birds, flowers, nature, any macabre. Some of these collections are my more recent doodles playing with gouache and watercolor, the Dollys are acrylic painting as I love painting portraits and the last is encaustic collage which I am wanting to explore more of. I just keep exploring materials.
I want to encourage people at every level to keep making even if you don’t see yourself as a maker, creative, or artist. It’s why I am an art teacher for life…to support others, live the process and try out lots of cool art supplies.

Click to view images at larger scale.
Connect with Dorothy Verbick »
Instagram: @drrtgrrl | Website: https://creatingmindfulness.com/
More Exhibits
The Ashley Garner Exhibit
My submission was inspired by all the many ways over time I, like all women, just had to figure it out. As a result of figuring it out, I have built a successful custom painting and furniture restoration business (Nest) as well as a writing career, writing for The Dollywood Company, Knoxville Mom's, Her View From Home, and Today.com.
The Katrina Julianne Scott Exhibit
I was taught from a young age that women were meant to be quiet and pleasant, never loud or angry. When I reached college, I encountered men who took advantage of that mindset and of my naivety. I soon found other women who shared those experiences and felt a similar sense of frustration towards the narrative expected of women.
The Megan Cook Exhibit
Entrepreneurship is no joke. It's HARD work. Long hours, endless networking, small business admin, the list goes on and on. And, sometimes, being a woman in entrepreneurship is that much harder. But what nourishes and sustains me is the community I've built through it. I love that I can collaborate with other women entrepreneurs, supporting each other's dreams and work in community with each other rather than in competition with each other.









