Staff

Patricia M. Murphy is the founder and Co-Director of Beacon Street Gallery. A visual artist and educator, Murphy holds a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College Chicago, M.F.A in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a B.A in Art Education from Northeastern Illinois University. Murphy coordinates the "Tradition in Transition" folk and ethnic performance and gallery series, outreach activities, and teaches visual arts workshops. Since 1982, Patricia has curated over 50 exhibitions including international exchanges with England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, New Zealand, China, South Africa, and Austria. As a visual artist, she has exhibited in over 40 shows throughout the United States and Europe and has created 12 successful youth programs in Chicago.

Susan F. Field is the Co-Director of Beacon Street Gallery. A published researcher on integrative thinking and holistic curriculum, poet and playwright, Field holds an M.S. E.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Northeastern Illinois University, with a specialization in Secondary Reading. Susan coordinates performance programs and poetry readings at Beacon Street Studios, our satellite location in Batavia, Kane County, Illinois. She is an adjunct faculty member and advisor at DePaul University's Center for New Learning and taught in the Elgin Public School system for 17 years. Field is currently pursuing a certification in Poetry Therapy through the National Association of Poetry Therapy.

Shannon Coogan Hautman is the Director of Education Programs for Beacon Street Gallery. Before becoming a full time staff member, Shannon worked at Beacon Street as an AmeriCorps National Service Member. Shannon holds a M.A. in English from Loyola University of Chicago and directs arts integrated after school programs at Armstrong Elementary School and Graeme Stewart Elementary School in Uptown. In 2006, Shannon received her certificate in Advanced Youth Development from the City of Chicago and has taught creative writing workshops in Beacon Street Gallery's teen arts programs since 2002. Shannon was an adjunct faculty member for the City Colleges of Chicago from 2004-2006.

Catherine Sweeney is the Associate Director of Education at Beacon Street Gallery. Catherine worked part time as a teaching artist in our after school program until she received her B.A. in Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago and was hired as a full time employee. Catherine is the site coordinator for after school at Graeme Stewart Elementary School and Clarendon Community Center and continues research in the field of child psychology with LUC, including a current project on youth asthma in Chicago Public Schools.

Jonathan Berti is a full time Program Director at Beacon Street Gallery. Jonathan worked part time as a teaching artist in our after school program for two years prior to obtaining his full time position. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Penn State University. Jonathan has taught in the Chicago Public School system, specializing in early education and primary reading instruction.  He is a lead teacher in our youth programs at Clarendon Community Center and Armstrong School.

JoVonna Jackson is an artist in residence at Beacon Street Gallery. From 2002 to 2006, JoVonna was an apprentice artist in Beacon Street's teen mosaic programs. In the past 7 years, she has worked on murals in Millennium Park, Berger Park, Steward Park, and Andersen Park in Chicago. In 2008, JoVonna began teaching at Stewart School as a mosaic artist and now has a studio space at Beacon Street Gallery. She is currently co-designing a piece for Touhy Park in Rogers Park. She is an alumnus of Washburn Culinary Institute.

Teaching Artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines work with our youth and young adults in art education programming.

Interns and Volunteers work in our programs as gallery assistants and tutors through partnerships with DePaul University, Loyola University, the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, and Roosevelt University.