Connecting to Communities.
- attended Lewiston Community High School, Lewiston, Illinois
- graduated 2005, BFA Drawing
- currently works in an Outreach Office at Oregon State University while attending graduate school to obtain a Master’s Degree in College Administration.
Dani Marlette
“What is best for any one person is very individual, but I can say that I learned a lot while at MIAD, and not just about art and design. It was a great place to spend some really important stages of my life.”
Growing up in a small, rural town and graduating from high school in a class of fifty-six, Dani Marlette knows a lot about community. “The cozy size, and warm attitude of MIAD made it a place I felt I could be comfortable while having space to grow,” Marlette says, speaking about her college decision, and move to Milwaukee. Since graduating from MIAD, Marlette has moved onto graduate school in Oregon, and works in an Outreach Office on campus reaching out to the community and helping people fulfill their dreams of attending college.
Q. What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?
A. When I was little, I went through a million different things I wanted to be when I grew up, but I think from a fairly young age I decided to go into art. My mother has done a lot of photography, and participates on an arts council, so I grew up around artists of all different kinds. We lived in a very rural area, and had very little money, so I couldn’t spend all my time watching cable TV or going out to movies, so I grew up reading, drawing, playing with clay, and spending a lot of time outdoors.
handmade kaleidoscopes, copper, 2005.
Q. What is your first memorable experience with art and design?
A. When I was very small, I remember watching Bob Ross on PBS and wanting to paint with him. So, I gathered up all the butter knives, old rags, and kitchen sponges from around our house and tried to use them just like he used his tools. The effect was a little different than his, but I know I still had fun.
interior view of kaleidoscope.
Q. What was the most valuable thing you learned at MIAD, and how has your education affected where you are today?
A. The most valuable thing I learned was that I had to be true to my own instincts in my work, even when it went against what other people expected or wanted which it often did. I learned to really listen and consider people’s suggestions and opinions, and then do what I knew was right for me. The time I spent at MIAD had a huge impact on where I am today. Although I’m not working full time with art, my education constantly influences how I think and feel. I did a lot of growing up at MIAD.
oversized handmade kaleidoscopes, mixed media, 2005.
Q. What’s the one thing you would tell a high school student who is considering attending MIAD now that you’ve experienced life after graduation?
A. What is best for any one person is very individual, but I can say that I learned a lot while at MIAD, and not just about art and design. It was a great place to spend some really important stages of my life.
Q. If you had to sum up your job, what would it be?
A. I currently divide my time between working in an outreach office at Oregon State University assisting under-represented and minority students in getting into college, and going to school myself to obtain a master’s degree in College Administration. I want to continue working in community outreach and service learning, while creating art.
mixed media drawing, 2004-05.
