Colleen Catherine Connolly is an artist and educator living in Portland, OR. She began metalworking under the instruction of Leslie Leupp (Pennsylvania State University) in 2001. She studied sculpture in Rome, Italy (Temple University) and continued her metalworking studies in New York City (Studio Jewelers, Ltd). She founded her own jewelry business in 2006 and continues to work in her metals studio on a commissioned basis. Her artistic interests include creating jewelry and apparel, designing, drawing and watercoloring.

Colleen’s love of instruction has mirrored her interests in the studio as she has taught a variety of art classes in the past decade. In 2009, she started The Bicycling Seamstress, a business that provides private and group instruction in hand & machine sewing and embroidery. She also instructed metalworking and clay courses in Philadelphia, PA at the University City Arts League and Fleisher Art Memorial, as well as metalworking and studio arts at the Multnomah Arts Center in Portland, OR.

In 2011, Colleen obtained her Masters in Teaching Early Childhood & Elementary Education with an endorsement in Reading from Lewis & Clark College. She extended her studies with a mentorship in the Reggio-Emilia Approach from the Opal School’s Center of Children’s Learning and Portland State University. Her experience teaching varies widely from public schools, KairosPDX Learning Academy- a charter targeting the achievement gap of students of color, to private schools, Catlin Gabel School and Childswork Learning Center – a private preschool in SE Portland, OR. Currently, Colleen remains active in education by consulting teachers in classroom environmental and organizational design.