User:KathleenStarling

Kathleen Spieczny, also known as Kathleen Starling (November 22, 1946 - ) is an American artist, businesswoman, and public activist. She has been involved in the art scene from coast to coast. Throughout her career, she has helped organized community outreach programs, art installments, and discussion forums.

Early Life

Kathleen was raised in Barrington, Rhode Island. From a very young age, she was immersed environmentally in art and culture. Her father, Bill Spieczny, encouraged her art and individuality to flourish by enrolling her in the Rhode Island School of Design Junior School at the age of 6. She attributes her talent and creativity to her father. His company, Crown Displays, allowed Kathleen to express and develop her artistic talents on the mannequins and with other artistic media. As a child, she had an imaginary playmate named Shiffy and her best friend was and still is Lenny Halzel. Kathleen produced her first daily comic strip at her elementary school at the age of 8, the only 3rd grade girl with an attaché case. Kathleen was working at Crown Displays for her father doing spreadsheets by the age of 13.

1960s

After graduating from Barrington high school, Kathleen attended Cazenovia College for Women, studying Fine Arts and Child Psychology. While at Cazenovia, she studied under the renowned "colored stripe" artist Emile Gele. Winning many awards, an impressionistic painting entitled "Bridge Game" was put into Cazenovia's permanent collection. It was here Kathleen was introduced to the theories of B.F. Skinner. Kathleen graduated from Cazenovia in 1966, continuing her formal education at the University of Bridgeport in Graphic Design and Business Administration. While at UB, she was employed as the graphic assistant and as her senior 5th year thesis, published an art-instructional book, "The Addition and Subtraction of Color". Her award-winning weaving, entitled "Sybil" was inspired by her mentor, Sybil Wilson, who studied weaving with Annie Albers at Yale University. She graduated from UB in 1969, according to Kathleen, "on Sunday afternoon and started work Monday morning" at the New Yorker magazine as the Promotion and Publicity department art director under Hoyt Spelman.

1970s

After the sudden death of her father in 1971, Kathleen left The New Yorker in search of a different venue. She was hired by Martin Weiner Advertising in 1972, recommended by Cosmopolitan Magazine art director and close friend, Lena Birnbaum as the Art/Creative director. She worked with clients such as Iberia Airlines and Revlon International. Building a fair amount of success and notoriety, Kathleen was promoted to Vice President at Martin Weiner Advertising in 1973. She left Martin Weiner in 1974 and, that same year, was offered the position of Art Director/Advertising & Promotion for the Webster( textbook) Divison of McGraw-Hill. Kathleen began to expand her entrepreneurial experience by starting her own company, doing consultant contract work for Billy Blake on his start-up "Millimeter Magazine". While visiting the Berkshires/Music Inn, Kathleen met the James Q. Riordan family. In 1979, Kathleen relocated to The Berkshires, settling in New Marlborough Village on the Dr. Samuel and Dorothy Mills estate (Mepal House). She lectured for many Berkshire artist societies, and made friends with the famous Alice Brock. Most of her free time was spent with visiting artists on the Koussevitzky Estate at Tanglewood .Sheaffer Eaton Textron employed Kathleen to redesign the graphics for their At.A.Glance line of professional day planners. It was here under the support of the Riordans, the Mills, and the Mitchell-Levitas families that Venutia Company was born. An animated film project that Kathleen developed that would take her back to New York City. There, she began her 35-year relationship with famous hairdresser Kenneth and opened Venutia Company in the private 5th Avenue penthouse loft of Michael Dezer. The company, a creative think tank, had some of the sharpest minds in the industry at the time, including Nicole Miller, Frank Dolger, Bonnie Roche, and Michael Bonadies. Dentsu Incorporated and their subsidiary, Japanese Public Television, contracted for the development of Venutia into a commercial cartoon enterprise working closely with the United Nations and their 1979 International Year of the Child.

1980s

With difficulty finding a US distributor for the cartoon series and encouragement from her friend photographer Art Kane, Kathleen took a position working for Eileen Ford and her Ford Modeling Agency. She was hired as Director of Housing and Training as part of Ford's "The Face of the 80s" project. She housed models including Suzy Amis-Cameron, Lara Morton, and Anette Stai. She also began her "Style Wars" workshops and seminars for The Learning Annex in New York. Mr. Dave Amis,( Suzy's father,) invited Kathleen to Oklahoma City and was instrumental in her relocating there. Kathleen took the position of Promotions and Publicity assistant at CBS 9 OKC, hired on the spot by station manager Dwayne Harm. She was responsible for the premier season, "Reach For The Stars", as well as the "Zoo" summer rock concerts. It was here in OKC that Kate met Ruth Clifford McCourt, working on local fashion shows and TV appearances. Eileen Ford encouraged Kathleen to meet Nina Blanchard in Hollywood. Once In LA, Kathleen began working as a fashion consultant and doing store modeling for Betty Dorso and Laise Adzer custom clothiers, later becoming Production Specialist for Space Resorts International. Leaving Los Angeles, Kathleen returned to New York City. Reconnecting with Billy Blake Kathleen was hired as his production assistant on the movie Rhinestone, featuring Sylvester Stallone & Dolly Parton and working on his new business venture, Daddio's Nightclub, with Sam Lopata. After completion of the movie, Kathleen headed south to Houston, TX to resume work with Laise Adzer and continued her lectures and seminars for The Learning Annex. It was here in Houston Kathleen realized a long held dream and began studies at the CG Jung Institute in Analytical Psychology and began her Graduate work at the University of Houston in Early Childhood Education, doing her research at a Maria Montessori Preschool (Houston).

1990s

Leaving Texas, Kathleen moved back to the Northeast. After relocating to New Hampshire, she initially began producing local fashion shows and designing layouts for a start-up desktop publishing, This Week magazine. After working in the Special Education department of the New Hampshire Public School System, Kathleen entered the Art Therapy Masters program at Notre Dame University, attaining her teachers' certification for K-12 art education. Using Constantin Brancusi as her inspiration, Kathleen began her sculpture series entitled "Delicate and Pure". Concurrently, she became a docent at The Currier Museum, and as Promotions Committee chair, planned events and lectured on color theory, pop art and the Blu Ryder group.

Present

In early 2000, Kathleen left New Hampshire and retired to Scottsdale, AZ. There, she partnered with Brandon Rogers and Jerry Witcoff's "As Is" group, completely reorganizing the company to optimize volume and revenue, helping it to become one of eBay's first Golden Start-Ups. In addition to her work with As Is, Kathleen became a childlife associate/volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital Pediatrics wing. In 2005, Kathleen started working on her masters degree in Expressive Arts Therapy/Professional Counseling at Ottowa University's Phoenix campus. In 2009, Kathleen chose to move back east to continue her education. She is presently a post-graduate student at Southern Connecticut State University, majoring in Art Education; also, she is continuing her post-graduate work toward her certification as a curriculum designer/specialist focused on Art and Positive Stimulus. Kathleen is completing her field study at Harvard University's Future of Learning and her clinical work in Mindfulness at Yale University.