About Paula Siwek
Paula Siwek is an artist-educator initially from New York City, after graduating from Goddard College with a BA in Photography in 1981. She moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn to attend Pratt Institute, where she earned an MFA in Photography in 1990. In 1992, she began her teaching career at North Carolina State University, Meredith College, and Elon University, respectively, as a Visiting Professor. She teaches for Public Schools, tutors privately, hosts workshops, and continues to exhibit her work. Her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States as well as internationally in Vienna (Bilder) and Munich (Amerikahaus), and upcoming in Damyang, South Korea in 2023. Paula's street photography, including a documentary series of inmates at Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island were projected for several spoken word performances at multiple venues Manhattan in collaboration with the writer. She exhibited her work in a solo show made possible by an Emerging Artist Grant from Durham Arts Council. She organized and curated several exhibits at the Durham Arts Council for visual arts educators in Durham County as well as student exhibitions in Durham and Wake County schools. Currently, she is working on mixed media, including encaustics, collage, and photography.
A few years ago, I decided to leave North Carolina and move back to New York. Weeks after I got there, my mother slipped on the pavement outside of her apartment getting out of a taxi. The November wind knocked her over.
She spent the next seven months in New York in and out of rehab facilities. She came home from one, and fell again after a couple of weeks. Then Meniere's Disease, then more falls, and more rehab. I spent those months in and out of town, taking care of my mom, trying to find work.
I walked to Mt Sinai Hospital three to four times per week. This is one of the Sidewalk Memories.
