Artist, Floral and Garden designer
Resume:
Caren Ragan
**** ** **** ***. ********** Point, Florida 33064
EDUCATION:
**** ******* **** **** ****, Boca Raton, Florida
**** ******* **** ****** ******, North Salem, New York
1985- 87 National Academy of Art, New York, certificate of completion
1981-82 The New York Academy of Art, New York
1977 Pratt Institute of Art, New York. BFA in painting and graphic design
Work Experience
2008-2010 Art workshop director and teacher, Key West Florida- Planned workshop, designed website, contacted Hotels to work out proposals for clients stay – this included pricing, coordinating dates, billing, activities and writing up contracts, as well as following through to ensure all aspects of the workshop classes, hotel stay, transportation and meals occurred in a timely and smooth fashion. I also hired and coordinated teachers for art classes, floral design classes, dance classes, and local activities included in the prepaid workshop package. You can view the workshop by going to www.womencreatorsworkshop.com
2008-2010 Floral Designer at Love in Bloom Flower shop located in Key West, Florida. I have experience in all areas of wedding and event planning and preparations. Responsibilities included managing the shop, meeting with customers, preparing proposals for weddings and events, designing bouquets, corsages, centerpieces and all floral work, as well as ordering weekly flowers and other accessories. I also have experience in funeral arrangements of all types, and I have a good design sense for tropical and ikebana style arrangements. In this position I not only arrange flowers, but I work with brides and walk-in customers, I answer phones and take orders, use the cash register, and I am proficient in working on the Dove computer system to take orders from Teleflora and FTD.
2005 – 2008 Floral Designer for Mama Flowers located at 521 Caroline St, Key West, Fl. Responsibilities included: This is a very High End Flower shop in which I worked with potential clients, priced out proposal for their event, suggesting flowers that are best for that season, and ordered supplies and flowers from wholesalers, designing floral ideas for all areas of weddings and events such as- making bouquets, corsages, centerpieces, arch pieces and extravagant floral arrangements. I have experience working with a large variety of flowers as well as fruit, feathers, lights, shells and crystals. I am familiar with all aspects of wedding proposals and have worked on as many as 16 weddings at a time all to take place on the same weekend. I am fast and know how to allot my time to get the job done. I have also done many arrangements for boats and special events. I was also involved in the actual set-ups of these events which sometimes included going from Hotel to hotel to install specialty items (we built sets- when necessary, hung fabric, decorated chandeliers, and supplied props such as a castle wall
2005-2008 Was a member of Island Art Coop Gallery, Key West Florida – sold my own paintings as well as the art work of 12 other members, opened and closed the shop, planned special events and promotions to draw in customers. I was the president of the coop for a year and responsibilities included making sure all bills were paid, that individual artists records of items sold were kept track of so the artist could be paid monthly, drew up schedules to cover all working shifts at the gallery as we were open 7 days a week from 9 -9, and I had to work through several mediations and conflict resolutions among gallery members. Painted and produced reproductions of my own work, which involved ordering frames, mats, plastic sleeves and labels and then sold prints and tiles of my work wholesale to other gift shops through out the Keys.
2003-2005 Assistant to Joe Nalley Catering services, Boca Raton, Florida. Booked events and weddings to be held in a variety of places around town, including catering on boats from the Boca Raton Resort& Club, spoke with clients and used my creative background to make suggestions to enhance their event, coordinated times and dates for set-up, worked on menu and pricing for event, brought in tablecloths, dishes, floral arrangements, etc when requested, booked servers and bartenders, made sure the area of the event was cleaned up when we left, worked on several themed parties that I had to purchase and decorate for the event, followed up with client the day after – we had many repeat clients in the Boca Raton area.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
2009 Chosen for cover of the annual 2009 Keys Culture Magazine, Florida
2007 Second Prize for Best in Show, Key West Art Center Group Show
2005 Artist Fellowship, New York Artist Foundation, New York
2001 Key to the city for recognition of work done with Boca Raton Middle school students in creating a butterfly garden, Boca Raton, Florida
1989 Honorary Award for Portrait Painting Competition, The Artist's Magazine
1988 Member of the American Artists Professional League
1987 Received Workspace Fellowship, Woodstock Art School, New York
ARTIST - IN - RESIDENCE:
1989- 92 Westchester Woman's Shelter, Pleasantville, New York
1987- 89 New York foundation for the Arts, New York
1988 Art in Prisons, Broward and Dade County, Florida
1988 Masters in the Arts, Bayview Elementary School, Florida
1988 Young Audiences of Palm Beach County, Florida
COLLECTIONS:
Along with exhibiting, I have primarily worked as a portrait painter for the last 15 years. During that time I have completed over 200 commissions ranging from corporate executives, Bishop, children, families and even horses. References are available upon request. Work can also be viewed at www.portraitsbycaren.com
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