Carol Lee Sanchez is a poet, visual artist, essayist, teacher and mother of three adult children. She is a native of New Mexico and her cultural heritage is mostly Laguna Pueblo and Lebanese-American. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art Administration from San Francisco State University in 1978. From 1976-85, Sanchez was a member of the San Francisco State University faculty. After a brief stay in Central California (1986-89) she relocated to Central Missouri and has taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia, State Fair Community College, Sedalia, MO and Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, MO. Currently she writes and paints in a two-story Victorian Farmhouse, east of Hughesville in Pettis County, Missouri.
As a poet and lecturer, Carol Lee was invited as a Native American cultural specialist, author & visual artist by the Art America Division of the United States Information Agency (USIA) to speak at various seminars on Native American culture held in Germany and Latvia (Fall 1993). She has given numerous Poetry readings throughout the United States and in several cities in Europe. She has also appeared on the PBS Television network reading her poetry. A Past Executive Director of the California Poets In The Schools Program (1976-78), she received her training and appointment as a Master Poet Teacher while serving as Bay Area Coordinator of the Program (1974-76). Sanchez continues to conduct Poetry Workshops in the schools.
As a visual artist, her "Works in Canvas" and other paintings have been exhibited in Northern and Southern California and in the Northwest states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. Her works have been shown at the University of California Santa Barbara Womens Center and UC Riverside American Indian Center in 1988 and 1989. Prior to their move to central Missouri, Sanchez and her husband (Thomas Allen) owned and operated Ha pa nyi Fine Arts, an American Indian Art Gallery in Santa Barbara,California (1987-89). Sanchez selected the artists represented by the gallery, curated individual and group shows & coordinated the gallery's guest speakers on "Contemporary Issues for American Indians in the United States". Her drawings, paintings & mixed media works are in private collections throughout the US and Europe.
As a multicultural consultant/community activist best describes the way Carol Lee has worked with such diverse community organizations as Ha pa nyi Fine Arts Gallery, Santa Barbara Arts Council, California Confederation for the Arts, Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, California Poets In The Schools, Artist's Equity of Northern CA, All Indian Nations Arts, Bay Area Video Coalition and Galeria de la Raza.
As an educator, Carol Lee served on the Faculty of San Francisco State University, where she taught courses in the American Studies, Ethnic Studies & Womens Studies Programs (1976-1985); she was appointed Acting Chairperson of American Indian Studies(1979-1980) and served in other academic and student services positions. She has taught courses in American Indian Studies at the San Francisco Art Institute (1978-80), Mills College in Oakland, CA (1981), and courses in Women Studies at CSU Northridge in Northridge, CA (1989) and the University of Missouri at Columbia, MO (1993). Carol Lee has also served as Writer in Residence at Stephens College for Women in Columbia, Missouri during the Fall Semester of 1998. Her teaching in Pettis County includes extended education mini-courses on American Indian Cultures and Customs (at State Fair Community College) and Poetry Workshops through the Boonslick Regional Library in Sedalia.
A short biography from the Internet Public Library's Native American Author's Project is available. A brief resumé from the Missouri Center for the Book is available.
Carol Lee has served on many Arts Panels and Boards, such as Panelist for the Exemplary Arts Program of the California Arts Council and the California State Board of Education (1984); Literature Grants Panelist for the Michigan Council on the Arts(1987); Panelist for Artists in Communities(1985-86) and Artists In Schools Grants Panels(1988-89) of the California Arts Council; 2nd District Commissioner for the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission (1987-89); Task Force Planning Committee for the Sedalia Arts Council in Sedalia, Missouri(1993-94).
In 1998 Carol Lee was given the Writer of the Year Award for Poetry by the members of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Authors and Storytellers.
This is an "official" site in that this page was constructed with the assistance and active collaboration of the poet, Carol Lee Sanchez. The website "author" is Karen M. Strom.
© 1998 Carol Lee Sanchez and Karen Strom.
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