e l l e n  m.  o w e n s /

Ellen Owens is Philadelphia-based educator and artist.  Owens graduated with honors from Penn State University, earning a BA in Art Education with a concentration on Museums and Cultural Institutions and a BFA in Painting and Drawing.  She received her MA in Museum Education from the University of the Arts. Owens’ experience in museum education includes the Palmer Museum of Art, the Matson Museum of Anthropology, and the Franklin Institute, most recently heading the educational programming at the American Philosophical Society Museum.  Her current role as the first Education and Outreach Coordinator at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens allows her to connect art, diversity, and Philadelphia history. 

Owens’ arts experience includes coordinating educational programs and managing the Creative Oasis, a public art studio and gallery, designing curricula and teaching classes through the Center for Arts and Crafts at Penn State University, and teaching private lessons.  She has assisted installation artists Winifred Lutz and Stacy Levy on large-scale projects and has exhibited artworks in State College, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia.  A strong believer in the power of art as an education and communication tool, she spoke at the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums about art and the process of art-making as interpretive methods for museums and cultural institutions.