Fine Art Education/professional

• Bachelor of Arts Political Science University of Connecticut, class of 1980

Bio

Born in Seattle, grew up in Connecticut, returned to Seattle and came to teaching via the unexpected route of international banking, and trade While raising two daughters, discovered both her love of children and her passion for teaching.

Began teaching with Jan Middleton at Circle Pre School in 1997 and continued there until 2002 when she started working at Montessori Country School where she still enjoys working as an assistant in the primary classroom.

Today in addition to Montessori Country School, she teaches art to children age 4 to 10 and is the director of children's art programs at the Island Art Center which she co-founded with her husband, Chris Mills.

Julie and Chris live in Indianola where they are raising their two teenage daughters. With close ties to the community and their extended families (who all live within about 10 miles of each other) , Chris & Julie founded the Island Art Center with the basic idea that families support communities, communities support each other, and the arts can provide the universal language that can bind the two together..