Leadership

Blythe leads a diversified life in the arts, including work as an educator, professional practitioner, mentor, and collaborator. Her unique perspective and abilities reflect this collectively rich experience. Since 2013, she has taught adults, seniors, youth, students with special needs, and others through local organizations like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), The Visual Arts Center, and Reynolds Community College. She has led VisArts’ ArtVenture and ENGAGE programs. She has taught workshops throughout Virginia as VMFA Statewide Faculty, and has been invited by Henrico County Public Schools to speak to art teachers at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She has partnered with Capital One, Alzheimer’s Association, Collegiate, The Faison Center for Autism, The Martin Agency, and Richmond Public Schools. She brings a talent for cultivating awakenings through creative programming. In 2020, she launched Open Space Education to develop critical thinking, artistry, and communications in Richmond youth.

Blythe’s mixed media art has achieved consistent critical acclaim and has exhibited regularly in Virginia through the Richmond Public Library, Quirk, Eric Schindler Gallery, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. She has also been showcased by the The Griffin Museum of Photography (MA) and the Hillyer (Washington DC). Her use of gold leafing is particularly noteworthy for rekindling interest in a long-forgotten craft.

Blythe’s academic background combines an MA in Buddhism and Art from the University of Colorado, with undergraduate studies in Japanese religion and art at the University of Richmond. She currently serves as the President of Richmond Zen.