Sandra Gross

About Sandra Gross

I\'m a community pollinator that makes things happen in my community and for my community. I make things buzz, you might say.All of my past, present, and future endeavors are connected by my different but connected passions. If you don\'t know this about me, my varied work experience and mix of current projects make no sense. If you do know this about me, everything falls into place. I co-founded the Blue Manatee Children\'s Bookstore in Cincinnati\'s Oakley neighborhood because of my dedication to children\'s education, fostering a love of reading, and creating community spaces that are sprinkled with magical dust that makes things grow. Like pollen!When I needed a place to create my own glass art, I decided to revitalize an abandoned warehouse in Oakley that wasn\'t serving the community. With my co-founder, the project grew from my own, personal studio to a LEED silver conversion facility that also offers affordable, safe workspaces for over 25 local artists in our 1-acre complex. It\'s also the home of the Brazee Design Studio and Glassroom, a school of glass art for children of every age. And, while we were at it, we took advantage of the space behind the Brazee Street facilities to set up urban beehives to support bees and our local ecosystem.After recognizing the need for a delicious, simple breakfast and lunch place near Brazee Street, my co-founders and I started The Sleepy Bee Café. This Cincinnati favorite partners with farmers to use local ingredients as much as possible. It\'s been so successful that we now have three other locations around the city. The success of our Sleepy Bee model, including a progressive, cooperative way of working together that we call Hexonomics, has allowed us to create over 150 jobs throughout Cincinnati, as well as a very special series of gathering places for the community that are all decorated with joyful glass art from Brazee Street. I still volunteer as an art teacher, invest in Oakley and the larger Cincinnati community in many ways, and now have the honor of having been elected to serve on Oakley\'s Community Council. As I buzz from project to project my energy is focused on pollinating connections so good things can flower. I\'ve recently planted a few other seeds, so watch this space for what I\'m up to next!

Experience

1. Co-founder, Owner, Creative Director

   Sleepy Bee

   Jan 2014 — Present · Cincinnati, OH, US

   The Sleepy Bee Café, serving breakfast and lunch daily, was founded on the principles of local sourcing, healthy and delicious food, and cooperative, respectful work cultures. With 4 locations throughout Cincinnati, Sleepy Bee has been proud to build an insanely loyal clientele while creating good jobs and building meaningful community spaces within our local communities.

Education

• Miami University

  Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Sculpture

  1988 — 1991

• Miami University

  Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Sculpture

  2002 — 2004

• Xavier University

  Master of Education (M.Ed.), Montessori Teacher Education and Early Childhood

  1992 — 1997

Skills

• Art
• Fine Art
• Visual Arts
• Glass
• Art Education
• Sculpture
• Teaching
• Community Outreach
• Contemporary Art
• Drawing
• Mixed Media
• Curriculum Design
• Public Art
• Studio Art
• Public Speaking