Alumni Spotlight: Christina Hale '82
Christina Hale is a renaissance woman who credits John Thomas Dye with the foundation of love and friendship that gave her the courage to navigate diverse environments throughout her artistic journey.
From JTD to Berkeley and Beyond
“I love the story of John Thomas Dye, and remember such a feeling of goodness there,” Christina reflects. Her JTD classmate Willie Crawford, who passed away recently, once shared with her that on his first day of kindergarten, when he was crying, he remembered her coming up to reassure him, saying, “It’s going to be okay.”
That natural empathy and openness would serve her well on her unconventional path. After JTD, the rigorous academics at Marlborough proved excellent preparation. "Marlborough was harder than UC Berkeley," she notes. At Berkeley, she studied art while taking poetry classes with renowned instructor Ishmael Reed and documentary film with Les Blank. When the university began moving toward purely theoretical art instruction, Christina spent a year and a half at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) before returning to complete her Berkeley degree.
The New York Chapter
After her college graduation, Christina moved to New York. New York summers included teaching in inner city schools. There were limited resources, “But the kids were amazing, and loved acquiring new creative skills.” Her SFAI sculpture teacher introduced her to Jim Harithas, a pivotal figure who had worked with Yoko Ono and John Lennon and launched many major artists' careers. "A lot of people cite him as their entry point into the art world," Christina explains. Harithas connected her to the Robert Berman Gallery in LA, leading to her first shows.
A Life in Art
Christina's artistic journey reflects what she calls "drift"—a willingness to explore new places and experiences with curiosity. She's lived in Oakland, New York, and Los Angeles following music scenes and connecting with the arts communities. In addition to her work as a visual artist, she plays guitar and has collaborated in music. Growing up in Los Angeles around artists like Shingo Francis whose father Sam Francis had a studio in rustic canyon.
Christina ‘s work has evolved from painting to include detailed illustrations—like a commissioned drawing of a Louis Vuitton traveling case that took about 100 hours to complete and the comprehensive tarot deck she describes as a "deep dive into mythology and symbolism." Christina has also worked on a few designs for Jeff Ho/Zephyr and loves to surf.
Christina maintains a clear-eyed view of the art world's challenges. "It's always an exercise in humility," she says and “Art has been the core of my life's pursuit."
What surprises people about being a working artist?
"I think people see Art as a path of least resistance. But it's actually quite the opposite," Christina explains. "It's a pretty complex ecosystem in terms of buying, selling, and making intellectual property coupled with the challenge of finding one's voice.”
Her advice to young artists centers on patience and practice. "If you're gravitating towards an instrument or blank canvas, just start and continue to be patient with yourself. The battle is really one of trial and error.”
JTD Connections
Christina remains connected to an impressive number of JTD classmates. Whitney Rosenson helps get her work into film and television through her art business “Art Dimensions”. She stays in touch with Danny Rothenberg, Justine Stamen Arrillaga, and was also a friend of Teak Dyer. Lisa Podosin, Colette Khan and Kelly Foster were members of a JTD track relay team that may still hold school records. Christina remembers the original Greyhound “Yaz” and Coach Cote fondly.
Her favorite JTD memory remains Carols along with the unexpected joy of winning the John Thomas Dye Award. She also treasures memories of Mrs. Smith's art class, where Justine remembers her singing Blondie songs.
Family of Artists
Creativity runs in the family. Christina's brother Prentis Hale '81 became an architect whose firm Shed has been featured in Dwell magazine, while her sister Elissa Knight ‘87 has worked at Pixar for most of her career. Their paths diverged from their parents—neither of whom were artists—perhaps influenced by LA's rich cultural scene.
Looking Forward
Today, Christina balances her art work with athletics: trail running, skiing, and paddle boarding. Christina traces back to those early JTD lessons about approaching others with love and openness, whether comforting a crying kindergartner or building a life as an artist. The Salutation of the Dawn is still a very motivational affirmation.
Christina has drawings in both the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts permanent collection and The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
A preview of her work can be viewed below, and you can connect via Instagram @earthtochristinacopy.
“I love the story of John Thomas Dye, and remember such a feeling of goodness there,” Christina reflects. Her JTD classmate Willie Crawford, who passed away recently, once shared with her that on his first day of kindergarten, when he was crying, he remembered her coming up to reassure him, saying, “It’s going to be okay.”
That natural empathy and openness would serve her well on her unconventional path. After JTD, the rigorous academics at Marlborough proved excellent preparation. "Marlborough was harder than UC Berkeley," she notes. At Berkeley, she studied art while taking poetry classes with renowned instructor Ishmael Reed and documentary film with Les Blank. When the university began moving toward purely theoretical art instruction, Christina spent a year and a half at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) before returning to complete her Berkeley degree.
The New York Chapter
After her college graduation, Christina moved to New York. New York summers included teaching in inner city schools. There were limited resources, “But the kids were amazing, and loved acquiring new creative skills.” Her SFAI sculpture teacher introduced her to Jim Harithas, a pivotal figure who had worked with Yoko Ono and John Lennon and launched many major artists' careers. "A lot of people cite him as their entry point into the art world," Christina explains. Harithas connected her to the Robert Berman Gallery in LA, leading to her first shows.
A Life in Art
Christina's artistic journey reflects what she calls "drift"—a willingness to explore new places and experiences with curiosity. She's lived in Oakland, New York, and Los Angeles following music scenes and connecting with the arts communities. In addition to her work as a visual artist, she plays guitar and has collaborated in music. Growing up in Los Angeles around artists like Shingo Francis whose father Sam Francis had a studio in rustic canyon.
Christina ‘s work has evolved from painting to include detailed illustrations—like a commissioned drawing of a Louis Vuitton traveling case that took about 100 hours to complete and the comprehensive tarot deck she describes as a "deep dive into mythology and symbolism." Christina has also worked on a few designs for Jeff Ho/Zephyr and loves to surf.
Christina maintains a clear-eyed view of the art world's challenges. "It's always an exercise in humility," she says and “Art has been the core of my life's pursuit."
What surprises people about being a working artist?
"I think people see Art as a path of least resistance. But it's actually quite the opposite," Christina explains. "It's a pretty complex ecosystem in terms of buying, selling, and making intellectual property coupled with the challenge of finding one's voice.”
Her advice to young artists centers on patience and practice. "If you're gravitating towards an instrument or blank canvas, just start and continue to be patient with yourself. The battle is really one of trial and error.”
JTD Connections
Christina remains connected to an impressive number of JTD classmates. Whitney Rosenson helps get her work into film and television through her art business “Art Dimensions”. She stays in touch with Danny Rothenberg, Justine Stamen Arrillaga, and was also a friend of Teak Dyer. Lisa Podosin, Colette Khan and Kelly Foster were members of a JTD track relay team that may still hold school records. Christina remembers the original Greyhound “Yaz” and Coach Cote fondly.
Her favorite JTD memory remains Carols along with the unexpected joy of winning the John Thomas Dye Award. She also treasures memories of Mrs. Smith's art class, where Justine remembers her singing Blondie songs.
Family of Artists
Creativity runs in the family. Christina's brother Prentis Hale '81 became an architect whose firm Shed has been featured in Dwell magazine, while her sister Elissa Knight ‘87 has worked at Pixar for most of her career. Their paths diverged from their parents—neither of whom were artists—perhaps influenced by LA's rich cultural scene.
Looking Forward
Today, Christina balances her art work with athletics: trail running, skiing, and paddle boarding. Christina traces back to those early JTD lessons about approaching others with love and openness, whether comforting a crying kindergartner or building a life as an artist. The Salutation of the Dawn is still a very motivational affirmation.
Christina has drawings in both the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts permanent collection and The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
A preview of her work can be viewed below, and you can connect via Instagram @earthtochristinacopy.
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