T.S. R. - b. 1958  San Francisco, CA

EDUCATION & WORK:

1974  Metropolitan Washington Park Zoo, Animal Enrichment Program. (gibbons, seals & elephants) Portland, OR

1983  Attended workshop with photographer, Duane Michaels.  East bay, CA

1983  Worked with Henri Lenoir, organizing & cataloging his art & 78 jazz collections.  Henri was the founder of Vesuvio Cafe, world famous bohemian & beatnik bar in North Beach.  I met Henri while researching the history my father, Franc Snyder, who had worked at Vesuvio in the early 1950's. San Francisco, CA

1984  Independent study of underground tattoo culture.  Tokyo, Japan

1985   BFA (photography) San Francisco Art Institute  S.F., CA. Faculty member Larry Sultan was a most valuable mentor.

1985-92  Employed at Edward Robison Co., S.F.  The oldest petshop in America (since 1849, same family owned).  Robison's was featured in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.  ERC specialized in the highest quality pet supplies, collars and apparel from around the world and knowledgeable staff.  Sadly, Robison's was forced to close due to the colonization of downtown San Francisco by big corporations and by sky-rocketing rents.  Many people remember Robison's with great fondness and maintain hopes for a comeback of this icon of old San Francisco.

It was during my time there that I started doing dog obedience training (out of my concern that people have healthy working relationships with their canine companions).  The photo in the upper right-hand corner of this page is of me, my biological mother and my other big sisters, Baby and Smoochie (1962).

1992-98  Employed by City Lights Bookstore, S.F.  I developed the Evidence section, which is devoted to the subject of extreme deviance in biology, psychology, etc., and the concept of otherness.  The Evidence section was awarded   Best Bookstore Section in the Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay, 1999.  Evidence is faithfully maintained by Mr. Helicon.

1996 - Present:  Independent study of late 19th c. taxidermy process and display methods.

1998   A short stint as my veterinarian's surgery technician.  This was my favorite and most satisfying job.  While there, I started a program to increase client awareness and involvement in their dog's dental health.  My duties included preforming 'standing' (no anesthesia) dentals and doing canine behavioral counseling.

1998   Attended John Rinehart's School of Taxidermy, WI. The instructor, Enid Nickel, was very supportive of my alternative intentions for taxidermic art.
Mr. Rinehart was not.

ART EXHIBITIONS:

2003  Animal Magnetism - Exploratorium - Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception. San Francisco, CA

1989  Beyond the Frame - 9 Photographic Installations.  ("this garden has no caretaker") Richmond Art Center.  Richmond, CA

1987  Stories from an Anxious Childhood.  Southern Exposure Gallery.  San Francisco, CA

1986  Homage to Franc Snyder.  Cesar Chavez Student Union Art Gallery. San Francisco State University.  S.F., CA

1986  James D. Phelan Award in Photography Exhibition.
 San Francisco Camerawork Gallery.  S.F., CA

1985  Twin Palms Gallery.  San Francisco, CA

1984  San Francisco Camerawork Gallery.  S.F., CA

1984  Diego Rivera Gallery.  San Francisco Art Institute.  S.F., CA

1982-5  Stillights Gallery.  San Francisco Art Institute.  S.F., CA

AWARDS:

1986  James D. Phelan Award in Photography.  The San Francisco Foundation.  S.F., CA

1983  North Beach Camera.  San Francisco, CA

GUEST LECTURES:

1998   San Francisco Art Institute.  S.F., CA. "Assemblage"   Faculty:  Julie Blankenship.

1986   San Francisco Art Institute.  S.F.,CA. "Sequential Photography" Faculty:  Linda Connor.

PUBLICATIONS:

2007 SF Chronicle by Edward Guthmann, lovely man.

2005 Ripley's' Expect the Unexpected

2003 Animal Magnetism in the SF Chronicle - some silly comments.

1985   Tattootime - "Tattoo Magic" - Japanese edition - cover.

1983   Tattootime - "Tattoo Magic" - American edition - cover.

1983   Photo Metro (S.F.) - "Photographic Education"  By Jack Fulton.

1982   City Arts (S.F.) - "Sequences"  By Reg Oberlag.

1981   Bitchrock! (S.F.) - "The Blasters"  Published by Miss Eva Lake.

OTHER SILLINESS:

2003  Ripley's Believe it or Not Episode #405 (TV air date 2/5/03)

AFFILIATIONS:

Italian Greyhound Club of America - Member since 1994.

California Italian Greyhound Rescue - Canine behavioural counseling, standing dentals, basic obedience.