Designing Worlds You Can Step Into

My goal in stagecraft is to create the details that help audiences feel something—costumes, sets, textures, and choices that make a world feel real.

Portfolio

The Story Behind the Work

I’ve loved making things for as long as I can remember. When I moved from Durham, North Carolina to Crested Butte at age 10, creating art became one of the ways I adjusted to a totally new place. A family friend who used to babysit me—and who worked in costume design—was one of my earliest inspirations. We would make clothes and jewelry together, and that’s where I first realized how much I enjoyed turning ideas into something real.

Fast forward to fifth grade, when I tried sewing for the first time. I didn’t expect it to become such a big part of my life. At first it was just curiosity, but it slowly turned into one of the main ways I express myself.

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Resume

Educational Objective

I’m excited to keep growing as a costume and set designer. I already design, sketch, and sew costumes for local productions, and I’m learning how to build and paint set pieces too. I want to get better at the full design process—coming up with ideas, choosing colors and materials, planning out the build, and creating pieces that help tell the story on stage. I love being part of a team and helping make shows come to life.

Full Resume

  • Crested Butte Community School — Crested Butte, CO

    5th–8th Grade (Current)

    Immaculata Catholic School — Durham, NC

    Kindergarten–4th Grade

  •  Two years of 2D art classes

     Woodshop (6th grade)

    Spray-painting course

    Summer sketching course

    Four years of sewing instruction

    Band: violin and trumpet

  • Frog and Toad (2025)

    Costume Designer & Creator

    Crested Butte Mountain Theatre Director: Britney

        •    Designed and sketched all costume concepts

        •    Sewed and constructed costumes using selected fabrics and materials

        •    Completed fittings and made adjustments for cast members

        •    Supported costume needs during rehearsals

    Harriet’s Halloween (2025)

    Costume Assistant & Backstage Tech

    Crested Butte Mountain Theatre • Director: Britney

        •    Assisted with sewing, alterations, and finishing costume pieces

        •    Worked backstage during rehearsals and show nights

        •    Helped organize props, supported quick changes, and assisted with scene transitions

        •    Helped build and paint small set pieces

    The Nutcracker (2023–2025)

    Costume Fitting Assistant

    Center for the Arts

        •    Helped fit costumes for dancers during rehearsals

        •    Assisted with small adjustments and accessory placement

        •    Supported dress rehearsal organization and costume preparation

  • New York Summer Fashion Workshop (2024) — Student Designer

    New York, NY

        •    Learned core fashion design skills including sketching, choosing fabrics, and planning a full design

        •    Practiced hand-sewing and machine-sewing techniques

        •    Studied color, texture, and how materials affect movement

        •    Completed small design projects from concept to finished piece

        •    Worked with other young designers in a studio environment

        •    Additional workshops and courses in sketching, sewing, 2D art, and set-building basics

        •    Youth community arts programs and creative projects

  • Volunteer at local children’s museum (2–3 years)

    Community summer trash-cleanup volunteer

  • Awards & Honors

    Honor Roll — 6th Grade

    Honor Roll — 7th Grade (Second Semester)

  • Costume design, sketching, sewing, and garment construction

    Set building, painting, and basic woodworking

    Backstage organization and technical support

    Creative process (idea → sketch → plan → build)

    Violin and trumpet

    Dependable, organized, and great at teamwork

  • Available upon request:

    Nell Burkett

    Mckinley Lenker