BIOGRAPHY

Suellen Primost, Director of Symba Center and instructor for Symba EdVentures in Oakland, is a noted multicultural arts specialist, teacher trainer, literacy consultant, musician and storyteller. She has worked for over 30 years with homeschool groups, public and private schools, libraries, museums, colleges and with early childhood centers in California and throughout the US. In 2004, Suellen was a guest presenter at the California Homeschool Association Conference in Sacramento.

While living in NM, Suellen founded Symba Center for Multicultural Education and the Arts. She served as an Artist-in-Residence at the Santa Fe Children's Museum and for schools in Amarillo, TX, Gallup, NM and Flagstaff, AZ. Suellen designed special programs for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, The NM State Libraries and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe.

After moving to the Bay Area, Suellen coordinated the first Osun Festival of Oakland in 2004, a 3-day family event honoring African heritage and traditions, and, as well, a Nigerian cultural arts program for the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. Suellen has staged storytelling and public celebration events for San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences, The Ferry Building, Fruitvale, Temescal, Berkeley, Oakland, Sunnyvale and Alameda communities. These have featured the engaging NYLON ZOO, a menagerie of spectacular 45’ inflatable whales, crabs and salmon, plus an African Hut, Spirit House and Eco-Maze. These environmentally-friendly nylon storytheaters were designed by Evelyn Roth (see www.evelynroth.com), a world-renowned fabric artist. Suellen also serves as Music Director and cellist for Artship Dance/Theater of San Francisco.

Views: Top Left: Suellen with Nigerian artist IBBayo at Phoebe A. Hearst Museum event.
Top Right: NYLON ZOO Salmon Storytheater at Ferry Building in SF.