Maxine earned a BFA in Photography from Tyler School of Art, followed by a MFA from Florida State University. While in graduate school she continued to study photography, but was also seduced by the excitement of theater, and was inspired to design costumes and props to use in her photographs.

After graduating from Florida State Maxine returned to Philadelphia, where she became involved with the theater community and worked as a seamstress for the Philadelphia Opera Company – as well as designing numerous shows for The Wilma Theater, Interact Theater Company, Bryn Mawr College Theater and Enchantment Theater.

The last two shows she designed before leaving Philadelphia were “Beauty and the Beast” and “Cinderella,” both choreographed and performed by a theater company that interwove magic, life-size puppets with actors and props to create a moment suspended in time and totally ruled by the belief in magic.

Now living in Portland, Maxine feels that in 2009 it was fate and the allure of paint and glitter that drew her to the former CHAP Art Factory. There she met the originator of CHAP, Frank Etxaniz, who gave her the opportunity to create art and hopefully a little magic with the amazingly creative and courageous kids at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.