COVER ART: This edition of She Shines displays "Sammie's Dream", a 24" x 18" drawing in charcoal and pastels by Sandra Moscato, a Providence artist by hobby. Sammie Spedaliere is Moscato's nine year old niece who lives in Venice, Florida. Moscato, a concrete finisher by trade, is depicted magging the edges of a floor poured at an art studio in New York, photo top right. The nautical star design completed by Moscato, photo bottom right, is at Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich. This design was drawn out on the concrete slab and then cut with a grinder. Sections were then stained with a water-base stain and epoxied.
photo of Moscato by Karin Bremer, courtesy of Moscato 

challenging girls' dreams

Little girls like to be princesses," Sandra Moscato said. At least her niece Sammie does. Depicted here complete with tiara. The drawing's forefront has a realistic feel, her typical style. The backdrop is of fantasy.

Moscato has a graphic design certificate from Tri-County, a technical high school in Franklin, Massachusetts. Her first job out of school was designing ads at The Brown Daily Herald.

Later at the Rhode Island School of Design, she took a variety of classes - drawing, furniture design, oil painting, mosaics.

But Moscato decided she wanted to do construction. Her early job search results, "nobody calls females back." That all changed in 2004. Mike Tingley owner of Tingley Concrete Construction in Warwick gave Moscato an interview and then the job of apprentice concrete finisher.

He knows the typical attitude. Other companies may have shied away from hiring a woman, but Tingley liked her art background. Also having an athletic daughter, he recognized that girls have less opportunities then boys.

Once Moscato got past the physical part, "she became best employee . . . more than pulls weight," Tingley said. He further described her work as meticulous.

Moscato likes the instant gratification of the job and seeing the satisfaction from customers. She finds that female homeowners are comfortable asking her questions.

From Moscato, age 31, "be prepared for scrutiny . . . keep applying for jobs . . . the end is rewarding"

- Lisa Piscatelli, She Shines