Exhibition at Red Lodge Clay Center

I am excited to share a new series of sculptures, Portrait of a Sabal. This series explores the meaning of home and place through the lens of the Sabal palmetto. The Sabal palm is considered a “tree of life” by the indigenous peoples of Florida[1]. It provides food, shelter, and nesting materials for other plants, and animals. This series depicts some of those who depend on and live with Sabal palm. The wall hanging sculptures feature the “boots” which are the persistent petioles on Sabal palm trunks left by old leaves. These boots provide footholds for partner plants and animals. The “boots” and animals are made of Lizella, a regional clay, and the plants are constructed of naturally dyed silk organza. The first of this series is on display at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, MT the exhibition, Clay as Place: The Transient Object.

From the Red Lodge Clay Center website:

This exhibition, curated by Holly Hanessian, features artists who make work related to a sense of place, and who explore ideas about their geographic environment as an intentional response to the transient nature of clay. Participating artists include Osa Atoe, Bandana Pottery, Casey Beck, Amy Edler, Gregg Moore, Kirsten Taylor, and Casey Whittier & Rena Detrixhe[2].

[1] https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2021/08/04/sabal-palm-tree-of-life/

[2] https://www.redlodgeclaycenter.com/exhibition/clay-as-place-the-transient-object/