Red Lodge Clay Center – Short-Term Resident (AIA) 2017
Kate Fisher is an artist, educator, mother, and story collector who is interested in how handmade objects create connections, both implicit and explicit, between humans. She is a recipient of a Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grant (2015). She curated a national invitational exhibition and completed an AIA residency at Red Lodge Clay Center (2017). Fisher’s work was included in the national traveling exhibition Crowns: Crossing into Motherhood, which concluded with a stop at the Canton Museum of Art (2019-2020). Most recently, her work was included in the book, The Anatomy of a Good Pot, by author and scientist, Ryan Coppage PhD. Kate will be an American Craft Council Emerging Artist at their St. Paul show (2022).
Currently, Fisher cultivates community as a multi-titled employee of the Loppet Foundation: a non-profit dedicated to creating a shared passion for year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and families. She served as the Studio Art Technician for the Department of Art and Art History at St. Olaf College (2008-2021) where she also taught intermittently, as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Fisher founded the Ron Gallas Cup Library (2015), an educational cup-lending program for the St. Olaf community. She also worked for Lawrence University, Hamline University, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Fisher holds BAs in both Art History and Studio Art from St. Olaf College and earned her MFA in Ceramics at the University of North Texas.
A born and raised Midwesterner, Fisher holds deep passions for endurance sports and creative endeavors – viewing both as a craft capable of cultivating community and change while offering the opportunity to explore creative problem-solving and risk-taking skills. A life long solo-sport lover, when she is not at work or in the studio she can be found biking, running, skiing, coaching, or enjoying the roads and trails. Kate Fisher lives in St. Louis Park with her partner, children, and a Boston Terrier named Gatsby.
I think of my work as domestic art: it is either for or about the home. As an artist and story collector, my ultimate goal is to make meaningful connections with others through my work. At the root of this practice is my observation that everyday objects, and our interactions with them, have the power to impact us in meaningful ways.
I collect inspiration from the ever-changing landscape inside my house. It is an endless source of ideas for forms, subject matter, and surface treatment. Since the birth of my two children, my domestic landscape has been radically altered. My most recent works analyze and celebrate this transformed space. I respond to the haphazard child detritus or paraphernalia I now find commonplace. The objects I make are a study and celebration of the beauty to be found amongst a mess. The work is sturdy, bright, and just right.