Curatorial Statement
Exhibition Posted Online: Monday, July 6, 2020 by 10 am MT
There will be NO pre-sales of artwork for Homeplace. All artwork will be offered for sale in person at the gallery by appointment only 11am-4pm Friday July 3rd. The gallery will be closed on Saturday and Sunday July 4-5. Work will then be available online, on the phone, or in the gallery (with an appointment) starting Monday, July 6th at 10am MT.
Call 406-446-3993 or email us at [email protected] to make an appointment.
Born and raised in Red Lodge, Montana, Sue Tirrell received an AA from Cottey College in Nevada, MO in 1995 and a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1997. Her work draws inspiration from her experiences living in Montana and the West, her fascination with animals and interest in folk art, antiques, western art and culture. Her work has been exhibited widely in the US, Canada and Australia and she has taught ceramics and multi-media workshops across the Country from college classrooms to one-room schoolhouses. Sue lives and works in Montana’s Paradise Valley.
I came to clay as a college freshman, intent on studying Graphic Design and was won over by the prospect of combining illustration with three-dimensional objects. My pots employ mythic animal imagery, crisp design and riotous color to bring playfulness, character and storytelling to daily kitchen rituals and special occasions.
The work in this exhibition was begun in January 2020, when I spent a month as a short-term resident at Red Lodge Clay Center’s Fox Studio. I spent much of that time reflecting on what growing up in this community meant to me and how it shaped me as a person and an artist. Visiting with family and old school friends, I was reminded of stories, characters and events that color the memories of this place I call home. Because this show was scheduled for summer, I wanted to re-create the fleeting sense of wild, exuberant celebration that is the summer season in this beautiful mountain town.
–Sue Tirrell