We recently connected with Claire Sherwood and have shared our conversation below.

Claire, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have been involved with was the creation of a 6-week series of art classes for Women inside a maximum security prison in the State of Delaware. I was awarded a grant by the Delaware Contemporary Art Museum and the State of West Virginia to create an art program that meet twice a week for 6 weeks in 2006. During this time the inmates worked to create a collaborative community painted quilt as well as a braided rug made from reclaimed plastic garbage bags. Upon completion of the project the artwork was displayed at both the Delaware Contemporary Museum and Marshall University in Huntington WV.

The program was an outstanding success; in that the women who participated were granted the opportunity to use their own voice and imagination. They were allowed to dream and let their mind wander, to question and to find their own voices to tell their stories. For many, this was the first time they felt as if they even had a story to tell. Witnessing their growth and being a part of teaching them how to express themselves visually (and what power this holds) is something I will never forget.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up and currently live (after a long stretch of time away) in a rural Upstate, NY town just outside of Albany. I studied sculpture in undergraduate school and after graduation put myself through a night course to become a certified welder. I worked as a pipe and sheet metal welder for two years before attending the University of Maryland to study sculpture for Graduate School. I have always been enamored by the grit of the American landscape and often use industrial materials in my work. These materials are disguised by inserting softer or stereo typical feminine material. For example, I will cast cement but embed lace in the mold, or use lace as a stencil to create a drawing from rust and steel dust.

I am perhaps most proud of the fact that I am still pushing my work and creating in my studio on a consistent, reliable basis 20 years out of grad school. There is no easy way or secret formal to carving out a career as a visual artist.. After having children and becoming a Mother it was that much harder. I was working full time, had 2 children under 2 years apart and was still trying to squeeze in any studio time I could. It hasn’t been an easy path, but I have had some fun, interesting and even successful projects over the last 20 years.

Currently I’m focusing on a new body of work and securing clients in with more public spaces. as well as and private commissions.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience- that’s a hard one to pin down actually. Being a smaller women and being drawn to building and construction isn’t an easy fit. I came up against a lot of macho, ‘uncool’ behavior in the mid to late 90’s and early 2000’s before any sort of me too movement. It could be scary and emotional exhausting at times. When I was a welder I was the only woman in the entire mill and they didn’t want me there. I ate lunch by myself and had to listen to some pretty gross things about myself when I’d walk by. But after the guys saw I could do the job (and I worked my ass off to make sure I never looked tired and that my welds and grinding work was near perfect), they grew to accept me. I stepped out of this environment after earning my MFA but the experience never left After having children I experienced a similar sense of being an outsider. I felt I didn’t belong in the realm of other Mothers. I didn’t know any artists who had children and the Mothers I knew, weren’t artists or understood anything about that type of work/lifestyle. Mothering was exhausting and lonely and hard work, probably much harder than welding to be honest, and I still had my drive to create which was next to impossible to fit in.

Being a visual artist is a blessing and a curse. It is a wonderful freedom to be able to tap into your thoughts and express conceptual ideas outwardly-but when you are stifled it can feel like a curse. It takes resilience to maneuver through all the obstacles standing in your way of getting into the studio and doing the work.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I re-access my goals quarterly, they always seem to be changing. From where I want to exhibit, to how many connections I can make online, to grant writing. I continue to seek out opportunities and schedule time for myself to imagine and try to dream big. That is perhaps the hardest part of my creative journey- not thinking big enough! (maybe I need to put that goal on my to do list, dream bigger!)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clairesherwood.com
• Instagram: clairesherwoodstudio
• Facebook: clairesherwood fine art
• Other: email for questions or inquires: claire@clairesherwood.com