About the Artist

Letting the figure speak

Clay narrative sculptures

Linda Lewis - Biography

 The clay sculptures Linda Lewis creates deal with common themes between people: love, parenthood, family & the search for fulfillment.  Instead of focusing on the figure she tells the story through the use of facial expressions, the tilt of the head , the shifting of the stance, as well as the texture of the surface & the use of symbols. Titles are added to each piece to support the narrative of each piece: anything from 'The harassed housewife' to 'Daydreaming' to 'Just between us'.  Her inspiration comes not only from her own life but from the stories of those she listens to in her everyday life.

    The pieces are coilbuilt from clay with a combination of surface applications of glazes, slips, terra sigillatta, oxides and overglazes and multi fired to cone 04. Her unique glazing techniques causes crazing (or crackling) on the surface of the glaze.  The overglaze is applied and sprayed off allowing the black colorant settle into the cracks and  crevices giving the piece a raku-fired appearance.

   Like many artists, Linda got a bachelors degree in art and also something more practical i.e. teaching.   For the next 34 years she worked as an educator in the Des Moines Schools until she took a workshop given by a narrative sculptor in Santa Fe, New Mexico that reignited her passion for creating objects.  She now works full time as an artist creating figurative sculptures from clay. Over the last 4 years Linda has exhibited her sculptures at nationally recognized juried art festivals, galleries, exhibitions and most recently at SOFA Chicago.  She has received several awards including best of show, first place in sculpture as well as recognition in national print media.

  Linda can be found working in her studio at her home in West Des Moines where she lives with her Husband Vincent.  They have four grown children and 5 grandchildren.

Resume

Linda Lewis
        
515-224-1276

lindalewisart@msn.com

Juried Exhibitions

2012    Lakefront Festival, Milwaukee, WI; Brookside Festival, Kanas City, MO; Des Moines Festival; On the square, Madison WI

2011   Des Moines Art Festival, Marian Art Festival, Iowa City AF, Krasl AF, Loveland Sculpture Festival, SOFA Chicago

2010   Cherry Creek Art Festival, Denver, Co. Des Moines Art Festival, Loveland Invitational Sculpture Festival, Iowa Art       Festival,  Krasal Art Festival, St. Joseph, Ia.
2009   Plaza Art Festival, Kansas City, Des Moines Art Festival, Loring Park Art Festival, Minneapolis, Krasl ArtFestival, St. Joseph, MI, Crested Butte Art Festival, Crested Butte, Co,  Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City, Ia.
2008  Metro Arts, Two Rivers Festival, Des Moines, Ia.Marion Arts Festival, Marion, Ia., Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City, Ia., Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, Ia., Krasl Art Festival, St. Joseph, MI, Uptown Art Festival, Minneapolis, MN.
2007    Greater Des Moines Exhibited 14; Polk County Heritage Gallery, Iowa Exhibited 21; Polk County Heritage Gallery, Uptown Arts Festival, Minneapolis, Mn.,  Iowa Arts Festival; Iowa City, Ia., Iowa Sculpture Festival; Newton, Ia., Uptown Art Festival, Minneapolis, Mn.
2006    Iowa Sculpture Festival; Newton, Ia, Iowa Exhibited 21; Polk County Heritage Art Gallery , Des Moines, Ia.
Group Exhibitions

2012  Art Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL

2011-2012  National Clay, paper, wood, glass metal, textile exhibition, Octagon Center, Ames, Ia.

2011    Lovers, Mothers & their Dreams; Polk County Heritage Gallery

 2011    Lovers, Mothers & their Dreams; Octagon Center, Ames, Ia

 2011    TBA, Graceland University, Lamoni, Ia

2009-2012   SOFA Chicago, Chicago, Il.
2010   The Figure; Burlington Art Center, Burlington, Ia.

2009    Small Works; Chait Gallery, Downtown; Iowa City, Ia.
2009    Exhibit XIV; Heritage Gallery; Des Moines, Ia
2008   Linda Lewis & Jane Chukas; Outside the Lines Gallery, Dubuque, Ia.

2008   Life from mud; Charles City ARt museum, Charles City, Ia
2008    Exhibit XX1; Heritage Gallery; Des Moines, Ia
2007    The haunting and the hilarious; The Downtown Chait Gallery, Iowa City, Ia.
2007    Exhibit XV; Heritage Gallery; Des Moines, Ia
2007    Plays well with others:a collaboration between artists, From Our Hands, Des Moines, Ia.
2007    New Works from Linda Lewis, Diane Mattern & N. Briggs; From Our Hands, Des Moines, Ia.
2006       
Earthen Treasures; From Our Hands, Des Moines, Ia.
2006    Galleries in the Gallery; Polk County Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, Ia.

Teaching
2009-present   Des Moines Art Center, Narrative Sculpture, Bringing the Figure to Life

 

Public sites

Women's Health Center, Mother and Child, Evanston, Il.
Sculpt Siouxland, Sioux City, Ia

Community of Christ; Dark Night of the Soul; Independence, MO.
Charles City Art Center; Working on Calluses; Charles City, Ia.
Downtown School; The Pied Teacher; Des Moines, Ia.

Awards

2011   Best of Show, National Clay, paper, textile, wood, glass metal exhibition;  Octagon Center, Ames, Ia

2009   Merit Award, Exhibit XIV; Heritage Gallery; Des Moines, Ia
2009   Best of Sculpture, Krasl Art Festival, St. Joseph, MI.
2009   First place, Iowa Art Festival, Iowa City, Ia
2008   Honorable mention, Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, Ia.
2007    First Place, Clay: Artbuzz, 2008 Collection
2007    Finalist, Uptown Arts Festival, Minneapolis, Mn.
2007    3rd Place, Sculpture Competition, Sculptural Pursuit
2007    3rd Place, Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City, Ia.
2006    2nd Place, Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, Iowa

Publications


2010   Western Art Collector, Review of Loveland Sculpture Festivals
2009   Des Moines Register, Artist Review
2009   Spotlight Art, Linda Lewis, DSM magazine
2008    Artbuzz; 2008 Collection
2007    "Linda Lewis, Narrative Sculpture", Sculptural Pursuit ,Fall, 
2006     "Thou art the best"-art category,  Jim Duncan, Cityview, Des Moines, Ia.
2006    “The bearable likeness of being,”Jim Duncan, City View, Des Moines, Ia.
2006    Clay’s the thing,” Michael Morain, Des Moines Register, Des Moines,Ia.

 

Gallery Representation
Mowen Solensky Gallery, Nevada City, Ca.
From Our Hands; East Village , Des Moines, Ia.
The Downtown Chait Gallery; Iowa City, Ia

Maria Elena Karvetz Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina
Outside the Lines, Dubuque, Ia.

Education

2012  Making the figure from clay, Claudia Olds Goldie, santa Fe, NM.
2011    Large Scale Figures; Lisa Reinertson; Santa Fe, NM

2010    Pottery Personas,  Esther Shimazu; Santa Fe, NM

2009    Imaginative figures in clay, Janis Mars Wunderlich; Mudfire, Atlanta, Ga
2007    The figure; Judy Fox, Santa Fe, NM
2006        Figure-Form-Surface-Vessel; Andy Nacisse, Santa Fe, NM

2006        Sculpting the Figure; Rick Stewart, Des Moines Art Center , RDG  Dahlquist Clayworks
2006        Handbuilding; Chris Rodi, DSM Art Center , RDG Dahlquist Clayworks
2006        Mold Making; Rick Stewart, DSM Art Center , RDG Dahlquist Clayworks
2005        Storytelling, narrative sculpture; Debra Fritz; Santa Fe, NM .
2003-2006 Various ceramics classes through the DSM Art center, Des Moines, Ia.
1989    Drake University , MSE
1975    Graceland University, BA; education and art

Born
1953    Vassar, Mi. 

 

Lives in West Des Moines, Ia with her husband Vincent.  Her studio is in her home.

Linda Lewis - Biography