Steffaney Wilcox - My love of the arts doesn’t have a specific beginning as my childhood was full of museum trips, piano lessons, community theater, chorus/band at school, art galleries, and many DIY projects at home with my family. I first dipped my toes in the creative pool of the pottery world when I was in middle school with my incredible art teacher, Eileen Murphy, in a typically art splashed classroom full of the memories of past students in the painted ceiling titles, the art filled walls, and many drips of paint and other supplies on the walls, floors, and sinks (like all the best art rooms). Her class was an introduction to many different types of studio art but I loved working with clay. I enjoyed the freedom to make the ideas in my head into tangible 3D pieces of art as well as practical pieces. While most of these were destined for a permanent shelf at my parents house (sorry-a permanent gallery space!); the instruction, creative push, and support from an art teacher decades ago has brought me back to working with clay again and again.
Lessons with a neighbor who was a professional potter (Annie Gieger) inspired me to make things from the real world in clay including foods like spaghetti and meatballs! A friend of the family opened up her own clay studio and I took lessons focused on the wheel as an adult with Christina Milliman. This was my foray into the creation of small bowls with tiny feet. Eventually I moved back to Plattsburgh and joined the clay studio at the Strand, taking advice from Mollie Ward and continuing my creative journey into making tiny versions of real life in the shape of mini pumpkins, whales, trees, banana slugs, cats, ghosts, and mushrooms while also making functional pieces like small dishes and ohashi (chopstick) rests.
Similarly to my clay introduction, I enjoyed early instruction in using acrylic paint which was a good foundation as my style has evolved over time. I take most of my inspiration from the natural world and enjoy the multitude of ways to paint flowers, trees, mountains, and scenes from the beautiful landscapes around us. Art, for me, is a form of self care whether it is made in moments of creative clarity or to stave off seasonal depression during our long North Country winters, I am grateful for the incredibly supportive community I have found here in Plattsburgh and the many communities I have been involved in since I was young.
Steffaney Wilcox (Upstate Emporium) at the Strand Artisan Markets