25 Jul Fisher & Smith, 7/21 – 8/10
Joint Show: Shirlee Fisher & Amber Marie Smith
Amber Marie Smith was born in Redlands, California. She graduated in 2011 from California State University: Long Beach with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics. After graduating she stayed at Cal State Long Beach for a post baccalaureate study. She left California to go to school in Richmond, Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2015, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the Craft and Material Studies program.
Last Year, she completed a six month residency at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. During her residency she made a series of thrown ceramic ceiling fans. Upon her return to Redlands she started teaching at the Redlands Art Association to 6 to 9 year olds. She was also the Artist in Residence for Kimberly Elementary School. Over the summer she will be teaching ceramics at Chaffey College.
Shirlee Fisher is an illustrator, potter, and educator who resides in Redlands, California. Her earliest memories have been marked by experiences with art and creativity. From drawing portraits of her classmates in elementary school to trying to sell carved tree bark in her front yard, art has always been a part of her life. In 2012 she attended BIOLA University and graduated with a BA in Intercultural Studies and a minor in Art. The year of 2014 was a year of new discovery as she started teaching Art to elementary students as an aide. It was through this experience that Shirlee found her love for teaching, and later started working at the Redlands Art Association. This year she graduated with a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Art and an MA in Learning and Teaching from the University of Redlands. In the month of August she will start her teaching career as the Elementary Art Teacher at Redlands Christian School.
Aside from teaching, she spends much of her time at a potters wheel or with a sketchbook in hand. Shirlee would state that most of her illustrations tend to have a depth of meaning and a narrative woven within them. She is inspired by a simple color palette and delicate line work. The ceramics portion of her collection is thoughtfully created in small batches where no two pieces are exactly alike. She hopes her deep attention to detail and quality is experienced in her line of work. It is her desire that a sense of wonder is experienced viewing two vastly different mediums being pleasantly united.
