JAVA March 2018

ARTS
Photo: Suzie Barber
Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum
CONSTANCE MCBRIDE
Heads to Philly After 16 Years in Phoenix
By Amy Young
Constance McBride came to Arizona 16 years ago,
armed with a laser focus on taking her art career –
creating and exhibiting her ceramic and mixed-media
sculptural works – to the next level. Her passion and
tenacity paid off.
Nearly two decades later, she has exhibited at galleries
and museums around the Valley, inspired numerous
articles, seen her work find its way into new
collections and curated a handful of shows. And now,
she’s bidding Phoenix farewell.
Not because she doesn’t like it here. In fact, it’s a
little bittersweet for the artist, who loves how open
the local arts community is and how it has been a
welcoming place for her and her work. It’s just time
to get a little closer in physical proximity to some of
her and her husband’s nearest and dearest back in
the Philadelphia area.
Before that happens, though, she’s going to take a
little detour – to China. Because it does pour when
it rains, McBride received a U.S. State Department
general grant to participate in a five-week residency
in a program at the World Academy for the Future of
Women. It takes place on the campus of Sias International
University in Zhengzhou. During her stay,
she will lead artistic activities, showcasing her skills
and voice to empower women. Other Arizona artists
that have shared their talents at this program are Sue
Chenoweth and Gina Santi.
Sharing her talents in an educational capacity isn’t
new to McBride. She’s been doing workshops for
kids and teens at the Vision Gallery in Chandler. She
also teaches a hand-building ceramics class at the
Shemer Art Center and Museum.
Her most recent solo exhibition, From the Hearts
of Stars, exemplifies what is so captivating – and
often haunting – about her work. Even at its most
provocative, there’s a subtlety present that inspires
contemplation within a dreamy haze that envelops
you. This show, held in one of the Phoenix Institute
of Contemporary Art (PhICA) shipping containers on
Roosevelt Row, featured desert debris that McBride
had collected over time.
The pieces were dipped in clay slip and coated
with under glazes, crawl glazes and chalk paint.
Some were fired, while others were not. They lay
on the gallery floor amid sculpted human limbs and
unamended debris. Adding to its depth, attendees
were able to grab a pencil and adorn the walls with
their own thoughts about the desert. The overall
result was a microcosmic reflection on desert life –
its nuances, perseverance and complex permanence.
Another notable body of work, McBride’s Lonely Girls
series depicted the aging process, gender and issues
through a female lens. These sculptured heads,
surrounded by broken tiles containing photographic
memories, were unforgettably gut-wrenching.
Other coups for the artist have included a very coveted
spot as one of the annual Contemporary Forum
grant recipients, facilitating inclusion in an exhibition
at Phoenix Art Museum.
16 JAVA
MAGAZINE