Biography Artist Statement

Born and raised in the Midwest, Vicki got the bug to head west and came to Montana after graduating from high school. She received her BA in art from Montana State University in 1987 and continued her westward migration where she made Kodiak Island, Alaska home. She left Kodiak for San Francisco to earn her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, then returned to island life for the next 15 years where she worked as a mom, bartender and carpenter and was actively involved in the local art scene as a board member of the Kodiak Island Visual Arts League, founding member of the Kodiak Island Arts and Crafts Cooperative, and mixed media and drawing instructor at the University of Alaska, Kodiak College. She returned to Montana to start the Bear Canyon School of Art and Craft and pursue life as a full-time artist. Happy to be in Bozeman and inspired by her family, friends and the beauty around her, she shares a house on the wrong side of the tracks with her two wonderful children, Sara and Isaac, Willy the dog and a stray cat.

She is known for her sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical mixed media constructions that tell stories, reflect on the human condition, and relay the ironies of life's situations. Her work is influenced by myths, humor, personal journeys, human nature, and great stuff. She exhibits throughout the US.

I am interested in exploring the connections between images, relationships, experiences, and the soul. I am intrigued by the ways that subtle and seemingly insignificant events and choices can have such a profound impact on the path of one's life. My interest also lies in how our relationships affect who we are and who we become. My work is a result of exploring these events and relationships and commenting on their unforeseen consequences, joys, and challenges.

Sometimes a piece portrays a specific event, sometimes it represents personal journeys and maps, and other times it exists as a visual translation of a page in a journal or a personal letter. I often seek out images and objects, but most of the time they find me. Many of the images and objects are intuitive and their meanings become known through this process of translation, others are personal talisman that reflect a sort of inner mythology and symbolism. Whatever the case, I am drawn to these objects on some sort of a primal level. Boxes have become an increasingly important aspect of my work where they function as intimate keepers of precious objects, holding in place treasured thoughts, emotions, and stories.

This process of visual translation and the exploration of images allows me to express what I cannot say with words. My hope is that in doing so, I am creating compelling worlds that draw you in, invite you to take a walk, allow you to gather enough information to sustain you and entice you to come back for more.