About
photo by Jes Nijjer (@jeskeepswimming)
A strong community has regard for ecological health, personal health, and intellectual health for everyone. As an artist and designer, I create functional sculptures that encourage awareness and action towards creating a more vibrant society comprised of strong communities. My inventive forms entice viewers to investigate what the sculptures offer. The take away may be a book, a packet of seeds for plants that will benefit pollinating insects, a seedling to grow your own vegetable plant, thoughts about a healthy and locally focused community, or just a subconscious level of engagement.
Through ecologically minded processes, forms, and materials I seek to address the importance of harmony in nature and society. Quality craftsmanship and the use of properly harvested and reclaimed wood promote sustainable living. The forms I create are representations of the natural world and bring the playfulness of nature into everyday utilitarian objects and art. Through my art and woodworking, I strive to have a conversation with the public about enriching our current culture and community by learning from the past.
Bio:
Kimberly McNeelan, an Indianapolis based furniture maker and sculptor, celebrates nature and healthy living through art. Kimberly is a frequent contributor for Woodworker’s Journal, a woodworking instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center, and a professor at Butler University. She received her MFA in 2016 from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kimberly has been featured many times on HGTV, received several public art grants, has work in collections across the country, and believes that: “It’s not just woodworking. It’s a lifestyle.”
Kimberly received her BFA in 2005 with a sculpture and industrial design focus from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Seeking to further her study after graduation, she joined the team at Marc Adams School of Woodworking where she was introduced to the world of furniture making by assisting the best craftspeople in the World. Kimberly then moved to Petaluma, California to apprentice with master furniture maker and sculptor, Michael Cullen. After completing her apprenticeship, she opened her own studio in the self-built home and workshop of first generation studio furniture maker, Arthur Espenet Carpenter, in Bolinas, California. During that time, she began her teaching career through the well-known Baulines Craft Guild.