Statement

Line and pattern. Plants and the ordinary. These impulses prompt my work.  Living in a rural environment, you witness the wonders of the natural world and learn to be resourceful with what is readily available. This lesson profoundly impacts my work as an installation artist who combines mixed media drawing with subjects from nature and daily life.

Ideas stem from specific memories, experiences in nature, and ordinary objects. Linear, graphic patterns often replace realistic details to develop the character and clarity of each piece. From those found in nature to those in our homes, plants are typically the primary subject, and one with which many can relate because of our need for nature to sustain wellness. A variety of media are implemented to produce the sharp, clean lines fundamental to the work including Micron pen, India ink, and cut paper. Installations release the drawings from the wall and provide an immersive sensory experience for the audience to contemplate as they move through and interact with the work. Common, repurposed, economically accumulated materials are used as primary components to expand the work’s dialogue and create an approachable, relatable, and enriching experience.

I am driven to accentuate the ordinary, to highlight how the overlap in the supposed mundane of our individual lives unites us. A plant and its shadow reflect that, however simple, there is great value in the surroundings and experiences that occupy our existence. Through a combined practice of mixed media drawing and installation, these themes converge.

Bio

Shelley Caldwell has engaged with the arts from an early age. She earned both a BFA and MA in Drawing and Installation from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has served as adjunct faculty at MNSU and as Visiting Instructor at Gustavus Adolphus College. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout greater Minnesota in venues such as the 410 Project, SooVAC, the Carnegie Art Center, Arts Center of Saint Peter, Paradise Center for the Arts, Hutchinson Center for the Arts, The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, The Waseca Art Center, Hallberg Center for the Arts, Red Rock Center for the Arts, Austin ArtWorks Center, and others. She held residency at the Tofte Lake Center outside Ely, MN and has received grants from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Springboard for the Arts, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Current solo exhibitions include the Hutchinson Center for the Arts (May 28 - July 11, 2025) and the Winnebago Area Museum (thru July 2025). Compelled by the surrounding landscape, she presently works from her family farm in rural Faribault county.