Carmen Ostermann

Name of School
Columbus College of Art and Design

Expected Graduation Date:
05/14/2022

Faculty Nominator
Kelly Malec-Kosak

Reason for Faculty Nomination
Throughout her time in our MFA program, Carmen’s mission has been to connect her work and audience to the natural environment; specifically, she is interested in bringing awareness to our connection to nature and our impact on it. Through exquisitely crafted sculptures, Carmen’s devotion to this mission is evident, and her passion is conveyed though the detail and love she pours into them. Her work is informed not only by art and craft, but science and an intense curiosity to everything around her.

Please provide a brief description of your art or medium.
Ceramic sculptures of birds and the ecological succession in their habitats.

Is your artwork handmade by you? If not, please explain
Yes, I hand build all of my artwork.

Are all or some of the components locally sourced?
Some of the components are locally sourced. I collect plants and fibers from my yard that I dip in slip and incorporate into my sculptures.

Artist’s Statement:
I make delicate hand built ceramic sculptures of endangered birds in their environments and ecological succession (what succeeds and claims a space after species destruction). The sculptures reflect the fragility of the ecosystems the birds inhabit and the harm inflicted upon them. I sculpt the entire bird and then meticulously work on the surface, delicately adding in the ecological succession node by node until eventually they are engulfed whole. The beauty of my work captures the viewer’s attention and the cognizance of destruction calls them to action. The dichotomy between the intricacy of nature and the finality of extinction moves the viewer to an appreciation of climate change and species loss. I create a space for people to connect with and care about nature. This caring leads to compassion, dialog, and inspires viewers to protect the environment and combat climate change.

How you will use the Fellowship funds if you are chosen as the winner.
I will dedicate myself entirely to my artistic practice and activism in advocating to protect the environment. I will outfit a studio and pursue a full-time art making practice to build ceramic sculptures, experiment with fiber and illustration, utilize research, make field guides to accompany my work, collaborate with artists and climate activists, develop workshops and curriculum to educate the public about climate change and species loss, and show work publicly. I will make art that inspires sustainable practices including clean energy, habitat protection and efficient use of water and other finite resources. I am keen to expand my studio practice, scale up my work, and collaborate with national and international broad-impact educational organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, Grange Insurance Audubon Center and the Foundation for Environmental Education.