2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Progress;

Artist Statement

 Heather M. Schroeder

“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be.”-C.W. Lewis  

The work displayed within this exhibition is the documentation of three years of physical and emotional processing of personal traumas. Through heavy repetition of form noted in the various ceramic wares; as well as through processes such as automatic writing and stitching, I am reiterating the importance of reclaiming healthy repetition for myself after growing up in a home where it was seen in direct correlation with addiction. These works examine what it means to claim ownership over one’s own personal story. 

Exploring my family’s past, I have discovered recurring patterns and coping mechanisms which carry over for generations. While I did not have a choice in receiving this trauma, I do have a choice in healing it. These works shown have given me the opportunity to step back and look at my upbringing and myself with compassion, understanding, and love.