Beth Lo

Artist Biography:
Beth Lo makes work about family, culture and language. Her Good Children vessels and sculptures have been exhibited internationally and she has been the recipient of a United States Artist Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, Montana Arts Council Individual Artist Grant and an American Craft Museum Design Award. She is also a children’s book illustrator and professional bass player. She retired after 30 years of teaching ceramics at the University of Montana in 2016.

Creative Statement:

My work in ceramics and mixed media revolves primarily around issues of family and my Asian-American background. Since the birth of my son in 1987, I have been drawing inspiration from major events in my family's history, the day-to-day challenges of parenting, and my own childhood memories of being raised in a minority culture in the United States. I use the image of a child as a symbol of innocence, potential and vulnerability. Cultural marginality and blending, tradition vs. westernization, and language and translation are key elements in my work. The importance of food as a cultural marker is also at play in the works in this exhibition.