Artist Statement

Claire Cusack lives in a world inspired by ordinary objects.
In her travels as well as her daily journeys, she finds meaningful trash/treasures that she transforms into unexpected sculptures.

Her materials are often gathered from urban intersections – rural roads – beaches – old garages – railroad tracks, and other surprising places. According to Cusack, many of the objects have individual voices that guide the unusual pairing and complex assembling of each piece.

In her constructions, Cusack minimizes the use of fixatives – relying on precise furniture-making to ensure that parts are securely fitted. While the sculptures appear simple, the hidden reality is the artist’s strenuous process and attention to detail. There are many untold stories in Cusack’s reinvented context of objects. Her art expresses a raw honesty – not unlike that of many primitive cultures – and a surprising literary gift for satire.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2021 Koelsch Gallery Presents a Studio Show, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, Houston, TX
2018 “Journeys”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2016 “Labor of Love”, Mary Matteson-Parrish Art Gallery, Lone Star College, Conroe,TX “Labor of Love”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2014 “Lost + Found”, Lumberyard Studio, Marfa, TX 2013 “3 Show”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2011 “Messages”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2009 “Campfire Stories”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 2008 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2007 “Glass/ Rod”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 2006 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2004 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2003 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2002 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 2001 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 1999 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 1998 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
1997 Galveston Art Center, Small Gallery, Galveston TX Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
Koelsch-Frietsch Gallery, Houston, TX
JUROR EXHIBITIONS:
2016 Houston Art Fair, Silver Studios, Juror, Clint Willour, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston ,TX, Patrón, Former curator Galveston Art Center, Galveston, TX
2015 SITE Houston Art Inside the Silos, Juror, Bill Arning, Director
Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX, Jillian Conrad, Professor of Sculpture,
University of Houston, Houston, TX
2014 “The Big Show”, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX, Juror, Erin Elder, Visual Arts Director Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, NM
2013 “Celebrates Texas Art”, Assistance League of Houston, Houston, TX, Juror, Irene Hofmann, Curator, SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
2010 “The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX, Juror, Paul Middendorf, Co-Director gallery HOMELAND & EAST/WEST Project Berlin
2005 “The Big Show”, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX, Juror, Michael Olijnyk, Curator of Exhibitions for the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, PA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2023 “Outsider Art Fair”, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY.
2022 “Outsider Art Fair”, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY. 2021 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX.
2020 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX.
“Outsider Art Fair”, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY
2016 “The Art of Found Objects”, KC Art Gallery, Lone Star College, Kingwood, TX
“The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists” Book signing, Bunch, Robert Craig,
McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX “Hangin’ with 3d”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2011 “Art Crawl”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
Galería 6 2-person show, Mineral de Pozos, Gto Mexico
“Quincenera”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2010 Street Painting Exhibition, Via Colori, Houston, TX
2009 2-person show, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2008 “Radiolaria Heartland” 2-person show, H. Paxton Moore Fine Art Gallery, Galería 6 2-person show, Mineral de Pozos, Gto Mexico
2007 “(f )light x 8”, Koelsch Gallery, Marfa, TX “Flow Art Fair”, Miami, FL
“American Artists”, Chapelle Saint-Augustin, Flayosc, France
2006 “Bridge Art Fair”, Miami, FL “Scope Art Fair”, New York, NY
“The Lady Doth Protest too Much…” heidi cho gallery, New York, NY “5×7 Show”, Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX
“Luck of the Draw”, DiverseWorks, Houston, TX
“Rags to Riches” Gallery Zipp, Glorieta, NM
2005 “Group Exhibit”, heidi cho gallery, New York, NY ” Chinati Open House”, Koelsch Gallery, Marfa, TX
“What did Puck say?”, heidi cho gallery, New York, NY
“San Francisco International Art Exposition”, San Francisco, CA
2004 “The Affordable Art Fair”, New York, NY
“Luck of the Draw”, DiverseWorks, Houston, TX
“Contemporary Feminism”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX “Scope Art Fair”, Los Angeles, CA
“5×7 Show”, arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX
“San Francisco International Art Exposition”, San Francisco, CA
“Crosses for Peace”, Las Manos Magicas, Houston, TX
2003 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“The Affordable Art Fair”, New York, NY
“Art Miami”, Miami, FL
“Retablo Show”, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
El Centro College, Dallas TX

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED:
2002 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“The Affordable Art Fair”, New York, NY
“5×7 Show”, Texas Fine Arts Association, Austin, TX
2001 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2000 “Sculpture 2000″, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX “Art Houston”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“Creativity and Healing”, First Unitarian Univeraslist Church, Houston, TX
1999 “Small Works”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX Kirsika Studio, Sun Valley, ID
1998 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 1997 Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX 1996 901 Canyon, Santa Fe, NM
Koelsch-Frietsch Gallery, Houston, TX
1995 814 M. St. Houston, TX 1994 814 M. St. Houston, TX
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
2017 Anspon, Catherine,“Texas’ 12 Best Books of the Year”, Paper City Magazine, Houston, TX
2016 Bunch, Robert Craig “The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists”, Texas A&M Press, College Station, TX
2014 Anspon, Catherine,“Casa Claire”, Paper City Magazine, Houston, TX
2013 Woodson, Michael,“LivingART”, KPFT 90.1, October 24, 2013, Houston, TX
2008 Wood, Tria, artshouston,“editor’s picks”, May 2008, p.10
2007 Rhodes, Dusti,“this old heap of mine”, night and day. Houston Press volume 19,number 18, p. 26, may 3-9,2007
2006 troysart, news about art as told by Troy Broussard, April 30, 2006, number 23
2005 Maloney, Tim, 002 + Houston magazine, art/living, for art’s sake,“lost and found” p.16 2000 “art galleries”. Channel 13, abc. Houston, TX. July 2000
2005 Halverson, Megan, ARTnews “city focus: Houston”. Texas talent, p.92, November 1999
ARTS AND HONORS:
Finalist, Wendy Wagner Foundation 2021 Trio Summer Creative Award, Houston, TX Guest Juror, Lone Star College Student Show 2021, Kingwood, TX
The year “2016” to “The Sculpture Art of Claire Cusack”
“The Sculpture Art of Claire Cusack”, The Artists Archive, New York, NY
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:
Lester Marks, Houston, TX
Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Houston, TX Chapelle Saint Augustin, Flayosc, France