Lissa Hunter

Lissa Hunter is a studio artist, living and working in Portland, Maine. After many years working mainly in basketry, she has added drawing and working in clay to her practice. Her work is in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Museum of Art + Design in New York, and the Houston Museum of Art, among others. She is a Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellow and a Maine Crafts Association Master Craft Artist, as well as a Life Trustee of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Teaching and writing are important aspects of her practice.

Artist Statement:

The Personal As Universal

A hurried pedestrian trips on a curb, realigns before falling, and then looks around to see if anyone has seen the near catastrophe, face reddened by embarrassment. You observe the momentary event and immediately relate to that person. You recognize a bit of yourself in the small drama, and you realize that this is something that we all, in some way, have experienced. Everyone has tripped, everyone has been embarrassed, everyone has experienced the relief of avoiding a fall.

Sometimes, as well, small, simple objects…spoons, bowls, brushes…can be our connection, a means of recognizing our shared humanity. They speak a common language of utility, community and heritage.

This work is an invitation to consider the objects we touch in our daily lives, these things which connect us to everyone who uses them and which have meaning far beyond their given purpose.

Nothing less than our shared humanity can be seen in a simple spoon.

~ Lissa Hunter
2021

Education

MFA, Textile Design, Indiana University, Bloomington IN

BA, Painting , Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Honors

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Board of Directors, 1995-2004, 2007-2016, Elected Life Trustee, 2017

2009 - Master Craft Artist Award, Maine Crafts Association; Residency at A.I.R., Vallauris, France; Kittredge Family Foundation Grant, Maine

Selected Museum Collections

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington DC

Museum of Art and Design, New York NY

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco CA

Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TX

Racine Art Museum, Racine WI Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA

The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque NM

Selected Teaching Experiences

2017 - Maine Art Educators Association workshop, Deer Isle ME

2016 - Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle ME (and 2012, 2005, 2000, 1995, 1985, 1989)

2011 - Fibre Forums, Geelong and Bunbury, Australia

2007 - Object and Meaning Conference, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle ME

2005 - One year appointment to develop graduate degree program at Maine College of Art, Portland ME

1980-present - Many short, workshop-format classes in US and Canada

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2016 - Lissa Hunter, River Gallery, Chattanooga TN
2015 - Crossover, Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, Telluride CO
2013 - Same Voice/Different Song, Craft Gallery, Rockland ME
2012 - Escaping the Frame, Craft Gallery, Rockland ME, Connections, George Marshall Store Gallery, York ME
2010 - Old Friends/New Work, June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland ME
2009 - Natural Beauty, Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe NM
2007 - Life Stories, Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, Telluride CO
2006 - Uncommon Things, Jane Sauer Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe NM Constructions, June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland ME
2004 - dis/appear, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York NY (and 2001,1998,1995,1993)
2003 - Histories, Erie Art Museum, Erie PA
2002 Wabash College, Crawfordsville IN