Artists belong to an ancient tribe. They are the carriers of truth, human personalities, and ever-present throngs of ideas in visions, stories that turn into sculpture ideas; all crowd the consciousness waiting their turn to be born. Kim Gluscic gives her creations a sense of fun, joy, and uniqueness. She says, "I like to embed a message, including regional or desert themes and colors, to make the art more enjoyable and enhance the experience."
Kim grew up in the small town of New Baltimore, Michigan. She credits her father as her first influencer in the world of three-dimensional shapes. “He was a Draftsman designing machines for fabricating vehicle parts for General Motors. I never got the drawing bug; however, I was fascinated by his non-work-related renderings." Kim says, "When I got to high school, I had to do a science project. So, I sculpted the brains of animals out of clay to show the size difference of brain-to-body mass in mammals. I had a lot of fun working with the clay to produce three-dimensional shapes!"
Although her career started in retail for a large company, after a year, they moved her to their corporate offices for training in the planning and distribution area of the business. "After completing training in Boston, they moved me to Evansville, Indiana; there I met my husband, and my career became on again off again as I followed him to New York, Tennessee, Michigan, and internationally to Mexico, Australia, and England." During this time, Kim took college classes; two of her most memorable were bust classes in Memphis, Tennessee, and watercolor classes in Manchester, England. When the couple returned to the United States, they settled in Columbus, Ohio, and eventually Scottsdale, Arizona, where they reside today.
"As a woman sculptor, I have a different perspective from my male counterparts. My style is uniquely simple and fun. I use both positive and negative space to give my sculptures a contemporary and minimalist look."
Once settled in her new home in Scottsdale over twenty years ago, Kim enrolled in Scottsdale Community College and earned her Associate of Fine Arts degree; from there, she transferred to Arizona State University and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture. Today, Kim works in two studios, one in her home and the other at Scottsdale Community College, where she has access to much more equipment for constructing sculptures in metal with the Lost Wax and Sand Mold processes. She has the equipment to pour bronze, aluminum, or iron castings at the SCC studio. Plus, the studio is home to welding and woodworking machines, which increases the possibilities for sculptural materials she creates.
The move to the Northern Sonoran Desert region sparked a fascination for the unique forms unique to the area. Kim says, "My focus as I have gotten older in my screen prints and sculptures reflects the challenges we all face in aging womanhood." Examples of this are Kim's screen prints based on songs that inspire her. Her sculptures take on titles of Hot Flash, Dream On, Forever Young, and Am I Fat? On the other hand, her Lifestyle series reflects the fun, shape, and color of a contemporary sculpture called Walking Baby. When asked about her unique artistic expression, Kim replies, "As a woman sculptor, I have a different perspective from my male counterparts. My style is uniquely simple and fun. I use both positive and negative space in my sculptures to give them a contemporary and minimalist look.” Kim’s future goals? She responds, “I have a friend who was 97 years old when she stopped making sculptures. She could be outside for two hours and weld…now that is my inspiration!” Sculptor Kim Gluscic is a juried member of the Sonoran Art League (SAL) and exhibits throughout the year with the group.
Email: kimgluscic50@gmail.com
Website: www.kimgluscic.com
