We are pleased to present our first in a series of interviews with artists whose works are featured in Art Saint Louis' new in-Gallery and virtual gallery exhibit, "Varsity Art XXV" (March 5-April 1, 2021). This year's 25th annual exhibit features works by 44 undergrad and grad level art students representing 22 regional colleges and universities from Missouri and Illinois.
We invite you to view the virtual exhibit and all of the featured artworks in the exhibit on our website here and you can also view all of the works in our Facebook album here.
We proudly introduce you to featured artists Tirzah Reed and Michele R. M. Hilbing.
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TIRZAH REED
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “Varsity Art XXV” exhibit (March 5-April 1): Tirzah Reed, St. Louis, MO. “$10,000 Socks.” 2020. Etched Glass, Worn Socks, Pillow, Fabric, 37”x32”x20”. Not for Sale. Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis. Professors: Tim Portlock, Arnold Nadler. Artist’s statement: “The last time I saw her whole body, Grandma rolled towards us wearing hospital-issued yellow socks. Two weeks later during her Zoom funeral, Dad introduced me to her favorite hymn. With stunning synchronicity, I heard that hymn ringing from a nearby church the next day. After six months, I have her socks, a pillow, a piece of glass, and words to carry the weight of those weeks.“ |
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| Tirzah Reed, St. Louis, MO. “$10,000 Socks.” 2020. Etched Glass, Worn Socks, Pillow, Fabric, 37”x32”x20”. Not for Sale. |
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| Tirzah Reed, St. Louis, MO. (detail) “$10,000 Socks.” 2020. Etched Glass, Worn Socks, Pillow, Fabric, 37”x32”x20”. Not for Sale. |
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| Artist Tirzah Reed. |
About the artist: As a multimedia artist, I parse through thoughts on faith, family, and memory. I enjoy collecting earrings, developing recipes, playing guitar poorly, and cultivating friendships. I’m pursuing a major in Art with a minor in Educational Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where I ask too many questions. What is the role of evidence-based teaching practices in arts education? What do we claim to teach in art school, and what are we learning?
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| Artist Tirzah Reed's studio. |
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| Artist Tirzah Reed's studio. |
Roxanne Phillips: What inspires you to make art?
Tirzah Reed: Paying close attention to something—a material, a memory, a space, or a person—this is where my art practice starts. For me, the act of paying close attention to something is an act of love for that thing. Take, for example, my apartment. When I looked closely at it, I inevitably wanted to become more intimate with the space, to get to know it better and appreciate it more. And then questions bubbled up: What did the ceilings look like if I lied down in the center of each room? How did I feel about eventually moving out? What did this apartment communicate about my relationship with my roommate? This litany of questions made me fall in love with the space even more and drove a desire to communicate what I noticed. This pattern—noticing, wondering, and falling in love—happens for materials, memories, spaces, and people.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Reflections.” 2020. Photograph, 13”x19”. $130. |
RP: Who inspires you and why?
TR: Right now, I'm inspired by Madeleine L’Engle. I’m currently reading her book Walking on Water: Reflection on Faith and Art. She writes about the artist’s working methodology, and how essential it is to work every day, even when we do not feel like it, so that when the work does speak to us, we will be in a place to listen.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Piano Reprise.” 2020. Pedestal, Piano Legs, Baby Grand Piano Paper Template, Sound. 74”x40”x90”. Not for Sale. |
RP: What media do you use and why?
TR: The components of any given project trickle into my studio as bits and pieces. Some of it comes from my past—an old family photograph I saved, or a pair of my late grandmother's socks. Most of it, though, comes from my pack-rat tendencies. I constantly collect raw materials like wood, glass, clay, fabric, and anything else I can get my hands on. I also collect digital files that I make, like videos, photographs, or sound recording of spaces or experiences that I find interesting. Recently, I’ve been enthralled by writing and by sound. I’ve collected bits of my own writing, and recordings of all types—interviews with my mother, birds chirping, my father singing, or a door slamming.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Stockpile.” 2020. Digital Photograph, 10”x6”. $80. |
The family relics, found objects, digital files, and writing all form a collection that I pull from and experiment with while in my studio. If I pay close attention to the materials I collect, I often find that they fit together with other pieces of my collection. For me, it’s all about collecting and combining.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Parked Plant Picnic.” 2020. Plant and Blanket Installation, 60”x48”x30”. Not for Sale. |
RP: What concepts do you explore in your art?
TR: I explore an ever-changing set of questions—and the more I create, the more questions I uncover. Right now, I’m asking: What is the role of vulnerability in my work? Of personal narrative? Of faith? How can I leverage a material’s poetic potential? How do I create installations with a gravitational presence?
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| Tirzah Reed. “Popcorn Safe.” 2020. Popcorn, Flammables Cabinet, Sound, 26”x2”x20”. Not for Sale. |
RP: How important is color or lack of color and why?
TR: When it comes to color, I am a magpie with an eye only for yellow. I’m fascinated by its wide range of associations, connoting caution, ageing, peace, and warmth. It’s highly visible, and has associations with sunshine, toxicity, and happiness. I enjoy how the color’s context molds its meaning, so I often include it in my work.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Leftovers.” 2020. Digital Book Page, 8”x5”. $60. |
RP: Do you find assignments and deadlines helpful or hindrance in the creative process?
TR: Assignments and deadlines are essential tools for me. While I do enjoy the external accountability of school, I also set up assignments and deadlines for myself—giving myself parameters keeps me focused while I create. Starting a project where there are infinite ways forward is simply too overwhelming, and limitations are my burnout mitigator.
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| Tirzah Reed. “Tree Questions.” 2020. Video, 3:29. Not for Sale. |
RP: How have you overcome pandemic challenges in your creative process / education?
TR: I was horrendously unmotivated this past summer. I had just finished my spring 2020 semester online after moving home, and I felt exhausted by the prospect of starting fall the same way. But one day I saw a stink bug in my kitchen. I trapped it in a glass to put it outside, and for some reason I took a photograph of it first. The photograph made me smile, so I made my first Instagram account and posted it there— maybe it would make someone else smile, too. And then an idea struck me—Instagram was an excellent way to give myself assignments, have external accountability, and engage with my community. So that afternoon I wrote a proposal for myself, and the “Dailies” project was born. Using Instagram as a substrate, I embarked on a five-week journey of posting one entirely new piece per day. It developed into a diaristic exploration of process, discipline, and social media, and it saved my art practice that summer. You can find the project on my Instagram as the first 35 posts.
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| Artist Tirzah Reed. |
Learn more about Tirzah Reed: www.tirzahreed.com and www.instagram.com/tirzahreed
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MICHELE R. M. HILBING
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| Featured in "Varsity Art XXV" at Art Saint Louis: Michele R. M. Hilbing, Belleville, IL. ”Waldeinsamkeit.” 2020. Porcelain Clay, Wheel Thrown, Jade Glaze, 8.5”x6”. Not for Sale. Southwestern Illinois College. Professor: Todd May. Artist’s statement: “Throwing clay on a wheel, carving into the form, and taking nature walks all share a meditative atmosphere towards finding inner balance. For this piece, withering leaves, dried strands of grass, and old bark served as my inspiration. I choose items at the end of their use, dying and ugly to bring about the beauty and texture on this surface. The unglazed areas serve as both a color and textural contrast to balance this piece.” |
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| Michele Hilbing, “Ashes.” 2019. Porcelain, 3”x6”. NFS. |
Roxanne Phillips: What media do you use and why?
Michele Hilbing: I love to paint but my favorite media is clay. Most of my pieces are thrown on the wheel because it simultaneously offers me both speed and calmness. I’m drawn to stoneware when I want to explore how to create new forms or practice skills. However, I prefer using porcelain because the whiteness of the fired clay allows glazes to appear more vibrant and I also want to explore translucency. 
Michele Hilbing. “Interesting.” 2021. Stoneware, 8”x10”, NFS.
RP: What concepts do you explore in your art?
MH: Three main concepts I focus on with my ceramics are form, texture and color. Even though color is a middle to last step in ceramics, it is one of the first things I consider. I think about the color(s) I want to explore; I try to visualize how it would look on a particular form, then finally, I try to use texture or lack of texture to bring it all together.
Michele Hilbing. “Cosmic Dust Bowls.” 2020. Stoneware, 5”x12 ½” and 4”x11 ½”. NFS.
RP: How important is color or lack of color and why?
MH: The color on a ceramic piece is the last evidence of its creation story. When surrounded by the intense heat of the kiln, the color can move and leave behind beautiful traces of its journey. I find it interesting to see how several colors cross paths on a piece. I love to study the deep layers and relationships between transparent and opaque glazes. Other times, I can go monochromatic to emphasize the negative space within a piece. Color and intention go hand in hand.
Michele Hilbing. “Oregon.” 2021. Stoneware, 6”x10 1/2”, NFS.
RP: How important is the size/scale of your art and why?
MH: In January I started making larger items to see if I could do it and enjoyed that very much. But even though I liked the challenge of making larger items, medium to small pieces seem to make the most sense for me. I want to make pieces that people can use easily and enjoy often. Smaller items can offer a more personal experience; you know, a favorite mug, bowl, or special container. Something that someone has more than a functional relationship with, but also a fond memory with the maker or gift experience. I think that can be easier to attain with medium to small items. Plus, larger ceramic pieces are the heavier to carry, can be storage challenges, difficult to transport and expensive to ship.
Michele Hilbing. “Cobalt.” 2019. Porcelain, 3”x7”. NFS.
RP: How have you overcome pandemic challenges in your creative process / education?
MH: Before the pandemic, I used my basement to paint but not on a regular basis. After the pandemic, my art classes went online so I ended up moving my computer and all my art materials to the basement. It is not a fancy set up at all. I have no windows, old card tables, an old cheap pool table and some chairs – but is has given me what I need. I am out of the way for other members of my family so I can work on my art without disturbing others. Because we couldn’t really go out and I had my own space to create, I had more time to focus on my artwork. That time helped me explore the painter side of me. I hope taking a break from creating ceramic pieces to learn more about drawing and painting has helped me on my path to becoming a better artist.
Michele Hilbing. “Cory’s Jug.” 2021. Stoneware, 10”x8”. NFS.
RP: Do you find art is a good expressive outlet for dealing with life? How so?
MH: I’m at the school’s studio where people are around all the time. We talk about our art, we talk about how much we want art to be how we journey through life, and we talk about the realities of life. Each week we are experimenting, taking chances with our art, often failing, but always trying to support each other. The art is the common link to that physical and emotional support.
My oil/watercolor paintings are based on personal stories and contain of expressions of love, sorrow, or courage. The ceramic pieces I make are less about my personal experiences and more about how I want others to feel when they use a piece of mine. If they are using a bowl, cup, or mug, I want people to first be visually attracted to the form, textures, and colors. Then I like to consider how that piece will physically feel in their hands or against their lips. One of my bowls has such a great texture from an ash glaze I made on the on outside. When I pick it up, I just want to keep touching it. That is what I want. I want someone to have a better visual or physical experience because of the artistic choices I’ve made.
Michele Hilbing. “Guppy.” 2020. Porcelain, 4 ½”x8”. NFS.
RP: Best time of day or night to create and why?
MH: I can only really use the ceramic studio during the day so daytime. Which works and makes me feel more like a functional human. But when the studio closes over the holidays and I am painting in my basement – I turn into a night owl and paint until the sun comes up in the morning. 
Michele Hilbing. “Waterfall.” 2021. Stoneware, 7 ½”x11 ½”. NFS
RP: Do you find assignments and deadlines helpful or hindrance in the creative process?
MH: I like to know deadlines and I appreciate assignments that enlighten me. At first, I might feel “thrown off” but then I usually enjoy the ride or at least the finished product. It’s about the journey.
Michele Hilbing. “Tea & Coffee.” 2020. Porcelain, 3 ½”x6”. NFS.
RP: What is your future creative life?
MH: I would love to go back to school to earn an MFA. But with or without that, I will always find a way to have art in my life. 
Artist Michele Hilbing in her home studio.
Learn more about Michele Hilbing: www.instagram.com/mrmhilbing
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Roxanne Phillips
is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned
a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St.
Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas.
Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in
St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis
since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020
she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in
numerous exhibitions
throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads
Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is
currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as
exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is
past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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