Claudia Smalley

Bio: Claudia Smalley is a first-generation Polish-American artist whose parents immigrated to Chicago in the late 1970s. She has shown work at national venues including the Polish Museum of America and Illinois State Museum venues through the Illinois Artisans Program. The Chicago Art Institute's Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, James Rondeau, has also selected Claudia as an ArtFutura 2011 finalist. Claudia has been featured in local/national/international print publications such as the Chicago Reader, CBS Chicago (web edition), Business News Daily, and La Republica (The national newspaper of Italy).

Statement: Claudia's work serves as an interpretation of relationships; a commentary to the human race's dependence and desire to connect with one another, and to strengthen the idea of "˜community'. Sources of inspiration for her work range from biological imagery of neural synapses to create patterns of gaps and forms, as she has done in her "Synapse" series, to kitchen utensils such as stainless steel measuring spoons and measuring cups, which later became her "Utensil" series. Each series ties back to the idea of relationships and community.

BACHELOR OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS, Highest Honors, U. of Illinois Champaign

MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, U. Illinois in Champaign