Diane Kidd Gallery

CARMEN OSTERMANN (b. Edgewood, Kentucky) is a fine artist who was raised in the United States, Canada, Japan, and the Philippines. In 2015, she received her BFA in ceramics and sculpture at the University of Cincinnati. Afterwards she taught at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, Stivers School for the Arts and A+ Children’s Academy. Ostermann is the recipient of the Wolfstein Travel Fellowship (Frankfurt, Germany) and the Ohio Designer Craftsmen’s Scholarship. She completed her MFA at the Columbus College of Art & Design and was awarded the Art at Audubon Artist Residency in 2022. Her work has been featured in the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, the Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, the Ohio Craft Museum, the Sandra J. Blain Gallery, and Manifest Gallery. Carmen works as an educator and as the Administrative and Project Coordinator at the Columbus Audubon; blending her love of art, education, and conservation.

Press Info:

http://www.carmenostermann.com/press.html

Roger Tory Peterson Institute Talk: Examining Humanity’s Relationship with the Natural World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xa_aRlmNy8

Columbus Cultural Arts Center Conversations and Coffee: I am one of those animals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDjF26N4Zew

I am an artist who investigates the intricacy of ecosystems and the impacts of environmental destruction through delicate, hand built ceramic, fiber, and illustration. My work juxtaposes the beauty of the environment and the harm being inflicted upon it. I build ornate depictions of birds being consumed by the ecological succession of their habitats. When constructing the sculptures I carve every feather, bill, and talon. I then envelop the birds in nodes that sprout from their surfaces. These nodes are inspired by the ecological succession made up of flora, foliage, fungi, and coral from the habitats of the selected species. The sculptures are weighed down by the trauma of environmental destruction and suspended in a state of being devoured by it. The surfaces of the sculptures I build are an alabaster colour—all chroma has been drained from them, foretelling what may come to pass. The labor-intensive nature of the work is a reciprocal offering of my time to the natural world. By building meticulously delicate sculptures, I create space for contemplation about our relationship with the environment. Through using clay, a material that stops and survives time, I ask the audience to observe acts of annihilation and question what is worth preserving.

The Diane Kidd Art Gallery operates under the direction of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tiffin University. Decisions regarding exhibitions are made by the Art Gallery Committee, and exhibitions are planned at least one year to two years in advance. Daily gallery operations are managed by Joseph Van Kerkhove, Art Gallery Director. Exhibition proposals may be sent to Mr. Van Kerkhove using the contact information below:

Tiffin University
J. Van Kerkhove/Hayes Center for the Arts
155 Miami St
Tiffin, OH 44883

Please include:

• A minimum of twenty high-resolution digital images
• Each image must be identified with First and Last Name, Title, Medium, Size, Date of artwork
• Brief biography
• Exhibition history
• List of publications
• Statement about proposed exhibition
• Contact information: mailing address, telephone, email