Shirley Wagner: Assembly Required

View available sculptures by Shirley Wagner or view available jewelry by Shirley Wagner

By Robin Stancliff

Courtesy Tucson Lifestyle, June 2017

Shirley Wagner, a contemporary assemblage artist, gathers found objects to build wall sculptures. Her inspiration often comes from the Tucson desert, and she incorporates saguaro ribs, rocks, minerals and rusted metal in her work. She recently completed a series using clay sherds, taking broken pieces of pots and assembling them onto a wood base. “My work is born from simple material choices that evolve into complex thoughts,” she explains. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Youngstown University in Ohio, and since moving to Arizona, has been widely shown here. Venues have included Mesa Contemporary Museum of Art, Tempe Center for the Arts, University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Pima County Arts Council, the Drawing Studio and Shemer Art Gallery. Her work can be found in both private and public collections throughout the country, and is in the permanent collection of the University of Arizona Honors College. For her contributions to the arts in Arizona, she has been nominated for the Governor’s Art Award. She is represented by Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery and selected work at the Tucson Museum of Art Shop, Hacienda del Sol Guest Resort and Limited Additions.

Art Necklace #63  |  2017 | obsidian, stainless steel and leather cord