Ann Cibulskis
As a child, everyone who knew Ann Cibulskis (Chicago, 1962) was sure she’d be an artist. Her life revolved around drawing and observing. Ann’s mother was an artist herself, and encouraged her daughter with creative projects like mosaics and calligraphy. Memories of her art filled childhood still sit well with her; she recently framed old drawings by her mother, one for each of her five siblings.
Cibulskis attended Providence College in Rhode Island and received a Bachelors degree with an independent study major in 1984. She focused her energies on painting and art history. Her Masters degree in Urban Planning and Policy was attained at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1986. Her thesis was on the topic of public housing and how the design affected those who live in them. After her education she set out to make the world a better place through effective planning.
Ann stumbled into the ceramics genre after a friend finally got her to commit to a class at the Hyde Park Art Center in 1989. Soon she found herself there from morning until night on her days off. She subsequently joined Lillstreet Art Center (in its original location), the Jane Adams Hull House and finally landed at Lincoln Square Pottery Studio – Learning Center. Initially the artist was interested in the surface of the material as an extension of her painting and compositions. She soon found that the clay itself began to drive her design, and it became more about blended surfaces. Pinch pots took precedent over wheel thrown vessels because of the process. She describes creating a vessel as magical. She loves taking a small ball of clay and molding it delicately with her fingers. She still marvels how the surface becomes a single entity- a whole structure out of nothing.
Cibulskis’s work has evolved over the years, with her initial vessels taking on bone-like surfaces, which reverberate through her pieces today. Rough edges, scratches, pockmarks and organic margins are a continuing appeal for her. Her strong attention to line and form makes her work easy to identify. A trip to Quebec City a few years ago yielded inspiration to create her iconic bird forms. They were influenced by Inuit artwork. Her series of wall sculptures featuring oceanic plant forms blended with knitted elements also came about after viewing an exhibition. They were immediately crafted after seeing the massive crocheted coral reef on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. Cibulskis’ birch stump vases, teapots and planters all exude a natural aesthetic, one that lovingly reflects the object it emulates.
Every artist has a lineup of people that inspire him or her, and Cibulskis has a few. Paulus Berensohn continues to give her ideas with his incredible pinch pots, while Ruth Duckworth’s ceramic compositions of multiple elements (like her large murals) continue to astound her. Paul Voulkos has her admiration for his spontaneous use of the material as well as his ability to create monumental marks.
Three of Cibulskis’ more memorable shows are a direct reflection of her upbringing and sense of advocacy. The first was an exhibition of mixed media tile sculptures seeped in abstraction and industrial elements. The artist’s father used to lift her up to see in the windows of factories in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. Her urban landscapes have stayed with her, and pop up in her work. The second show that best exemplifies her style was one that benefited MAG (Mines Advisory Group). Cibulskis created a body of work based off of unexploded mines in war-torn regions. The vessels took on the form of these munitions to draw attention to this ongoing catastrophe, and MAG’s roll in helping remove them. Her work at the past two Pottery of Protest exhibitions at LSPS-LC have focused on the gun violence in Chicago. The issue hits close to home for her because she’s worked in public housing developments and has seen how this bloodshed rips communities apart. Although Cibulskis is found at LSPS-LC on the weekends as a volunteer, she looks forward to retiring so she has more time to work with clay. Her attentions will be focused on subjects that need light shed on them, as she thinks artwork is the best way she knows how to get important messages across.