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I was born and
raised in Alexandria. I attended Public Schools in the 60s
and 70s when the public and the Powers-that-Be still thought
that art and imagination were important for developing brains.
Lyles Crouch elementary school had a kiln and a fabulous art
teacher, Mr. Davenport. He inspired his mostly public-housing
charges to create lots of wonderful and messy things!
I graduated from T. C. Williams High School
in 1978 and went on to get my BFA from Radford University
in 1982. A career in retail took me away from Art for awhile;
for twenty years I worked as a buyer and display person at
Why Not, a small independent toy and kids clothing store on
King Street. In 1996 my First husband Committed Suicide. This
Sudden and devastating loss brought me back to art as a way
of healing and I started taking classes at the NOVA Alexandria
campus. At first I made small brown bowls but gradually, under
the guidance of the gifted and talented Bill Schran, I began
to more deeply explore the medium and sculpt again. It was
at NOVA that I learned the ancient Japanese firing technique
of raku. In 2003 I left retail to try art full-time. In 2004
I was juried into the Torpedo Factory.
I still live in Alexandria, in the Del
Ray neighborhood with my lovely husband, two dogs and a cat.
I do my sculpting in Studio #16 at the Factory. My ceramic
work is mostly hand-built and raku fired I also work with
lots of found objects and recycled materials and I can't imagine
a better job!
Peace and love,
Lisa Schumaier
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