I dream . . . of the natural and built environments and how they might interact. The results may lean toward Mother Nature and/or compliment her. Many ideas frolic without particular meaning but some are serious.
I think . . . in terms of cutting through space, blocking space, and what the results might be.
I see . . . the object. Sometimes I see the space around it. Usually, it is a combination of the two.
I neglect . . . naming an abstract piece, causing viewers to make of it what they will. The piece must take on a life of it’s own. When this happens, people see things I would never have imagined.
I believe . . . steel is a marvelous medium. Strong and pliable, it speaks to me. If I work it, respect it, and treat it gently, ironically it will reward me by telling my story to others. If people walk around, touch, and occasionally climb my sculpture, I consider it a success. It means they have connected with it. It is talking to them.
I am . . . a dedicated artist who believes all of these things influence my art.
Cynthia McKean grew up in Montana and Wyoming. The horizon there is chiseled against a sky so blue that some say it hurts their eyes.
Wide open spaces go on forever. Mountains thrust upward to the sky. Colors are strong. Weather is fierce, be it hot or cold.
Wildlife has adapted as has the vegetation sustaining it. People are so few that it is natural for them to become molded by these extraordinary surroundings.
It is not surprising that she chose to attend a small liberal arts school in WallaWalla, Washington called Whitman College.
She graduated in 1963 with a degree in biology. For the next three years, Cynthia worked as a research assistant at the University of Oregon Dental School.
She left the work force to be a full time mother when the first of her two children was born. As she pondered during ensuing years,
she began to understand that in order to champion the wonders of the Natural environment, one must also comprehend the built environment.
The University of Idaho was buried in ash in 1980 when Mount Saint Helen blew her top. On the same day, three hundred miles away, Cynthia McKean graduated
with a degree in architecture. Before long, she was working for the Idaho Department of Energy giving seminars on alternative energy.
As fate would have it, in 1982 Cynthia joined the manufacturing industry in Michigan. The factory into which she poured her life had this wonderful,
special place called “the weld shop”. By the mid 1990’s, she finally followed her heart to the local vocational technical center and started welding her
own ideas into sculpture. In June of 1997, she began her new adventure as a sculptor.
Today she lives in Saugatuck, Michigan. Her studio, fondly referred to as “The Barn”, is down the driveway in the woods behind the house.
She continues to find it all enthralling.
Many wonder where it all begins…
Behind her home in Saugatuck, Michigan, Cynthia McKean works in her studio lovingly referred to as “The Barn”.
Several pieces of sculpture reside in the meadow and woods surrounding the barn.
On sunny, warm days the oversized barn doors burst open letting in the breezes and feelings of Mother Nature. While on colder days, the wood stove keeps everything nice and toasty.
At the rear of the barn is the loft where the creative process takes place as is evident by models,
drawings, macquettes and various other artistic supplies that litter the surroundings of the heart of the studio.
At first glance one sees projects in various stages of completion.
Cranes, lifts and welding equipment are apparent indicators of an actively working studio..
So simply put, the art of Cynthia McKean begins at her studio and finds its way to a new home to become part of another place.
Cynthia McKean, Artist
(616) 610-0053 - Cell
cmcdesign@cynthiamckean.com
Corporate Portfolio
www.corporateportfolio.net
Karen Paul
Sales Representative
3413 Burton Ridge Road, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 942-2275
cpfineart17@gmail.com
Three gulls fly through a ring in the garden at City Hall, South Haven, Michigan
Explore this piece. Click here!
Meet two friends resting in the meadow of Cynthia's Studio on Mason Street, in Saugatuck, Michigan.
Explore this piece. Click here!
A representation of the cyclical nature of life, Family of Man can be experienced at picturesque Coughlin Park on the edge of Kalamzoo Lake in Downtown Saugatuck, Michigan
Explore this piece. Click here!
Paying homage to Native Nations living along the Grand River for thousands of years before the advent of European settlers, Cynthia create Eighth Fire for ArtPrize 2013.
Explore this piece. Click here!
A metaphor for the dire financial situation Michigan endured during the recession, find the Rising Phoenix as you drive by the meadow of Cynthia's Studio on Mason Street in Saugatuck, Michigan.
Explore this piece. Click here!
See the three vortices of SEA GULLS rising from the plaza at Wabash Landing in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Cascading Circles showcase the entrance of the United Bank of Michigan at 900 East Paris, in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sea gulls cavort at the top of the stairs at Douglas Beach on the west end of Center Street, in Douglas, Michigan.
The magical beast inspired by the combined ideas of the students of Douglas Elementary can be seen roaming along the front drive
of the school, in Douglas, Michigan. A video of of "Roari's" creation from brainstorming to production can be seen below.
The 6 foot tall sculpture is now located at the Casade Township Musuem Garden - 2839 Thornapple River Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Cynthia has created countless works of art from tabletop designs to projects weighing several tons.
All of them are special to her in as many ways as there are projects. The pictures below have been selected for your viewing pleasure
and represent a small sampling of her many beautiful pieces.
Please note, that these are not any of her "Petite" pieces. Clicking the SMALL SCALE link at the top of the portfolio
will take you to an entirely different section displaying some of her small scale works. Enjoy!
Working side by side with Cynthia McKean, a recognized sculptor, to create an individual and unique piece of art
is a dream come true for many clients. The process is a very personal approach to the development and fabrication of
an individual sculpture that is created with a cooperative eye between the artist and client. The original and creative
results will bring years of personal satisfaction and joy. Commissions usually begin when potential customers contact
Cynthia with an idea or ideas about a piece they would like. Typically they already are familiar with Cynthia’s work.
It begins with a discussion about how they might work together. If they are close to Saugatuck, they often tour local
installations.
If the customer is interested in something similar to what Cynthia has already produced, the process tends to be rather straight forward.
If the client is looking for something entirely different then it becomes more involved. Often after one or several meetings
Cynthia needs to spend time just thinking about the project. She calls this “steeping time”. Sometimes it takes a few weeks,
sometimes a few months, and occasionally more than a year. She keeps in touch with the client during this process.
When an idea starts to take form, she typically does a series of drawings and/or builds a simple model to present to the customer.
They review it together. If they are pleased, the sculpture may go into production, or it may continue to be refined in the same give
and take fashion, perhaps with additional drawings and one or more additional models.
When the concept is ready for fabrication, it is time to create a formal order. Typically a 50% deposit of the total cost of the project
officially enters the order. The balance is due upon delivery.
Total cost may include:
Price of the sculpture
Sales tax when applicable
Delivery
Installation
1000 Mason Street
Saugatuck, MI 49453
Copyright © 2022 cMc design.
All Rights Reserved.
Concept, design and coding by Jean P. Johnson with Team Designova.
Design implemented for cMc design by DB&C NetWerks LLC
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