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Biography
Addie Boswell is a multidisciplinary artist and author whose work illuminates the stories of ordinary people and everyday moments. Most of her career has been dedicated to public art and children’s picture books, which are similar in their narrative arc and widespread appeal. She believes public art offers a unique chance for people to engage in positive change and build common ground. She collaborates with citizens, officials and partner artists of all ages to get “more hands on the wall” on her projects. Boswell’s public work can be found in community centers around the Northwest, including The Patricia Reser Arts Center (Beaverton, OR), the Anne Frank Memorial (Boise, ID), Portland Fire & Rescue, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Oregon State Treasury (Salem, OR) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (Portland, OR), and many libraries and schools. Her books include The Snow Dancer, The Rain Stomper, Five on the Bed, and the “In Motion” series which starts with Go, Bikes, Go!
Since the Covid Pandemic, Boswell has been concentrating on trash and gleaned material as a primary artistic medium. Her recent series of landscapes and portraits are built from plastic refuse collected through neighborhood and beach clean-ups. This art capture the dissonance of the present, with beauty and degradation intertwined. When not making things (and encouraging others to do the same), Boswell is likely trolling for materials on Portland’s streets, playing card games with her family and reading when she should be sleeping. |
Artist Statement
My faith is in people. There is always extraordinariness in ordinary life, and always a story to tell. The stories I continue to return to are centered on families, communal work, seasonal cycles, growth, and a sense of community or place. No matter the medium, my mission is to capture the inherent beauty of regular days and the dignity of ordinary citizens. A painter at heart, I am drawn to the disciplined process of color and layer but the spirit of crafters and street artists. This is why I gravitate to public art and picture books, both of which make art accessible and interwoven in daily life. These genres also integrate my roles as a teacher and community organizer.
The pandemic abruptly froze all my public outreach and sent me walking in small and repeated circles. I saw my city from a different angle and especially noticed the explosion of pollution – microplastics could be found in streets and parks, streams and beaches. I started collecting this non-recyclable trash and experimenting with it in mobiles, sculptures and collaged pieces. Along with the media, the act of walking and gleaning has become a central part of my artistic practice. It is a way to stay tangibly connected to the present moment. Trash art is also the way I’ve adapted to the world’s dissonance: Life is beautiful AND we are drowning in our own consumption. That these works remain joyful and even whimsical shows that restoration is always possible. I believe creativity itself is a form of hope.
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