Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ruth Brockmann. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Singing the Souls Back Home, 2003

Ruth Brockmann
(American, born 1955, died 2013)

Location: Shahala Middle School, Vancouver

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Singing the Souls Back Home is a glass wall installation created by artist Ruth Brockmann. It made up of many different figures and symbols. Together they celebrate the history and legacy of the Shahala people. The Shahala were part of the family of Chinook tribes that lived along the Columbia River for thousands of years. In her glass wall sculptures, she draws on Shahala symbols passed down as legends and recorded as petroglyphs. These symbols show how all living things connect, and pay respect to nature's spirit.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Evergreen School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ruth Brockmann (1955-2013) was a leader in the Northwest kiln-formed glass movement. She created fused-glass sculptures that celebrated and explored our spiritual connection to the natural world.

Ruth Brockman was one of the initial artists in the 1980s to work and experiment with Bullseye Glass Company's colored glass for fusing. She has taught glass fusing at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Northwestern Washington, as well as around the United States and Canada. Her experimental, do-it-yourself art practice is heavily influenced by her experiences farming in Alaska and Washington, working on commercial fishing boats, traveling in Mexico, and Mother Nature.