Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2016.

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2016.

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2016.

The Story House, 2009

Barbara Earl Thomas
(American, born 1948)

Location: The Evergreen State College, Olympia

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Barbara Earl Thomas' The Story House is inspired by the idea that stories have the ability to connect or divide us. She explains that “Without walls or a roof the business of life extends out and our stories are more easily incorporated in all that is around us… The benches, incorporated into the artwork, invite the viewer to sit and become a part of the story and hence the artwork itself.” She created a space where telling stories can connect us to each other and the wider world. It is a house-shaped structure with open walls and no roof. The steel laser-cut panels include landscapes, birds, human figures, and guardian figures who are “protectors, guides, and pathfinders that assist us in our daily lives.”

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with The Evergreen State College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist and writer Barbara Earl Thomas creates visual narratives that investigate social, psychological, and formal themes. Her art is informed by a "long and consistent practice of including the world in her art and her life in the world." She works in many mediums and materials, including painting, glass, paper, metal, wood, and egg tempera.

Barbara Earl Thomas earned her Master of Arts degree in 1977 from the University of Washington in Seattle. She is a former Director of the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle. In 2016, she was honored with a Washington State Governor's Arts and Heritage Award and the Twining Humber Award for lifetime artistic achievement.