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May 4 Art Minute: Judy McKie, Polar Bear Bench

Art Minute
Judy McKie (American, born 1944), Polar Bear Bench. Carved marble, 2000. Gift of the Toledo Museum of Art Ambassadors, 2001.25.

Judy McKie wants there to be no mistake: what she makes is not only art, but furniture to be lived with and used, so please feel free to take a seat! McKie has said, “I want to make art that people love.” She helps to achieve this goal through her use of distinctive animal motifs and her sense of whimsy. She possesses a remarkable ability to capture the essence of the animal she is representing through her sensitive selection of materials. For example, she carved Polar Bear Bench from a block of white marble with crystal flecks that suggest the cold, snowy Arctic where the bear lives.

Watch curator Diane Wright's Art Minute here: https://youtu.be/hfecShv37X0

Judy McKie (American, born 1944), Polar Bear Bench. Carved marble, 2000. Gift of the Toledo Museum of Art Ambassadors, 2001.25. 

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