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Claudia Widdiss was born in Harlem. With an early interest in art,
she studied in various community programs such as the Arts and
Culture Program of the Harlem Youth Act of New York City.
Graduating from the High School of Art and Design with a major in
sculpture, Claudia received scholarships to the National Academy of
Fine Arts and The Art Students League of New York. At 19, she
received the Chaloner Prize Foundation Grant to continue her studies in
Europe for two years. Claudia apprenticed with English sculptor Denise
Mitchell in Cornwall and studied stone carving in Carrara,Italy.
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"Awakening," milled
steel |
After her study abroad, she lived in Georgia for ten years, working
primarily in metal. In 1986, Claudia received a BFA in Sculpture from
Rhode Island College, and in 1989 an MFA in Sculpture from
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is now a professor
at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she has taught
sculpture since 1993.
Her metalwork is featured in numerous collections. Her early welded
steel sculptures are displayed in The Omni International Hotel and
Spellman College in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2001, the Eugene Smith
Library of Eastern Connecticut State University unveiled a commissioned
work "Healing Curtain." This large aluminum sculpture is suspended over
two floors of window space and creates intricate shadow patterns in the
building.
Speaking of the creation of “Awakening,” Claudia said: “I combined
my love of pattern and movement to create a feeling of softness.
Transforming the hard edge of steel into lyrical form is an exciting
challenge for me and perhaps a metaphorical symbol of my life." |