Wendy Connelley
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:32:55 PDT

THE RANCH(ER) is a thesis project to fulfill the requirements of an MFA degree in visual fine-arts. This project focused on exploring my connection between the land, the ranch and its tools, and generations of ancestors living and working a small family ranch. I give voice to the seldom-vocal rancher and the isolation, hardships, and tenderness of ranch life. I have chosen as subjects for this exhibition objects that are utilitarian and are items woven into the cultural fabric of ranchers and their families. They are icons of generational identity. Rather than creating purely traditional functional objects such as cups and bowls, I’ve created conceptual pieces that emphasize the intangible connection between utilitarian objects and their users, as well as the objects’ roles in its customary position. By removing the items from their original context, I point to the context of function and utility: a life of use and work. Clay is the primary material used to create this installation to tell a universal story. The ceramic and sculptural pieces were exhibited to the public as an installation in the University of Alaska Fairbanks Fine Arts Gallery in the Fine Art Complex, Room 312, from November 2-20, 2020. The artist’s public presentation was given through an open Zoom meeting on Friday, November 13, 2020. The project report summarizes the examination and investigations involved in the development of the project.