MSP Terminal 1, Gallery F4
October 1, 2024 - October 1, 2025

Taking Flight is an interpretation of birds and nature by artist Susan Feigenbaum. As you take a closer look at these abstract artworks, you may recognize some familiar Minnesota birds in their natural habitats. Other compositions take off in a flight of imagination and feature unreal birds in otherworldly environments.

These compositions are inspired by Susan’s lifelong appreciation for birds. Her interest was sparked as she watched the backyard birds that her mother loved to feed. After moving to Minnesota, her birding universe exploded as she discovered countless new species through ornithology classes and field trips. The artist draws upon this archive of memory, observation, experience, and a playful imagination to create her work.

Each piece is shaped in clay by hand. After they dry, the forms are fired in a kiln. Susan then adds colors and glazes to the bisqueware and the pieces are refired. Sometimes there are additional rounds of glazing and refiring to enhance texture, color, and achieve the desired surface effects. Clay, glaze, wood, steel, found natural materials, and acrylic paint were used to create the artworks in this exhibition.

By combining her ceramic art with her appreciation for birds and nature, Susan hopes that viewers will take a fresh look at abstract art, ceramic sculpture, and where we find birds—in their natural habitats— and in our own daily lives and imaginations.