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From the classroom to the art studio, Clare Murray Adams, B.S., '72; M.A., '76; and BFA, '93, has been exploring herself and her surroundings since 1977 when she made the switch from education to creation.

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As an artist, Murray Adams primarily works with materials such as paper, fabric, paint and wax. She selects each material intentionally to feature in her pieces for their ability to communicate her ideas or to create a narrative. She uses these secondhand materials to ensure minimal waste.

Murray Adams recently displayed her new art exhibition titled, “Quilts, Threads and Collage” at Strauss Studios in Canton from Jan. 9-Feb. 10, 2023. The featured artwork included Murray Adams’ collage and mixed media pieces, all of which were made from fabric and recycled materials. 

“It's a wonderful space,” Murray Adams said. “I had a show there previously around 2018, so I was really pleased to be showing there again.”

Murray Adams described the space where her art was displayed as “very intimate,” noting that her name was displayed boldly as visitors walked through the exhibition to experience her colorful artwork contrasting with the gallery’s white walls.

Her work often explores ideas around memory and identity. The use of fabric or clothing seen in her pieces becomes a narrative that tells a story of people, place and time. Whether abstract or rooted in imagery that is concrete, the work is imbued with emotional qualities that are represented in the colors, patterns and materials she uses.

Murray Adams generously donated a piece titled "Still Life With Vase" for a raffle to benefit the Stark County Hunger Task Force. The piece was showcased at the 2021 regional exhibition gallery at Hoyt Art Center. The artwork is a colorful, mixed-media collage. 

Before Murray Adams pursued her dreams of becoming an artist, she taught first grade students for five years. At the same time she was teaching, she attended Kent State to earn a master’s degree in education. 

Murray Adams continued her education at Kent State due to the curriculum's flexibility. While she was a busy teacher during the day, Kent State gave her the opportunity to pursue her master’s degree through classes at night and even during the summer.

“I decided to do some other work and finally go into art,” Murray Adams said. “I opened a fabric shop and during that time I experimented with quilting and other fiber kinds of processes.”

Today, Murray Adams is a mixed-media artist and independent workshop instructor. Her art gives her the freedom to play, experiment and create. Through her art, Murray Adams is able to express herself with a variety of materials and a wide range of techniques. She hopes her audience will feel the same freedom while looking at her pieces.

Murray Adams will have another exhibition, titled “Material Manipulation,” opening on March 20, 2023, at 5X���� at Stark alongside artist Susan McClelland. Murray Adams and McClelland both work with fiber and recycled materials. Their shared exhibition will be on display until April 14, 2023. 

While most of Murray Adams' pieces are made with fabrics placed on a canvas, McClelland works primarily from recycled materials that are created into abstract sculptures. The fabrics and objects featured in Murray Adams' pieces are often realistic and recognizable objects such as spoons and wire. It is often representational but in an abstracted form. Both Murray Adams and McClelland's works tend to reference time and memory.

“We both work with the same kinds of materials but in very different ways,” Murray Adams said. “We've also worked together a couple of times so we are happy to be invited to show together again.”

For more information about Clare Murray Adams’ “Quilts, Threads and Collage,” please visit .

For more information about Kent State’s School of Art, visit /art.