CYDNEY ROSS

BIO Cydney Ross (she/they) was raised throughout the Greater Kansas City area, and has set down roots in Kansas City, Missouri with her cat, Max. She earned a BFA in ceramics from Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. No matter the material, their creative expression embraces ephemerality and risk-taking. Her current practice utilizes clay, soil, native seeds, pigments drawn from natural materials, time and weather. She has always had a naturalist spirit, with her earliest memories hiking, paddling Missouri rivers, camping with her family, and gardening with her mom. Her endless curiosity, stewardship for the earth, and background in the arts inspires folks to connect with nature and shift perspectives of beauty. Cydney proudly leads LGBTQ+ inclusive nature programs throughout the Kansas City area and is a self-proclaimed “native plant nerd.” They are the Outdoor Education Manager for Deep Roots, a non-profit who fosters community around native landscapes in the Midwest. If you've visited Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City, you may have seen Cydney sculpting the native gardens or enthusiastically teaching people how to garden with nature. 

FINE ARTS STATEMENT - CERAMIC SCULPTURES My interest in buildings is inspired by the urban and rural structures that surround me in my Midwestern hometown and travels. Structures being built, torn down, or that have faced massive destruction capture my attention and stir my curiosity. Architecture and the landscape it resides on guides form and surface exploration. As an aspiring Naturalist, I use my art to communicate the lasting impact our actions have on the earth in the form of climate change and other environmental issues.

Though utilizing calculated building methods, an element of spontaneity occurs throughout the making process, particularly when the rules of chemistry and gravity come into play. These forces aid me in depicting the passage of time that follows all things, cared for or forgotten. I employ unconventional ceramic processes including intentionally over-firing or freezing and then thawing sculptures to encourage swaying, slumping, and collapsing. Examining architecture throughout its various life cycles and our interaction with the earth furthers my exploration of the liminal space between creation and destruction.