TheBurg News - Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1161113
09.19 | theburgnews.com | 31 Between her residencies at HACC and George Fox University in Oregon—and eventually earning her masters at the University of Tennesee in 2018—LeFever created numerous pieces and even dove into new media such as fabric work and digital design. It wasn't until three years ago that she started to really develop her signature look. Her art is known for having unique shapes and lines and for mixing different textures and patterns. It wasn't something that was planned out or analyzed. According to LeFever, usually, when she is working on a piece, she doesn't have a final look in mind. Instead, her work is the result of a series of reactions from the time she initiates the piece until she feels as if it's finished. "In some ways, I have a few different trajectories in ceramics that all come together at a certain point," she said. " I love rough sorts of textures and really playing with the material." Her upbringing also had a part in shaping her, and, therefore, her art. Living in Lancaster County with her conservative Mennonite family but going to church on Herr Street in Harrisburg, she saw a lot of different cultures mixing together. When LeFever was in the eighth grade, her eldest sister was in a car accident that severely altered her brain. "ere was a certain tearing apart of the physicality of her brain, but also our family and how that changes you," she said. "I always played with the concept of making a form, cutting it apart and reassembling it in different ways." ough these and other events have influenced her, she doesn't really show them through her art. "I wouldn't say that my art is depicting these things, but they are integral to who I am," she said. "I don't think it's why I'm interested in that certain visual language, but it just sort of makes sense to me." When asked what's next, she shrugged and laughed. Her family keeps her pretty busy so she doesn't have a firm timeframe for her art. However, she is still on the hunt for new shows, and, she says, making new art is always the goal. But right now, having her work hanging in the State Museum where hundreds of people can see it—that's enough for her. You can check out Amy LeFever's work at "Art of the State" at the State Museum of Pennsylvania through Sept. 8. To see more, visit her website at www.amylefever.com.