B.C. Gilbert
I was born and raised in Amarillo on the high plains of the Texas Panhandle. The geography there as well as the rich and colorful history of the area and the individual characters it tends to produce has had a tremendous influence on the art work I create. The Old Route 66 Highway ran through town a few blocks from my father’s welding repair shop and the numerous motel, shopping center, restaurant and other various signage that I was exposed to growing up has been a source of inspiration for most of my recent sculptures as well as past work. For the first twenty years of my art career, I primarily worked as a mixed media painter and printmaker. Although I tend to generally identify as an all-around working artist, sculpture has been the focus of my concentration recently. Like most working artist’s, I have a day job. I have been a public-school teacher since 2008, beginning my career as a high school art teacher and currently teach welding technology. Teaching is a challenging occupation, but I enjoy passing on the knowledge I’ve gained through the years to those who are willing to accept it. As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be an artist and I feel fortunate to find myself at mid-career still going at it.