Susan Zoccola
Artist Statement
Years of experience with public art commissions enables me to work on a large scale and in a broad public context, which I find interesting and inspiring. These projects have all involved collaboration with public entities, community groups, architects and design professionals. My understanding of materials, scale and site has contributed a great deal to the success of these projects and is what continues to excite me about participating in new projects. I thrive in a design team situation and enjoy the challenges of different sites as fuel for creative problem solving and art making. My work is fundamentally inspired by natural forms and systems. I make artwork that is responsive to the environment, helps create a sense of place, reveals dimensions of its history and brings awareness to natural patterns. As a professional public artist, I bring knowledge of durable materials with ease of maintenance in mind, as well as teams of fabricators and engineers with whom I collaborate well. I have worked in a wide range of interior and exterior public projects: new civic spaces (Kenmore City Hall, Lynnwood Community Center); parks and playgrounds (Seattle Center and Aquarium, Laurelhurst Community Center); facilities (Valley Medical Hospital, Kent Municipal Courthouse, Whatcom & Spokane Community Colleges); and transportation, plazas and streetscape projects (King County/Metro, City of Everett, Portland/TriMet, City of Denver).