[ 1937 - 2024 ] After receiving a degree in English from Brigham Young University and then teaching English and creative writing for nine years, Sisemore went to the University of Utah and completed an MFA degree in painting and filmmaking. Studying under Doug Snow, Roger DesRosier, Ed Maryon and George Dibble. Sometime in the early ‘70’s she took an abstract expressionism class at the Art Barn taught by Lee Deffebach which culminated in a two person exhibit with the Deffebach and a lifelong friendship.

In 1978, Sisemore received a National Endowment for the arts artist-in residence grant to teach painting at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming and served as a filmmaker-in-residence for high school students in Dubois, Wyoming. From 1979-1994, she worked at the Utah State Office of Education as an educational filmmaker. She produced over two hundred films for classrooms, KUED programing and filmed in Mexico and the U.S. for National Satellite. At the same time, she received a number of grants as an independent filmmaker to produce documentary films on Utah Artists.

In 2014 she was honored at the Rio Gallery as an outstanding teacher, painter and filmmaker. Works of her friends and colleagues were included in the show. In 2015 she received the Salt Lake Mayor’s award in visual arts and in 2017 she was selected as one of twelve outstanding female artists in Utah by Abobe Corporation. In the same year she received a lifetime achievement award from who’s who in America. So far in 2018 she has been part of 45, a group show featuring many outstanding Utah artists, past and present curated by Denis Phillips at Phillips Gallery, as well as What I Did on My Summer Vacation a two person show with Trent Alvey at Salt Lake’s main library. Claudia Sisemore’s paintings have been shown in many major Utah shows. Her work is in collections of individuals, corporations, Salt Lake County and Utah State.

[ S T A T E M E N T ]

I have a vague idea of what I am going to paint. I read that many artists are inspired by an idea before they begin their work and plan their approach and process based on that idea or muse. Others become inspired after they have begun working and watching colors, shapes and designs form. I basically belong the second group. Usually, after painting begins in a loose, free manner, I become excited by certain colors and patterns and continue from there.