Donna McCullough

The dress sculptures of Donna McCullough are expressions in contrast. Steel, scrap metal, and found objects (often industrial) are forged into feminine silhouettes, lacking only the flesh-and-blood women whose presence they suggest. Her clever manipulation of steel and wire turns on its head the notion of a dress as a traditional symbol of femininity. This series, originating in 1995, was born of her experiences navigating the corporate world - a kind of armor that woman need to do battle. But over the years the pieces have begun both to explore the female psyche more broadly. McCullough lives and works on her farm/studio in rural Maryland. Expanding upon her oeuvre with her love of animals, she has memorialized horses, fowl, and canines in steel over the years as well.

In 2012, Donna received the "Recognition of Excellence" from the James Renwick Alliance, a national non-profit that supports the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery, celebrating the achievements of America's craft artists. Previous exhibition sites include the Corcoran Museum of Art, the Art Museum of the Americas, the International Museum of the Horse, the Grounds for Sculpture, and the United States Botanic Garden.