Spencer McClay

Spencer is primarily known as a fiber artist, and he has earned numerous awards and prizes in this field. Spencer began exhibiting his work in Sacramento art shows in 1988. Exhibitions of Spencer’s work were held at the Lincoln Art Center in 1993 and 1996. His work has also been extensively exhibited in San Francisco, Nevada City, and Grass Valley. His commissions and works in public buildings include the Nevada County Government Center and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Spencer has a knack for the dramatic, with the size and majestic quality of his creations commanding attention. From his roots in Louisiana to his travels to West Africa, Spencer channels his influences to discover new directions for his creativity:

“I was born in New Orleans where Mardi Gras influenced me with its wild and crazy clothes, beads, and balloons, cotton candy, floats, bands, and dancing in the streets. When I visited the Ivory Coast in 1990 I met a man weaving on a simple loom tied to a tree weighted with stones. I loved the bright material of the clothes that people wore all day long.”

You can learn more about Spencer and see samples of his work created outside of program here.