Eugenie Shonnard: Breaking the Mold

Eugenie Shonnard: Breaking the Mold is the first posthumous major exhibition of the acclaimed sculptor. Shonnard was a pivotal figure for the history of art and sculpture in the Southwest, widely recognized during her own time for her contributions to the visual arts, yet largely overlooked in recent decades. This exhibition, with an accompanying publication, seeks to reintroduce Shonnard to a new generation of art enthusiasts.

​​Born in Yonkers, New York, Eugenie Shonnard (1886-1978) studied with Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha at the New York School of Applied Design for Women and later with Auguste Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle in Paris. She first came to New Mexico in 1925 at the invitation of Edgar Lee Hewett, founder of the New Mexico Museum of Art, and was given studio space in the museum. In 1927, she returned to New Mexico from Paris for an exhibition at the Museum of Art featuring the busts she made of Native American models and, on that trip, she made New Mexico her permanent home. Shonnard’s subject matter reflected her interest in the distinctive cultures she found in New Mexico, and she soon earned a national reputation for insightful depictions of the Indigenous people of North America and the folk traditions of the Southwest.

Shonnard’s affinity for the iconography of the Catholic Southwest also led to numerous commissions from churches and chapels across the region. Reflecting upon what making art meant to her, she once said “God created form and color in this world. Also he gave some of us talents for the use of these; therefore, we human beings must need them in our daily lives. There is perhaps no other answer! And so, we artists must fulfill life’s commission as artists and craftsmen!”

Shonnard worked across a wide variety of sculptural techniques, but came to champion “direct carving,” also referred to as taille directe, which was popular among early twentieth century sculptors. This approach to sculpture involves working directly on a sculpture without the use of models or maquettes for reference, making many of her sculptures one-of-a-kind objects.

Eugenie Shonnard: Breaking the Mold will reintroduce audiences to the breadth of Shonnard’s long career, from her early Art Nouveau designs created under Mucha’s direct influence to the sculpture, architectural ornaments, and furniture she produced as a mature artist. In a time period in which few women excelled in sculpture, Shonnard defied expectations and carved out a space for herself as a formidable presence in the American Southwest.

Credit: Overview from museum website