During the more than three decades Susan Kliewer has been sculpting, she has created a large body of work that ranges from the beauty and traditions of the Native American culture to images that celebrate the working cowboys and cowgirls of the Southwest. “All my life I have been fascinated by the ever-changing dynamics of our American West,” she says. “Through my work I strive to portray the many cultures that have come before us with dignity, respect and understanding. From the ancient cliff dwellers to the cowboys who rode the range, my subjects reflect the West that I’ve researched and lived.”

Although Kliewer was born and raised in Orange County, California, she has spent the majority of her life in and around Sedona, Arizona. “My former husband and I moved to Sedona in 1969,” she says. “We had taken our children camping there a number of times so we already had ‘Red Rock fever.’ Los Angeles had gotten so smoggy that we knew it was time to find a better place to live.”

Read the entire article in the May/June 2020 issue.

More Mischief

Bronze
7 1/2” by 12” by 13”

“I am so fortunate to have my dear Hopi friend and model, Kate Lomadafki. We are welcomed with open arms to her mother’s home in Moenkopi for the summer dances. We watch the Kachinas dance and, in between, the antics of the Kosharis. They paint their bodies with white clay and charcoal stripes. Kosharis represent human frailties and are often quite naughty. Everyone has a hilarious time when they appear.”

Running Free

Bronze
11” by 19” by 8”

“I think there is nothing more beautiful than horses running free, just for the joy of running. I saw these three horses on the Apache Maid ranch. The image was in my head and I had to sculpt them.”