“Two Shadows” by Robert Sunderman

Fine Artist, Associate Professor Emeritus, Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist 

Rob Sunderman graduated from the University of Iowa with a BFA, MA and MFA. He is a Fine Artist, Scenic Designer, Scenic Artist, and Associate Professor Emeritus of Theatre. He was the Resident Scenic Designer/Scenic Artist and Associate Professor of Theatre Design at Iowa State University for 21 years. Prior to his work at ISU, he was the Scenic Designer at Iowa Public Television for 16 years. He has designed and scenic painted over 282 shows during his career.

He has received Iowa Film, National Broadcasting Designers, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival awards for his scenic designs and many Fine Art awards. He has been a fine artist throughout his life. He has exhibited his work in over 281 local, national and international exhibitions.

Rob’s artwork is best described by this quote from him, “Not limiting materials is so important in my work. I use whatever best conveys the subject or story that I am addressing. I recently have been working on pieces dealing with renewal, fleeting moments, human intervention of natural cycles in a variety of medium. Almost all my work has to do with nature, humanities intrusive nature, natural environment, climate change and all organic things. I want the work to convey a sense of beauty, but also confront the challenges we are faced with our environment, be hopeful and propose creative solutions.”

He is currently exhibiting work nationally and is participating, as one of the artists, in a “Climate Change Planning Through Art” project. His art piece for this project is called “Crib in Crisis Encounter”. This is an interactive evolving art piece that have been exhibited many places in central Iowa. It is in it’s final faze of the project and will become a permeant sculpture piece.