As a kid, Becky McDonah was always drawing and making art. Every summer, she and her family spent three months in a cabin with no television or phone, and she said she thinks that her creativity originated there. Today, McDonah is an associate professor in fine art metals at Millersville University, a position she took in July 2012.
Most of the time, people ask McDonah when she knew she wanted to be an artist, but she actually grew up wanting to be a teacher. When she was an undergrad student at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, she was studying mass communications with a minor in art, but ultimately decided to double major in the two. McDonah went on to graduate school at Arizona State University, where she received her Master of Fine Arts in studio art, specializing in metalworking, and she has spent the past 10 years teaching fine art metals at Millersville University. "It's my passion to be out there making and teaching others how to do it, too," she said.
Working as a professor has not hindered McDonah from exhibiting her work, which is very important to her. She has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and has lectured and presented at workshops across the country. McDonah's work has been published in CAST, Metalsmith magazine, Humor in Craft, Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop, and 500 Metal Vessels. Recently, her work "Particulate Protection: A Reliquary for the N95 Mask" was featured in the 54th annual Art of the State exhibition at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.
Created during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, "Particulate Protection" is made of brass, silver, copper, pearls, an N95 mask, cheesecloth, and faux suede. McDonah has a deep interest in historical reliquaries, containers that house relics, so she is always looking at imagery and objects from different time periods. Prior to creating the piece, she had read "Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints From the Catacombs," which discusses the catacomb saints and how their skeletal remains were decorated, ornamented, and preserved for religious purposes. McDonah decided to treat an N95 mask in the same manner as a catacomb saint by putting it in a reliquary. With this piece, McDonah explained she wants to grab people's attention and prompt them to contemplate the function of the mask, reflect on their choices, and consider the importance of the mask. "Really, it's just about thinking about things, being thankful for things, and protecting them," explained McDonah.
McDonah was one of two artists who received a Purchase Prize in the Art of the State exhibition. This means that "Particulate Protection" will become a part of the museum's permanent collection.
"Art can be a reflection of what's going on around us," said McDonah. "It's like a way to think about it and to express what your feelings are during that time. Not that it's always therapeutic, but it really is if you are creating art. The aspect of being the creator and immersing yourself into the making of a piece is something that I wish everybody could feel."
"Art will always have a place in society," stated McDonah. "It's been around forever."
To learn more about the Art of the State exhibition, visit http://statemuseumpa.org/artofthestate/.
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