Sho-Ban tribal artist Claire Rae Edmo begins Spokane Falls fine art gallery residency
Shoshone-Bannock tribal member and artist Claire Rae Edmo.
By WINNIE KILLINGSWORTH
For The Spokesman Review
With a new year taking shape, Artist Claire Rae Edmo is starting on an adventure as the sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Artist-In-Resident with the Spokane Falls Community College Fine Art Gallery.
Since childhood, Edmo has always been creating art. From drawing “little stories or comic books” for her grandma as a child to taking every art class she could in high school, it was not a hard choice to pursue art in college.
“(Art is) what I wanted to do so I need to go for it, and I don’t regret it,” Edmo said. “I’d choose the same thing again.”
Edmo completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art and design with an emphasis in painting and printmaking from University of Idaho in May.
Being Shoshone-Bannock and Chippewa Cree and growing up in Blackfoot, Idaho, near the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Edmo prioritizes sharing her heritage and personal experiences through her art.
A mixed media collage using ribbon, thread and a painted canvas by Claire Rae Edmo.
“I really feel like I can communicate who I am and where I come from best through my art and incorporating beading onto traditional paintings,” she said. “It’s two parts of me coming together.”
Currently drawn to beading as her primary medium, Edmo also does painting, relief printmaking, paper weaving and pottery.
A major inspiration for Edmo is her grandma who helped to raise her.
“A lot of my art is mainly about nostalgia, growing up, and my childhood, and all of that was with her … I see her everywhere. In many of my pieces, there’s always a splash of her in there.”
A favorite piece that is filled with deep and personal meaning to Edmo is called “where I will find you.” It is a collage on a painted canvas. There is buckskin, fabric and assorted beads that make up the collage. All these materials were given to Edmo by her grandma or were once used by her grandma.
A relief print portrait of a camas plant by Edmo.
Although much of her art centers around nostalgia, Edmo is excited for this residency and all that could come because of the experience. Her art, networking and portfolio are all aspects that Edmo hopes to see expanded through the three-month residency.
A method that Edmo has used in the past and is considering doing during her residency is en plein air which is when the painting is done outside. Since it is colder this time of year, Edmo will also sometimes take photos of the landscape or nature that she would like to paint and then bring the image to life in her studio.
Other mediums and art styles that Edmo is considering are larger paintings and beadwork onto canvas. Pottery is another possibility.
Currently living in Moscow, Idaho, as her partner is in law school at UI, Edmo is excited to explore more of the Spokane area and already knows some of the restaurants that she wants to try out.
Edmo will be there though the winter quarter, which ends March 26, and will be part of the “HERE & NOW” 2026 Fire Art Department exhibition through Feb. 10.
A paper woven art piece.
After the residency, Edmo is unsure exactly what the future holds. Grad school and other residencies are on the list of things to consider. One possibility is becoming an art teacher.
“Art is meant to be shared,” Edmo said. “It’s for everybody.”
A fan of showing art and seeing what others create, she loves the idea of teaching anyone and everyone with an interest.
(Copyright 2026. Reprinted with permission of The Spokesman Review.)
