After the Rain

Naomi Sugino’s oil on canvas painting titled After the Rain was selected as the 2009 Commemorative Poster for the City of Columbia. The work was selected from 74 images submitted by 13 Missouri artists through a jury process.

Sugino describes her approach to her artwork as creating a “collection of observations,” adding that in each painting “the subject matter is a record of where I was and what I came into contact with during specific periods of my life.”  After the Rain depicts an alley on Ninth Street between Broadway and Cherry Street in Columbia. “In the painting, I found myself concentrating on the contemplative haze that gently envelops our surroundings just after a rain,” says Sugino.

Born in Ishioka, Japan, Sugino came to the United States in 1986. She attended Eastern Illinois University, graduating in 1999 with dual degrees in art and music, and went on to complete a master of fine art degree from Wichita State University in 2002, with emphases in painting and drawing. Sugino then joined the faculty of Columbia College’s Art Department, where she currently works as an Associate Professor of Art. As a professional educator, Sugino says that she does as she counsels her students to do: “make lots of paintings, make lots of mistakes, experiment with new approaches, and enjoy the act of creativity.”

Sugino has exhibited in many regional and national shows. In 2008, her work was featured in the Missouri 50 Competition at the Missouri State Fair, and was selected by the Missouri Arts Council as a featured image for their 2009 statewide Arts Awards. Sugino keeps a studio at Columbia’s Orr Street Studios and maintains local affiliations with the Columbia Art League, the Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild and Access Arts School of Service.