Art Alumni Feature: Pam Bowman

From fine craft to fine art, installation artist Pam Bowman has always been a maker of things

“I’ve always been a maker of things,” said Pam Bowman, who for years worked in fine crafts. “I wanted to do things that were creative and use my hands.” For 20 years after receiving a bachelor’s degree from BYU in interior design, Bowman was primarily a stay-at-home mother to three boys. She was also an accomplished weaver, unsatisfied with the conceptual limitations of traditional basketry. She attended national conferences in the field, where she always sought out the presenter with a background in studio art. Frequent contact with artists working across art and craft elevated Bowman’s creativity, and she started winning awards.

Return to BYU When Bowman’s husband retired from the Air Force and took a faculty position teaching mechanical engineering at BYU, Bowman took advantage of her tuition benefit as an employee spouse and returned to school. Knowing she wanted to study 3D art, she planned to earn a BFA. But when she learned that BYU allowed only one bachelor’s degree per student, she decided to get an MFA instead. “I didn’t realize what an ambitious thing that was,” Bowman said, “but it was the right decision.” Read more about Bowman in the full article written by Abby Weidmer at art.byu.edu.