Kath Girdler Engler

Artist’s Statement

Girdler Engler’s spontaneous and organic sculptures, riddled with allusions and symbols, may seem like enigmas to the casual viewer. That is not, however, the affect that the artist seeks.

“Initially it is just a process; a puzzle and you have to figure out what works and what doesn’t. I enjoy the process, especially that moment when I recognize what is there before me, ou can read a lot into my works, and though some pieces are highly personal, I do not seek to make statements with my sculptures.”

Biography

Kath Girdler Engler (1951 – 2014), born in Indianapolis, Indiana, was a prolific and celebrated sculptor who lived and worked in Augusta, Georgia.

Education & Early Training
• She received a B.F.A. from what was then Augusta State University (Augusta, GA).
• She also earned a B.S.N. from Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
• Early in her career she studied abroad in Italy under apprenticeships — including stone-carving and mold making — and assisted sculptors there.

Artistic Style & Work
Engler developed a distinctive sculptural voice. She often used an unusual medium — paper pulp — combining shredded newspaper with glue, water, and other materials to form layered, textured figures.

Her work evokes ancient and classical sensibilities: she was inspired by the fragmentary beauty of ancient sculptures (particularly ancient Greek and Cycladic art), and she embraced partial — sometimes broken or eroded — forms that echo archaeological remnants.

Her sculptures often mix humanity and mythology — referencing Greek myth, nature, and ancestral crafts — embedding natural materials (like rocks, shells, vines) and symbolic textures to create evocative works that feel both timeless and contemporary.

Exhibitions & Public Work
Engler had a robust exhibition history. For example:
• In 2008 an exhibition titled The Preservation of Form was shown at the Parthenon Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Another show, Making Something Ancient of the New — Sculpture by Kath Girdler Engler, was presented at what is now the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta.
• Her works also include public and commissioned sculptures — both abstract and figurative — many in bronze, installed in hospitals, public institutions, private collections, and throughout her community.

Community Engagement & Outreach
Beyond her studio practice, Engler was deeply invested in youth, healing, and community. She founded and directed a children’s program called Run With Art, blending creative art-making with exercise and encouraging young people to explore both physical and artistic expression.

She also volunteered as an artist-in-residence at the Children’s Medical Center in Augusta, integrating art into healing contexts — making art with young patients and supporting their families.

Legacy

Kath Girdler Engler is remembered for her inventive melding of classical inspiration with modern materials and for bringing the beauty of sculpture into public, healing, and community spaces.

Her work remains part of institutional collections and public settings — and her influence endures, especially in Augusta, where her name continues through programs and recognitions tied to public art.

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