By Vicki Hillhouse
Painter and sculptor Squire Broel isn’t concerned whether people always understand the intent behind his abstract works.
“I used to think about making art that people could engage with, and I finally got to a place where I realized I wanted to make work that was a true expression of my feelings,” he says. “I’m not trying to say a specific thing that I want a person to understand because it’s really more personal, and people can respond to it the way they want to.”
Broel creates his pieces in a second-floor studio that overlooks downtown Walla Walla’s Main Street, where three of his sculptures are part of the city’s public art collection. He launched Broel Studio in the late 1990s after working at the Walla Walla Foundry, where he worked with the artists he recognized as his “creative heroes” as the bronze coloration specialist.
“It’s interesting to work for other people and to work on other projects,” he says. “But there’s this innate desire to really put forward what you feel is within you.”
Watch a video to learn more about Squire Broel by clicking here!