Sandra Zeiset Richardson

Sandra Zeiset Richardson of Seattle, Washington passed away on December 27, 2014 surrounded in love by her husband, family and friends. Sandra was born April 30, 1957 and was raised in Bechtelsville, PA. Sandra met her husband Stan while living in Colorado. They were married in Seattle in 1981.

Sandra attended Eastern Mennonite College and the University of Washington, graduating in 1985 with a BA in Art Education. While at the UW, she completed many art classes and spent as much time as possible in the ceramic studios studying under Robert Sperry, Patti Warashina, and Howard Koettler. Early in her career Sandra taught independent art classes and was an artist in residence at several schools in Washington State, before becoming a full time artist in the early 1990s.

In 1988, she and Stan became the directors of Camp Camrec, a Mennonite retreat center near Leavenworth, WA. During that time they became associated with the Grunewald Guild, an art/faith community nearby. For the three years she lived at Camp Camrec, Sandra worked on her art in the Guild studio and made many long-term connections with that community. She later returned and both attended and taught classes during the Guild summer program. In 2005 she was named a Guild Master - persons whose work and life have become a ministry and inspiration.

In 1990, while still living at Camp Camrec, Sandra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This began her long journey living with a chronic disease but it did not break her spirit. Though the disease would ultimately limit her abilities and end her life, she lived fully during her time.

Sandra was an active member of the Seattle Mennonite Church and served in many capacities. Her roots as a Mennonite contributed to her love of community, and of peace and social justice. This also informed her artwork in many ways.

Sandra was an artist at heart and saw the world in a different way. Her artwork was narrative and figurative, covering many subjects from humor to political justice, personal introspection to social commentary. She worked primarily in ceramics but also printmaking, painting, and metal sculpture. Her distinctive figurative style is immediately recognizable. Her artwork has been shown in several Seattle and national galleries over her more than thirty-year career and is in numerous private collections, museums, and institutions.

Sandra is survived by her husband Stan V. Richardson, her mother Bernice W. Zeiset, three siblings, Bonnie Z. Opel, Patricia Z. Crotty, and George E. Zeiset and their spouses, two nieces, and three nephews. She is pre-deceased by her father George S. Zeiset.

Please sign Sandra's online guest book at this site.