Squire Broel was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 29th, 1970. His formative years were spent in a small Eastern Washington town. Walla Walla, known for vast fields of wheat, peas and sweet onions provided rural, bucolic experiences that influenced his childhood and formed the foundation for his appreciation of nature and open spaces. The influence of place increasingly informed Broel’s awareness of traditions and methods that thread Northwest artists together, as seen in the recurrent references to natural form, energetic mark making and mystical surface quality in his work. At an early age Broel showed interest in visual creativity – making crafts at home and taking private drawing and painting lessons after school. Broel’s teenage years were influenced by work on a local farm. He spent many hours a day toiling in the dirt and learning to understand the cycles of agrarian life. In high school Broel excelled in his art classes and was encouraged to apply to colleges and universities that had strong programs in the visual arts. Broel was accepted to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Rhode Island School of Design and Savannah College of Art and Design. With little exposure to the world outside his small town in the rural West, Broel decided to stay closer to home and attended Seattle Pacific University. Four years after enrolling in his art-focused studies, Broel received his B.A. from Seattle Pacific University in 1992. He spent the next six years gaining insight and experience through travels around Southeast Asia and as the patineur for the Walla Walla Foundry. He used this time to cultivate his own manner of working and hone his skills as an artist. As the bronze coloration specialist at the Foundry, Broel consulted and worked for such artists as Jim Dine, Deborah Butterfield, David Bates, the late Nancy Graves and the late Robert Arneson. Near the end of 1999, Broel left the Walla Walla Foundry to open Broel Studio. This move allowed Broel to focus solely on his work. He continues that pursuit today.