emerging artist: Jason Desnoyers

by | Sep 14, 2014 | call for entry, emerging artist, job posting, monday morning eye candy, movie day, residency opportunity, show us your influences, technical tuesday


 

Artist Statement

I look to make work that creates an effect on the individual person rather than, at first, the community at large. For me, attracting the individual is about finding a passion and creating a bond between maker and user. Original work, purposeful ceramics and creating conversations are the main points that I look to answer within my ceramic medium.

I describe the process I have investigated as “cut and paste”. Utilizing technical aspects of ceramics, related to throwing on the wheel, hand building and mold work. My aim is to create forms that are different but that also relate to my own self. This comes from explorations of design and personal preference, but also from outside sources such as graffiti, geometry, sociology and mass media (Tumblr).

jasondesnoyers.com

Spoon Me @ Medalta is now live online.

by | Sep 1, 2014 | Uncategorized


Sean Whalley

After a wonderful opening reception in Medicine Hat last Thursday, Spoon Me, Medalta’s international juried exhibition, is now live online and works are available for purchase.

Once again I was honored to be asked to jury this international competition. My experience the previous year and the challenges of jurying the work of so many skilled artisans should have sent me running for the hills. But challenges are fun even if jurying the work of your peers is intimidating.

Kaye Pemberton

As a juror there are so many things to consider. Is the work technically proficient? Is it aesthetically interesting and skilled? Is the work a representation of the artists practice showcasing the strengths and integrity of their artistic vision and voice? And does the work speak to me and my aesthetics as a juror? 

So happy to see so many of the artists in person at the reception

Sometimes when jurying a show I have to be reminded that inclusivity isn’t always the goal. I need to stretch and challenge the boundaries of my personal aesthetic leanings, but need to also remember that it is those biases that make organizations chose specific jurors. The overall presentation and cohesiveness of the exhibition also has to be a concern. This results in good work being cut from the show at times. Every piece in the show had specific reasons to be included. And the award winning pieces were the ones that spoke to me as a juror on an even deeper level.

Joey Chiarello

Joey Chiarello‘s piece which won the top prize of a month long residency at Medalta (thanks to the Medicine Hat College and the Medalta AIR), was a show stopper. Standing out because of the technical skill involved, but also the beauty of the finished sculpture, the refinement and inclusion of the smallest of details, the overall concept of the piece.

Ellen Kleckner was the winner of the Student Prize. Ellen will receive a digital
subscription to Ceramics Art & Perception and Ceramics Technical
courtesy of the publications. This piece was purchased for Medalta’s
Permanent Collection with funds generously donated by Medicine Hat
College.

Ellen Kleckner
Ellen Kleckner
Purchase prizes went to Vanessa Holle, Adriana Christianson, and Anne Mossman. These works will now be a permanent part of the Medalta Collection thanks to the support of the Medicine Hat College.
Vanessa Holle
Anne Mossman
Adriana Christianson

 

 Huge thanks to everyone that came out, to Medalta for asking me to jury again, to Jenna Stanton for installing this difficult exhibition into the cohesive aesthetic exhibition that showcased each artist’s work beautifully, and all the rest of the staff behind the scenes that helped pull this together.

Check out the whole exhibition on Pinterest with links to buy the exhibited works.

Follow me on Instagram or Medalta on Instagram to see more behind the scenes of the exhibition.

Spoon Me @ Medalta this week!

by | Aug 23, 2014 | Uncategorized

Spoon Me @ Medalta will go live online on September 1st @ www.medalta.org/spoonme

The grand prize winner of a month long Medalta residency will be announced at the opening reception @ Medalta on August 28th from 7-9pm.  Let us know if you can make it! Make sure to check out juror Carole Epp’s Musing About Mud blog for exhibition highlights and extended coverage on several selected spoon show artists in the coming months.

We have a Spoon Me event page on Facebook too, it’s where we’ll be
sharing sneak-a-peek spoon shots before the show goes live on the 1st.

If you’d like to check it out and share it’s at
https://www.facebook.com/events/921036327911952/

Spoon Me’s online guests will be directed from the www.medalta.org/spoonme
page to view the show on Medalta’s new Pinterest page. ***Note this will be live online as of September 1st.*** Spoons can be
viewed and re-pined by other Pinterest users. The link on the photo
remains with the image and will take viewers directly to the spoons
purchase page which happens to be on our brand new Medalta online shop
that we are also launching with the spoon show.  Our shop will feature
contemporary ceramics from our exhibitions, starting with Spoon Me, as
well as reproductions of historical Medalta pottery made in our Museums
production studio.

At Medalta we are passionate about ceramics, from our clay industry past
to the contemporary ceramics community. Through this exhibition, in the
gallery and online, our goal is creating more space and opportunity for
contemporary craft artists to engage with a growing audience…and our
audience is eagerly awaiting this exhibition!