by Carole Epp | Feb 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
We are proud to announce a recent two-year grant from the Jerome
Foundation in support of Northern Clay Center’s 2017 and 2018 Jerome
Ceramic Artist Project Grant programs. The Ceramic Artist Project Grant
program, in existence since 1990, supports Minnesota ceramic artists at
relatively early stages in their careers, as they accomplish short-term,
specific objectives. The program will provide three grants of $6,000
each in 2017 – 2018 for projects to take place between April 1 and
December 31, 2017 and 2018.
Elizabeth Pechacek
Projects may include, but are not limited to: experimenting with new
techniques and materials; working or studying with a mentor; purchasing
equipment to facilitate an aesthetic or technical investigation;
providing studio time, studio rental, supplies, and technical support;
collaborations between ceramic artists and artists working in other
media; and pursuing education, exhibition, or travel opportunities.
An exhibition of work produced during the grant period will take
place at Northern Clay Center at the conclusion of the grant.
Additionally, recipients will provide a brief image talk about their
work in conjunction with the exhibition.
Apply online here: https://www.northernclaycenter.org/artist-services/artist-fellowships/jerome-ceramic-artist-project-grant
For more information, contact Jill Foote-Hutton at [email protected] or 612.339.8007 x314.
by Carole Epp | May 27, 2016 | Uncategorized
Northern
Clay Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the Jerome Ceramic
Artist of Color Residency, Anonymous Artist Studio Fellowships, and
Fogelberg Studio Fellowships; Ellie Bryan (Minneapolis, MN), Valerie
Ling (Valley Stream, NY), Lily Fein (Syracuse, NY), Gillian Doty
(Portland, ME), and Gregory Palombo (Alfred, NY). The new residents will
join Northern Clay Center in September. The work produced during these
yearlong residencies will be on display in a group exhibition that will
take place in January 2018, at Northern Clay Center.
Ellie
Bryan, awarded the inaugural Jerome Ceramic Artist of Color Residency,
will spend her residency exploring soda and wood-firing techniques.
Bryan is interested in incorporating ideas of animism, ancestry, and
tradition in her work. This residency allows artists a unique
flexibility and will give Bryan an opportunity to focus on her
development as a ceramicist, rather than produce work with a
sales-driven focus. In a recent interview, Bryan shared her interest in
animals and their place in her work, “I
believe that the animals around us—found either in their natural
habitat or in the new habitats we, as humans, have created for
ourselves—have stories to tell us. They are messengers and harbingers of
the old and new. As spiritual beings, animals have a connection with
the earth that we once held, but must now struggle to rekindle. I
interpret these beliefs by creating imagery on pots that embody these
messages to forge a unity that is so often lost between creature and
place.”
Anonymous
Artist Studio Fellow, Valerie Ling employs bright colors and absurd
imagery to explore her interest in the worry-free imagination of
children. Ling expresses hope for her work to, “bridge the world of pure
imagination to the reality of adulthood”. She seeks to capture the
innocent, limitless possibilities we experience as children and
challenges viewers to allow themselves to be free-spirited creators. Her
intricate sculptural pieces evoke the purity of childhood joy and
expose her observations about how we, “learn to grow fearful of things
and [become] self-conscious of our silly ideas and behaviors”. With the
resources at NCC, Ling hopes to experiment with larger-scale sculptures,
while further challenging the boundaries of absurdity.
Joining
NCC from Syracuse, NY, Lily Fein intends to spend her year as Anonymous
Artist Studio Fellow immersed in sculptural vessels that she believes,
“speak to intimacy in human relationships and with the hand.” Fein
states, “I want to facilitate experiences like these where touch
permeates the mundane.” Fein’s work is significantly shaped by the
awareness of touch and communicates this with thoughtful texture and
decisive forms. With a background in Art and Ceramics History, Fein
approaches her ceramic work with a strong academic intent informed also
by her writing practice and voracious reading.
Gillan
Doty’s existing affiliation with atmospheric firing practices will be
further explored during his year in residence as Fogelberg Studio
Fellow. Doty’s work offers an array of colors that call attention to his
bold geometric and ovoid forms. Interested in concepts of weight,
visual mass, simplicity, and fluidity of line, Doty creates both
handbuilt and wheel-thrown functional pieces. He states, “These pots are
cut, shaved, slapped, scratched and molded into a finished form.” His
variety in process is reflected in his diverse yet intensely cohesive
work. Currently based in Portland, Maine, Doty is looking forward to
experiencing the rich history of studio ceramics in the Midwest.
Fogelberg
Studio Fellow, Gregory Palombo will join Northern Clay Center from
Alfred, New York, where he is currently finishing a BFA program at New
York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Song Dynasty
Qingbai-ware inspires his material choices and both the Bauhaus movement
and architect Adolf Loos have influenced his focus on functionality.
Palombo’s volumetric forms often appear to be swelling; imitating flower
buds or balloons. During his residency, Palombo is looking forward to
making use of NCC’s extensive ceramics library and said of his research
process, “I look at
history and if I find something appealing I try integrate it into my
work, most of the time this integration is slow and full of failures so
it takes some time and studio research to flush things out in a
satisfactory way.”
Northern
Clay Center provides resources and a space for ceramicists to further
their practice. Northern Clay Center is looking forward to welcoming these five artists into this diverse and rich community of makers.
www.northernclaycenter.org
by Carole Epp | Dec 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Residency: January – February 2016
Artist lecture: January 19, 2016
Join
us in welcoming McKnight Residency recipient Kathryn Finnerty, who will
be with us in January and February, 2016. Finnerty was invited to the
McKnight Residency program through a nominative process involving past
resident artists and other leaders in the field of ceramics. While in residence, Finnerty will provide a free lecture about her work on Tuesday, January 19, at 6:30 pm in NCC’s Library.
Finnerty’s
work draws inspiration from 19th century English pottery, particularly
Victorian majolica, with classically inspired designs, raised-line
relief, and sprig and sgraffito images. Her current body of work is
evolving through an “abstracted landscape narrative,” and involves
larger, slab-constructed vessels; her use of bright, harmonious colors
is evident throughout.
Kathryn Finnerty has owned Pleasant Hill
Pottery in Eugene, Oregon since 2000, where she also teaches at Lane
Community College. Finnerty has recently had solo exhibitions at
Schaller Gallery and Red Lodge Clay Center. She has contributed to many
other exhibitions, including at Santa Fe Clay, LUX Center for the Arts,
James Renwick Alliance of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the American Pottery Festival at
NCC. Her work is carried by AKAR Gallery, Pewabic Gallery, and The Clay
Studio Philadelphia, and several others. Finnerty’s exquisitely
decorated surfaces have been featured in Making Marks: Discovering the Ceramic Surface (Robin Hopper, 2004) and others, including 500 Teapots (vol. 1, 2002, and vol. 2, 2013) and 500 Pitchers (2005).
We hope you will join us January 19 for this lecture, and to welcome Kathryn Finnerty to NCC! Refreshments will be provided.
This
program is sponsored by the McKnight Foundation and reflects the
Foundation’s interest in supporting outstanding individual ceramic
artists who have proven their abilities, and are at a career stage that
is beyond emerging.
Northern Clay Center
2424 Franklin Ave East
Minneapolis, MN 55406
by Carole Epp | Mar 13, 2015 | Uncategorized
This
exhibition brings together objects that navigate complicated
expressions of sexuality, gender identity, and queerness in contemporary
ceramics. Six artists, at various stages in their careers, skillfully
give voice to themes of sexual politics, from quiet suggestions to overt
articulations, through a full variety of ceramic expressions—functional
vessels, wall tiles, and sculptural forms. In the past four decades,
our society has seen dramatic shifts in the visibility and social
acceptance of sexual and gender identities and expressions once
dismissed simply as deviant. Through humor, irony, and tension, Sexual Politics aims to acknowledge these changes, pause in the moment, and problematize the future. Curated by Kelly Connole, Sexual Politics features the work of Jeremy Brooks (Carbondale, IL), Mark Burns (Las Vegas, NV), Ron Geibel (Port Chester, NY), Kathy King (Boston, MA), Christina West (Marietta, GA), and Dustin Yager (Minneapolis, MN).
Related Educational Events
We are excited to also welcome Mark Burns for the opening reception
on March 13. Burns will give an artist talk on Thursday, March 12, at 6
pm in NCC’s library. This event is also and open to the public.
Finally, Kathy King will present a free workshop during the closing
weekend of the show. King’s graphic pots and sculpture will be the
subject of her artist talk and hands-on workshop. Join us to tell your
own stories in clay! Saturday, April 25, 12 – 5 pm. Reservations are not
required, but space is limited. All materials will be provided.
Ron Geibel joined us as a resident artist from January 2 – 18, in preparation for the exhibition.
Related Resources
Ceramics and the Human Figure, a book available at the NCC library.
by Carole Epp | Feb 17, 2015 | call for entry, emerging artist, job posting, monday morning eye candy, movie day, residency opportunity, show us your influences, technical tuesday
The Jerome Ceramic Artist Project Grant program is intended to
support the work of Minnesota ceramic artists at relatively early stages
in their careers, as they accomplish short-term, specific objectives.
2015 marks the 25th year of the Ceramic Artist Project Grant program,
funded by the Jerome Foundation. The program supports Minnesota ceramic
artists at relatively early stages in their careers, as they accomplish
short-term, specific objectives. The program will provide three grants
of $6,000 each in 2015 for projects to take place between April 1 and
December 31, 2015.
Projects may include, but are not limited to: experimenting with new
techniques and materials, working or studying with a mentor, purchasing
equipment to facilitate an aesthetic or technical investigation,
providing studio time, studio rental, supplies, technical support,
collaborations between ceramic artists and artists working in other
media, education or exhibition opportunities, and travel.
An exhibition of work produced during the grant period will take
place at Northern Clay Center at the conclusion of the grant. Recipients
will provide a brief image presentation on their work in conjunction
with the exhibition.
The Jerome Foundation in
St. Paul, MN, has supported the Ceramic Artist Project Grant program
for 25 years. The Foundation supports emerging professional artists who
are the principal creators of new work, and:
- who take risks and embrace challenges;
- whose developing voices reveal significant potential;
- who are rigorous in their approach to creation and production;
- who have some evidence of professional achievement but not a substantial record of accomplishment; and
- who are not recognized as established artists by other artists, curators, producers, critics, and arts administrators.
Find full details here: www.northernclaycenter.org/artist-services/artist-fellowships/jerome-ceramic-artist-project-grants
