Tactile Desires: The Work of Jack Sures

by | Aug 26, 2011 | Uncategorized


September 24, 2011 – January 2, 2012

Mackenzie Art Gallery – Regina Saskatchewan

http://www.mackenzieartgallery.ca/Exhibitions/Upcoming_Exhibitions/302/

September 23: Exhibition Opening

Join artist Jack Sures in celebration of this retrospective exhibition. Enjoy food, drinks and a live music performance by Ben and Nadine Sures. Feeling creative? Add your one-of-a-kind clay tile to our public art wall. 7:30pm, Free, Cash BarThis exhibition is the first retrospective of one of Canada’s most significant ceramists—a multi-faceted figure whose exuberant and sensuous work traverses the categories of craft, fine art and public monument. In addition to offering a comprehensive look at his work from the early 1960s to the present, this retrospective will address his important role and influence as an educator and mentor.

Over the past fifty years, Jack Sures has contributed significantly to the advancement of ceramic art in Canada, including his implementation of the printmaking and ceramics programs at the University of Regina in 1965, where from 1969 to 1971 he served as chairman for the Department of Visual Arts.

Sures trained as a painter and printmaker, honed his ceramics skills initially in London, England at Chelsea Pottery and studied the works of ceramic artists in the museums and galleries of Europe and the Middle East. In 1962, he returned to Canada and set up his own pottery studio in Winnipeg, eventually moving to Regina, where he continues to live and work today.

In 1969, Sures initiated the exhibition California Ceramics: Shaw, Frimkess, Gilhooly, Melchert at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, which introduced Regina to the California Funk movement. He is part of the group of maverick ceramists including Victor Cicansky, Joe Fafard, David Gilhooly and Marilyn Levine, who in the 1960s liberated ceramics from its traditional, functional role and instead utilized it as a sculptural material. The “Regina Clay” group, as they came to be known, rallied against anything that could be considered dogmatism within the constricts of visual arts and ceramics. However, Sures never rejected the fundamentals inherent in vessel-making continuing to incorporate them as part of his craft.September 24: One Day Symposium

Tactile Desires: The Work of Jack Sures

Join artists and academics for a glimpse into the practice and legacy of Jack Sures. Listen in on a conversation with the artist, Head Curator at the MacKenzie,Timothy Long and Director/Curator of the Tom Thompson Art Gallery, Virginia Eichhorn. Including discussion with Matthew Kangas, Sandra Alfoldy, Alan Elder, Julia Krueger, Susan Surette, Ruth Chambers, Mel Bolen and Sin-ying Ho and a film screening of The Murals of Jack Sures by Linda Corbett. 1:00-5:00pm, Free www.eyeris.ca/pages/JackSures – This 5 minute web trailer from the full length Jack Sures documentary features the intro sequence and a portion of the Canadian Museum of Civilization mural sequence.

The MacKenzie Art Gallery and Tom Thomson Art Gallery are pleased to be working together to premier this important exhibition, as well as a publication, video presentation, and related programming in Regina before touring it to galleries across Canada. Organized by the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery. This project has been made possible in part through a contribution from the Museums Assistance Program, Department of Canadian Heritage.

Image: Jack Sures, The Answer, stoneware tiles. Collection of Jack Sures and Cara Gay Driscoll. Photo by Don Hall.

Upcoming NCECA deadlines

by | Aug 13, 2011 | call for entry, emerging artist, job posting, monday morning eye candy, movie day, residency opportunity, show us your influences, technical tuesday

Seattle Exhibitions and Programming – 2012

Emerging Artists: DEADLINE August 30, 2011

The NCECA Emerging Artist program is intended to give early career artists, who show exceptional promise, the opportunity to present their work to an international audience at the NCECA Annual Conference. http://www.nceca.net/static/exhibitions_emerging_info.php National Student Juried Exhibition: DEADLINE September 29, 2011

The NCECA 2012 NSJE is open to all full-time undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students (as defined by their home institution) enrolled in the United States of America. Eligible students must be working at the time of submittal towards a degree or be a post-baccalaureate in art. http://www.nceca.net/static/NSJE2012.php Topical Discussions/NCECA Connections: DEADLINE October 3, 2011

NCECA is seeking a diverse group of discussion leaders from its membership; Students (Undergraduate, Post-Bacc, Graduate), Studio Artists, Educators (K-12, Community College, University), Gallerists, Curators, etc. are all encouraged to apply! Topical Discussions and NCECA Connections are the break-out sessions on Thursday and Friday afternoons during conference. http://www.nceca.net/static/conference_topics.php Weather or Not: DEADLINE October 1, 2011

Seattle artist and Host Committee Member, Charlie Bigger is excited to announce Weather or Not, a site-specific, outdoor installation opportunity at South Lake Union Park in Seattle to coincide with the 2012 conference. Weather-Or-Not presents an opportunity for students and teachers to explore the EDGY artistic avenue of collaborative installations affected by time and weather. E-mail a one-page description of your project to [email protected]. Additional information and collaborative proposal requirements are detailed in Charlie’s downloadable letter here: http://nceca.net/static/documents/Weather-or-Not.doc. Charlie shares that his excitement and imagination around this event is sparked by two elements. “The first is the theme…the theme for NCECA 2012…”On The Edge” immediately grabbed my attention and fired up my imagination. Secondly, being interested in the history of the studio movement in Ceramics, a concern among my peers in the ceramics world deals with a perception that younger clay workers seem to be less numerous than a few years back. I am looking forward to being able, through NCECA, to provide this great venue to share and explore new ideas, and experiments with up and coming young ceramics students that might not otherwise realize that NCECA is also for them, not just established studio artists of my generation.” On-Site Conference Liaison, Marge Levy writes that through Weather-Or-Not, “we hope to capture the inclinations of those who are in a period of their artistic lives where they are thinking about process, objects, ephemeral notions, and having fun with it all and with each other. ”

Houston Exhibitions – 2013

Concurrent, Independent Exhibitions: DEADLINE November 4, 2011

NCECA will act as a jury and an intermediary in selecting exhibitions that will enhance the conference experience and bring high quality ceramic exhibitions to the hosting community. The On-site Liaisons will identify host venues and work with them in selecting exhibitions suited to the mission and audience and facilities.

http://www.nceca.net/static/conference_concurrent_info.php

Awards and Board Nominations – 2012

2012 Awards: DEADLINE September 30, 2011 The membership of the NCECA Nominations Committee has been recently re-constituted for 2012 to include President-Elect, Patsy Cox (Chair); Director-at-Large, Sam Chung; Past-President

Robert Harrison and Fellow of the Council, Susan Filley. Nominations for Fellows of the Council, Honorary Members, Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Achievement are now being accepted. The deadline for receipt of nominations packets is September 30, 2011 for awards to be presented at the 2012 Conference in Seattle.

Visit: http://www.nceca.net/static/about_awards.php to view the details on submission materials, awards descriptions and eligibility requirements. Board Terms to begin in 2012 The NCECA Nominations Committee is also responsible for identifying qualified candidates for positions on the Board of Directors. By September 30, 2011, the Nominations Committee anticipates identifying two qualified candidates each for the role of President-Elect and Director-at-Large positions on the Board of Directors. Read more about the responsibilities and requirements of these roles at: http://nceca.net/static/about_board_candidates.php. Board candidates for nominations will be considered by the Board of Directors at its October 2011 meeting in Houston. Information about the Board’s Nominees will be posted on NCECA’s website following this meeting. Additional nominations for one Director-at-Large position and one Student Director-at-Large position will also be accepted at the First Members’ Business Meeting tentatively scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, March 29 during the 2012 conference in Seattle. Following brief speeches by the candidates, elections will take place at the Second Members’ Business meeting on Saturday, March 31, 2012, the final day of the Seattle conference (time TBD).