by Carole Epp | Apr 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
ENTWINED
“We met twelve years ago in art school and since that time, our lives and our artistic practices have ebbed and flowed and intertwined. Over the years we have often had the opportunity to make sculpture side by side in shared studios, and this closeness led us to create work that, at times, has been both conceptually and formally tied with our respective works each containing influences of the other’s. The relatively new role we now share as parents has brought us together in a much more profound way, where in both life and art, we are not just influencing each other, but truly collaborating.
Jesse Walp
“The aim for my sculpture has always been for it to feel as if imbued with life, like it has grown into existence of its own volition. These forms suggest plant growth and also borrow from the animal realm with outstretched stems, plump clusters, and layered segments. As I create these pieces, I am inspired by thoughts of the internal energies and processes that bring natural forms into being, and hope these works promote exploration and elicit discovery. As a man who spent his childhood in a home built deep in the woods, I feel an urgent need to foster in my children an understanding of how compelling, beautiful and complex nature is, especially because their early years are being spent in a house, on a postage stamp yard, within a concrete landscape. Though squeezed within the confines of the built environment, the dandelions pushing up through the cracks in the sidewalk, the rolly pollies underneath the rock in the backyard, and the decaying log in the park still play a very significant role in their understanding of the natural world.”
Bethany Krull
“The influence of motherhood has made its mark on my work, and the animal figure has become much more personally symbolic to me since I have had children. The hungry baby bird, and the furless and helpless newborn mouse perfectly embody this season of my life, where nurturing and protection are paramount. Explorations of the beauty, vulnerability and fragility of the natural world, and our species influence on its degradation go hand in hand with a desire to shelter my children and to ensure their blissful ignorance as they are threatened by countless dangers. Concerns about the morality of our politics, the health of our environment, and our own species’ ultimate survival are amplified when they are seen as a reflection in the eyes of our children.”
Show is up April 21 – May 27 @ Indigo Art in Buffalo NY
by Carole Epp | Apr 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
Margaret Keelan “Pose with Dog” glaze with clay
April 18th-May 13th, 2017
Opening Reception Friday April 28th, 7pm-10pm
The John Natsoulas Center for the Arts will hold its 31st annual gallery-wide 30 Ceramics Sculptors exhibition in concurrence with the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Arts (CCACA). The exhibition will run from April 18th to May 13th, 2017. This show was first conceived in 1986, a collaboration between the late Robert Arneson and John Natsoulas, and continues the ceramic traditions made famous by instructors and students of the University of California, Davis Art Department and the University of California at Berkeley.
Since its inception over three decades ago, the 30 Ceramic Sculptors annual exhibition has grown congruently with the ceramic art world in Northern California. Decades ago there were few major ceramic programs at the Junior, City and State College levels. Today we are experiencing a sculptural renaissance in the ceramics programs of Northern California – new and exciting ceramic sculptors are becoming established.
30 Ceramic Sculptors is the largest annual exhibition of ceramic artists where you can see every variation of ceramic sculpture imaginable. This survey of ceramic sculptors includes everything from figurative to abstract, monolithic to miniature all in one place.
Explore the exhibition and you will discover work as varied as the minds who made it. Some work gives homage to the earth, source of clay, with raw organic texture and emphasis on mass, volume, and dynamic thrust while industrial processes have become the emphasis for others. The 31st annual 30 Ceramic Sculptors brings together an impressive group of ceramic artists with practiced rooted in diverse cultures, experiences and education from around the world.
In conjunction with the 31st annual 30 Ceramic Sculptors annual exhibition is the 29th annual CCACA. This conference brings the
ultimate ceramic sculpture event to Davis, CA from April 28th – April 30th, 2017. In an intimate setting, you can interact with top artists
in a way not possible at other venues. Enjoy delightful downtown Davis and be inspired by nationally recognized ceramic art talents. With over 40 participating schools from throughout California, CCACA is one of the largest and most diverse ceramic events in Northern California. Demonstrations, lectures and student exhibitions—no other event delivers more inspired knowledge of ceramic sculpture for a better price. Meet face-to-face with distinguished ceramic sculptors you might only read about; see and hear from the artists what makes them top in their field. This is a chance to surround yourself with the top ceramic art and artists of today and the ideas of the artists of tomorrow.
Press Contact: Nancy Resler [email protected] 530-756-3938
More information: http://natsoulas.com/
by Carole Epp | Apr 13, 2017 | call for entry, emerging artist, workshops
Northern Clay Center presents an advanced ceramics studio program in collaboration with ceramic artist and educator, Ursula Hargens. The New Institute for Ceramic Education provides up to 8 months of advanced, personalized instruction for artists who are serious about taking the next step in their ceramic education.
This pilot program is designed to respond to the changing needs of students and gives non-traditional students the same quality of information and critique found in a university program. Designed for potters and sculptors alike, the Institute will support the development of studio work and provide high-level training in ceramic materials, history and theory, and professional practices.
Participants will earn a certificate of completion through a combination of instruction and individual mentoring. The program will extend beyond the classroom to include artist lectures, gallery tours, and studio visits with established artists to take advantage of the rich ceramic resources throughout the Twin Cities, including those from academic and non-traditional routes of study, artists of other media, and arts administrators.
Get updates about MN NICE classes, visiting artists, and events on the NCC blog.
What can you hope to achieve from this program?
By the end of the 8-month program, students will earn a certificate and will possess the technical skills, artistic context, and personal insight to build a strong and cohesive body of work. They will learn how to present and promote their work, whether they are seeking gallery representation, applying to graduate school, or selling work to the public.
MN NICE combines the best aspects of a residency, university program, and apprenticeship. Certificate recipients will establish new connections with peers and established artists in the field, build professional credentials, and create a strong body of work based on individualized instruction. The program will culminate in a final exhibition at Northern Clay Center.
“It is not without trepidation that I look toward the future, but I am eager to stretch my wings using the tools, resources, and courage I have discovered through MN NICE.
I feel honored and proud to have been a part of this program.” — MN NICE participant, 2015-16
Is MN NICE right for you?
Now in its second year, MN NICE is designed to respond to the changing needs of students and to give non-traditional students the same quality of information and critique found in a university program. Designed for potters and sculptors alike, MN NICE will support the development of studio work and provide high-level training in ceramic materials, history and theory, and professional practices. Participants will earn a certificate of completion through a combination of instruction and individual mentoring, led by ceramic artist and educator Ursula Hargens.
Hargens states, “Many individuals are eager to further their ceramic education and seek a professional credential, but family, employment, financial, and time constraints limit their ability to do so within a traditional academic structure. This certificate program is designed to fill this gap, providing a flexible, yet challenging environment that responds to the needs of non-traditional students, giving them quality information, academic rigor, critical dialogue, and critique as they develop their artistic practice and strengthen their work.”
Click here to access the application form.
Listen to a conversation between course leader, Ursula Hargens and a couple members of the first group of MN NICE students on Ben Carter’s Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast.
Find out more here: www.northernclaycenter.org/education/minnesota-new-institute-ceramic-education
