» The Month in Clay: September 2009

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August 26, 2009

The Month in Clay: September 2009

by Jennifer Harnetty Read Comments (0)

The first hint of Fall has an interesting effect on me. It’s hard to describe, but it is a feeling that I get for no other season - a mixture of excitement, nostalgia, maybe even a bit of nervous energy. And it’s strange; I have heard others describe a similar feeling. My theory is that this particular change in seasons conjures up memories of going back to school in the Fall and the mishmash of emotions involved with that annual ritual. Whatever the reason, it hit me the other day when we had a spate of cool weather and I started to put together the Month in Clay post for September 2009. Or maybe it was just perusing the great work that stirred up the ol’ emotions? One thing I do know is that there are a lot of great ceramics-related events - workshops, exhibitions, even some ceramic diplomacy - this September. Have a look at those highlighted below and if you don’t find anything happening in your area, click over to the Ceramics Monthly Calendar for more listings of clay-related events. - Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

Minneapolis, Minnesota The Potters Council Handmade Tile and Mosaics conference will take place September 18-20. The conference will bring together a diverse group of presenters and artists to discuss and work on issues surrounding handmade tiles and mosaics for the 21st century. Read more about this great conference here! Register before September 4 and save $50! Workshop attendees will also get to attend the Handmade Tile Association’s 8th annual Minnesota Tile Festival on September 19. Forty talented and innovative tile artists will be selling their work. Part art festival, part art show, the Minnesota Tile Festival showcases work by some of the best handmade tile and mosaic artists in the country.

Watkinsville, Georgia The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (www.myocaf.com) will host the 7th annual Perspectives Georgia Pottery Invitational Exhibition and Sale August 29-September 19. The event is designed to showcase the largest variety of functional handmade pottery currently being produced by professional art potters throughout the state of Georgia. More than 4,500 individual pieces of pottery (such as the teapot to the left by potter Mark Knott) by fifty of Georgia’s finest potters are available for sale at this event. In addition to the exhibition and sale, Katy McDougal will present a workshop entitled “Tricks for Surface Decoration from Construction Through Glazing,” on Saturday September 5. Jennifer Graff will present a workshop called “The Intricacies of Glazing: Taking time for Technique,” on Saturday September 6 at the School Street Studios. For more information go here.

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Annapolis, Maryland The Potters Guild of Annapolis (www.pottersguildofannapolis.com) will be hosting a a two-day workshop with ceramic artist Mitch Lyons over the weekend of September 12 and 13. Day one will be a demonstration of Lyons’ inlaid clay and monoprinting techniques and day two will be a hands-on monoprinting session. The event will be held at Goose at the Door Pottery. See Mitch Lyons’ videos in the Ceramic Arts Daily Video Archives. Founded in 1972 by five local potters, the Potters’ Guild of Annapolis is an organization based on the education and enjoyment of ceramics. The Guild is a meeting ground for potters’ interests, ideas and information about working in clay.

Johnson City, Texas Kirchman Galleries (www.kirchmangallery.com) will present an exhibition of recent indoor and outdoor works by acclaimed San Antonio sculptor Danville Chadbourne. This exhibition is in conjunction with the grand opening celebration of their new Sculpture Garden, located behind the gallery at 213 N. Nugent Avenue, across from the Courthouse. This inaugural exhibition will feature several large-scale outdoor works in ceramic, stone and concrete in the garden, a lovely park-like setting with oak, pecan and cypress trees lining a winding creek. Chadbourne’s works will be installed creek-side as well as inside the main gallery, featuring works in clay and wood, including both large and small-scale sculptures as well as wall reliefs.

London, England Ceramics in the City returns to the Geffrye Museum (www.geffrye-museum.org.uk) September 18-20 with an exciting new range of work by 50 ceramicists (such as the “Peaches Plates” at left by Imahiko Kawamura and the red and blue bowl at the top of the page by Ben Davies). The show will take place in the Geffrye’s contemporary gallery. A special preview evening will be held from 6 - 8:30pm on Thursday September 17, offering visitors an extra chance to meet the makers. Throughout the three-day event, visitors will have the opportunity not just to browse and buy, but also to talk to the ceramicists and watch free demonstrations. There will also be special craft activities scheduled to entertain children throughout Saturday and Sunday. Ceramics in the City is part of the London Design Festival 2009 (www.londondesignfestival.com) which takes place September 19-27.

Pomona, California An exhibition of works by Gerardo Monterrubio is on view September 1 - October 31 at Armstrong’s Gallery (www.armstronggallery.net). “On any given night, anywhere in Los Angles, you will find people in the streets,” states Gallery Manager Cynthia Madrigal. “Nothing is really happening; nothing of significance is going on, just people living. There are people on an evening paseo and others going to work or coming home from a late shift. Some might be up to no good and others still just enjoying the night, whichever way they choose to. This is the city life you will see depicted in Gerardo Monterrubio’s ceramic work.”

Rancho Palos Verdes, California The 2009 Juried All-Media exhibition is on view at the Palos Verdes Art Center (www.pvartcenter.org) through September 26. The exhibition includes art to please any taste from modern to traditional and from realistic to abstract. The 2009 Juried All-Media Exhibition includes 81 wall-hung works and 29 three-dimensional pieces including “Target Bowl” by Biliana Popova) selected from more than 1,500 entries. Juror Christy Johnson, director of the American Museum of Ceramic Art, explained, “I have a particular philosophy of judging art work. I look for strength rather than diversity,” said Johnson. “The many years that I spent applying to juried shows and festivals taught me that a strong body of work shouts ‘professional.’ I became convinced that as an artist I needed to devote a considerable amount of time to one creative point of view, exploring it thoroughly before moving on to explore another area. One may have talent for a lot of different art processes, but to really grab attention, the work needs to be interconnected.”

Nicosia, Cyprus Ceramic sculpture by Sacramento, California, ceramic artist Sam Tubiolo is on display at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus through the end of 2009. Tubiolo’s work was chosen by the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus through the Art in Embassies Program (http://aiep.state.gov). Established in 1964, the ART In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide. As an “artist ambassador,” Tubiolo was given the opportunity to provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of American art and culture. Tubiolo was also invited to visit Cyprus for a reception and meet with Cypriot artists.
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