Exhibition and Workshop Schedule                                                                                    Updated   8/15/2005  

8/15/05

Dang.  
            Another five months has slipped by me, and here I am again, apologizing for a late update. Sorry! As usual, I have been running around stark raving mad, but I am feeling better now.... Mostly.

            In compensation, I have added a bunch of new material to the site:  new images in the Gallery ( now organized by year), the long awaited "Beast In Process" section (where you can see me working on "Jai Une Ame Solitaire"), updated resume, exhibition information, and workshop schedule.  I hope to be adding another small flurry of small studies to the 2005 Gallery section by the end of the month, so stay tuned.....

            Besides immersing myself in clay, here is a taste of what I have been up to:

The best news of all was waiting for me when I came home from NCECA this April.......a call from The Virginia Groot Foundation, informing me that I had been awarded the First Place Fellowship!!!!!   If it was possible to explode and implode at the same moment, I would have.  It was quite possibly one of the most surprising and amazing moments of my life.  I cannot possibly say thank you enough to all those who are responsible for this honor, but I will do my best over the course of the next year.  First, though, I had to finish leaping over all the hurdles I had remaining for the year.....

May
           The "Clay Menagerie" exhibition at  Garth Clark Gallery was a great success.  My first New York show!!  I made the whole gallery staff nervous by working on the new pieces up to 12 hours before the exhibition, but somehow, I pulled it off. (grin)  Tons of thanks to everyone there, and especially to Garth Clark and Mark del Vecchio (who think I am a lunatic).  I had 5 sculptures in the show: 

           At the opening, I was floored by the news that the gallery wanted to have a few of my pieces included in their booth for SOFA New York in June.  So, I raced back to my studio in Portage, Ohio and created a new piece, The Exile....again, arriving mere hours before the opening of the exhibition and causing Mark give me the imposing arched eyebrow. (I know, I know)

June
           Coming home from New York, I got a call from The Clay Studio in Philadelphia inviting me to come back out for another two month gig. What??  Well, ok.  So I repacked my bags and headed back northeast.  When I was a Guest Artist at The Clay Studio last fall, I had agreed to be part of an exhibition highlighting work from all the folks who were involved in the program over the past year.  So my first project this fall, was to make a piece for that show, "Made At the Clay Studio", which was opening in three weeks, July 2nd. Whew.  No time to slow down.  This time, I had the luxury of working up to an hour before the exhibition opened. Heh. The piece I finished for the exhibition was called "Sometimes Shadows Move."

July
           At the beginning of the month I flew out from Philadelphia to teach a week long workshop at Santa Fe Clay.  I had a great group of people, and the southwest climate was a welcome relief to the brutal humid heat in the city.  Big thanks to the folks at Santa Fe Clay for a wonderful time. On my return to Philadelphia, I spent the rest of my time working on a series of small studies in preparation for the next year's body of work.

August
           Again, flying from Philadelphia, I traveled to Portland, Oregon to teach another week long workshop at The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts at the beginning of the month.  Another smashing success!  I hope to get back photographs from some of the participants, and I will be sure to post them here if I do.  Upon returning, I packed up again and headed home. 

           Now I am honestly just looking forward to being in one place for a while, and spending some serious time in the studio.  I have a whole year stretching out in front of me, and I am brimming over with ideas for this next body of work.  I will keep the news rolling and will try to post a few images here and there without giving anything away.  I can't wait to see what will happen next.

3/22/05

Well....I don't know about you,  but I am *utterly exhausted*.... I just got back from Baltimore at 2:00am after spending Sunday tearing down my Solo Exhibition, "The Wildness Within" at the G-Spot Gallery.  Even the muscles in my fingers ache.  It is great to sit down, if even for a few moments, and just close my eyes.

NCECA Baltimore 2005:   I was so crazy nervous during the three days that I was demonstrating and giving my slide lecture that I felt nauseated the whole week. When I saw the big 30 ft screen with my image projected on it above my head...Ye gads!!!!  I felt ready to run into the hills, never to be seen again. (tired laughing). Despite my trepidations, the NCECA conference was a fantastic experience.  I received a very warm and generous response to my presentation, and even though it was an insane idea to try to pull off a 2,000 lb sculpture in less than six hours, I still had a lot of fun making a big mess on stage.
        I ran into a lot of folks that I wish I could have spent more time with, and there were so many more that I know I missed. I met an overwhelming number of new faces, and I cherished every encounter.  I hope that those of you who I didn't get to talk to will send me an email and let me know what you thought and how you are doing.  Basically, I am still reeling from the whole event.
        I definitely want to take a second to thank those of you who pitched in and helped me out at the conference.....There were so many amazing people who helped me pull this off, and I don't even know your names!  I can't tell you how much it meant to me: 

• From UMass Dartmouth: Kara, Jen and Kristy  (I owe you guys BIG)  who helped me prepare 2,000 lbs of clay and then wedge it all back into the bags when I was done. What a crew!

• Erin Furimsky and Tyler Lotz for pitching in at the end of the demo to help me tear down in record time!

• D Ann Schneider and her cast of volunteers at the conference for all the technical help and physical assistance

• The three 'mysterious' women who showed up to wedge clay (please email me and remind me of your names!)

• Emilka Radlinska, my new great friend from Australia who came with me to the conference with no idea what she was getting into!  She was tireless and an outstanding support.  Not only did she heave thousands of pounds of clay around, but she also helped de-install my solo show, and most importantly, kept my spirits up every time I felt my confidence fleeing.

• Lastly, and most importantly, Nan Jacobsohn, my mom, who came to the conference, assisted me on stage, saw to every small detail, and was there every minute to keep me going.  This is the most amazing woman I know.  How do you properly thank someone to whom you owe so much? 

A very heart-felt thanks *must also* go to Leigh Taylor Mickelson for her MONUMENTAL effort in pulling together all these exhibitions for NCECA, and to all those involved in planning and executing the conference.  It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of it.  I do want to apologize to all those who tried to make it to either of my shows in Baltimore, but were foiled by the unforeseen bus tour delays and confusions.  All of the work shown in the solo exhibition may be seen on my website, and I will add the two new pieces from the School's Out exhibition soon.  
        Thanks also to Jill and Reuben at G-Spot Gallery for hosting my show and putting on that fantastic opening!  Gail Brown also put in a tremendous effort into curating and organizing the "School's Out!" exhibition, and deserves a standing ovation.  You know....it is absolutely mind boggling to think of how much work went into all of this!  I wish I could properly mention all the people who should be thanked and congratulated....I could wear my fingers down the bone typing in all of their names and contributions.  
                                                               Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So what is next?  Whew.  Well, I still have a busy exhibition schedule ahead of me this spring and summer.  I have created a new informal link for those of you who want to see where I might be next:  Upcoming Exhibitions and Workshops.  I will try to keep this link at the top of this page and update it every time I add in another event.

     The Next Big Event:  My first exhibition at Garth Clark Gallery in New York!  I will be part of a show called, "Clay Menagerie" opening May 3rd, which will highlight animal imagery in clay over the last century.  I will have 4-6 new works in the show, including "Megrim," "One Last Word," and "Strange Attraction."  
       Over the next few months, I am going to concentrate on creating a number of smaller sized pieces.  I have so many ideas crowded together in my brain, that I need an intense period of time concentrating on developing and evolving those images.  I am hoping through a series of smaller pieces, that I will be able to explore and test the boundaries for the new body of  work I would like to create over the next year. Wish me luck!

3/11/05

The Mad Mad Rush Continued.....NCECA 2005

I don't have time here for a major update, but I hope to be back here soon with more information.  Right now I just wanted to post a quick announcement of my upcoming solo show at G-Spot gallery in Baltimore in conjunction with NCECA 2005 Baltimore.  I will have seven large pieces installed in the gallery space next to a show featuring work by CHING-YUAN CHANG and BEDE CLARKE. We will have a grand opening and party Friday, March 18th from 7pm -10pm at the gallery, and I hope we have a HUGE turnout. 

I will also have two brand new pieces at an Exhibition titled "School's Out!"  An invitational exhibit featuring young emerging talents up to 6 years out of school curated by Gail Brown.  I am finishing these last two today before driving them up to Baltimore tomorrow.  This show will have its reception on the same night from 6:30 - 8:30 pm!  I will probably try to catch the beginning of this one and then dash off to the solo exhibition.

I will also be a demonstrating artist at the main convention center from 2:00pm- 5:00pm on Thursday and Friday (March 17th and 18th) in Hall B.  I will be giving a slide talk about my work on Wednesday (March 17th) from 10:30am-12:pm in Hall A.

I will be my normal stressed-out crazy self, but all that aside, I would love to meet people and catch up with old friends.  I will go ahead and say that if anyone would like to *help* (pleaseohplease), I could certainly use it!  Send me an email or just introduce yourself at the conference.  Thanks guys!  

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                                                                                                                                             "Bliss"  On display at Gallery Materia

First........

 Let me assure those who occasionally check up on me through this website that:

•  I have not been carried off by unruly street urchins to work in their underground lair during my residency in Philadelphia at The Clay Studio

• Nor was I enslaved by a band of semi-intelligent  and ruthless crows in the cornfields outside of Portage, Ohio

• I have not joined the circus, become invisible, taken monastic vows of silence, or enlisted in the military.....

I have just been my _usual_ frantic self.  Time for a long-awaited update:

        My Guest Residency at The Clay Studio was fantastic.  I was there from the beginning of August through the end of September, following the end of my two year residency at The Archie Bray Foundation (check out 2004 and 2003 News for descriptions of my stay there).  During those two months in Philadelphia, I packed it in as tightly as I could, and met some amazing people. Getting to know many of the resident artists was the best part of the whole visit,  especially characters like Adelaide Paul, Rain Harris, Hide Sadohara, Rob Raphael, and Paul Donnelly.  Jeff Guido, the artistic director, was a true gem, and I have to say that every member of the staff, the associates, the resident artists, and even the community students, made me feel at home at The Clay Studio.  My time there seemed insanely short, only a handful of overwhelming days, but my memories make it seem like it was a year or more.  I hope I find an excuse to go back there soon.  
        While I was there, I began a sculpture of two medium-sized hares trapped in a cage (which later became "Small Lives"). Jeff Guido and Hide had specifically begged me to work small while I was there, since their space and facilities were limited.  However, after multiple exclamations from a few unwitting bystanders about how "big" these hares were, I was unable to resist causing a lot of trouble by insisting on building the LARGEST SCULPTURE I have attempted yet. Of course, I had bitten off too much to chew, so I had to cut up the piece and bring it back to Ohio to be finished later.  (I plan on having this piece done in time for NCECA Baltimore...see below)

         At the end of September, I drove cross-country to Portland, Oregon to take down my solo show at the Contemporary Crafts Museum, and while I was there, I gave a short lecture at both the Lewis and Clark College and The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts. The exhibition was a great success, and I can't thank the staff there enough for all the work that went into it.  24 hours after arriving in to Portland, I had to scramble back into the car and drive nonstop back to Columbus, Ohio, in order to set up "The Inquisitors", "Object Lesson: Arrogance", and "Outside, Looking In" for the exhibition curated by Marty Shuter, "Alter Egos: Voices From The Inside"   I had about four days to collect my wits, and then it was back in the car again, bound for New York City.

        The BIG NEWS for me over the past five months has been that I was contacted by Garth Clark Gallery, and they have begun to carry some of my work in New York.  In October, I delivered my first pieces, "Strange Attraction," "Confessions and Convictions," and "I'll Not Tell."  In addition, I have been invited to be part of a show at the Gallery in May, called "Clay Menagerie" which will feature 20th and 21st century artwork centered around an animal theme.  We are still working on which pieces will be in the show, but I hope to have at least one larger piece, in addition to some medium and smaller sized works.

        In the meantime, my husband, Matt, and I spent most of the following two months of October and November moving massive quantities of stuff from Montana, Philadelphia, storage units in Columbus and in Bowling Green in order to squeeze our collective universes back into one small house on the edge of town back in Bowling Green, Ohio.  He has another year and a half of working on his Ph.D. in Ethics at Bowling Green State University, so I have spent a considerable amount of time and resources setting up a studio in the garage.  I plan on *staying put* for a little while.  In celebration, I bought a new Olympic Oval kiln with a couple of extra rings....you wouldn't believe the amount of electricity this thing eats for breakfast. Even though it is the biggest kiln I have ever owned, it seems so desperately small compared to the luxurious gas kiln space I have enjoyed over the past four years of making work at Ohio State, The Archie Bray, and even at The Clay Studio.  Time to do some interesting problem solving.

         I had barely finished putting together the studio (insulating walls and 15ft ceiling, plywood facing, resurfacing concrete floor, hooking up water, sink, and all new electricity for the house) when the rush for my January commitments hit me with hurricane force.
        First was my debut appearance at the newly created Cervini Haas/Gallery Materia in Scottsdale, Arizona for a show called "Dominion: Man in Nature" featuring work by myself and two other 2-dimensional artists, Michael Barnes and Vince Palacios. I brought 3 past works and 3 new ones:

The new owner of Gallery Materia, Wendy Haas, was a pleasure to work with, and I hope to continue working with her further down the road.  I will try to keep updates posted here as they come...no really.       
        
         Also in January, I curated a show for Baltimore Clayworks called "The Animal Instinct"  which was to open the first week in January, so back in the car....for a grueling 2nd leg of a 4,000 mile trip from Phoenix to Baltimore.  I made it there the day before the opening, in time to set up two of my own pieces as well of some work from a few other artists.  The show turned out to have some of the most amazing work I have ever seen in person.  The list of participating artists includes: Christina Antemann, Adrian Arleo, Gina Bobrowski, Mary Jo Bole, Joe Bova, John Byrd, Mary Cloonan, Linda Cordell, Bernadette Curran, Ken Ferguson, Rebecca Harvey, Nancy Jacobsohn, Pamela E. Kelly, Adelaide Paul, Liz Quackenbush, Jason Walker and Kurt Weiser.  I have two pieces in the exhibition, "Noli Me Tangere" and a small piece of two goats tied to each other's back called "Life Out of Balance."  Thanks to Gerry and Karen Davis and The Art Spirit Gallery for lending the piece for the show.  Here is a link to the exhibition description.  
         I was very upset to learn during the opening about Ken Ferguson's death.  I never did get a chance to meet him, although he cast a large shadow over my work.  I want to thank Garth Clark Gallery especially for lending the exhibition one of his fantastic hare platters.  And of course, I would be in enormous trouble if I didn't thank Leigh Taylor-Mickelson for all the work she put into actually staging the entire exhibition.  

***Also***
I must mention!!!
Baltimore Clayworks  is producing a digital color catalog of this show, and will be available for $10/CD.  Keen!  I hope everyone who is even remotely interested will purchase one, in order to support all the work that went into making the show happen.  You can accomplish this simply by giving them a call 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday and 12 pm- 5 pm, Sundays at 410-578-1919.

 

        SO. Now that I am finished licking my wounds from the abuse of car travel, lack of sleep, junk food, caffeine overdose, and an intolerable amount of stress.....what next?  Well, I have a full schedule of exhibitions coming up this spring, including:

        I also have two workshops coming up worth mentioning:  The first is in July at Santa Fe Clay- one week long!- and the second is in August at The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts- also one week long!  These promise to be more fun than a pie fight....I have never done one of these extended workshops, but given that I never have enough time to cram in all I need to teach in the two-day affairs, I am really looking forward to it.  I think it will be the best environment for me to really help the participants get a feel for working on a larger scale.  Speaking of scale, I have been invited to be a Demonstrator at this year's NCECA conference in Baltimore, and I have agreed to do a 2,000 lb sculpture in six hours....hah! (ohmygodwhatintheworldamigettinginto).  I will have a whole section of my website dedicated to this insane endeavor next month, including a full run down on how I go about making the monumental sized pieces.

         As usual, it is a pretty ambitious schedule, and though I would love to sit around for the next month buried in a couple of good books and sleeping in until noon....I definitely need to keep a fire lit under me.  I am excited about being back in Ohio in order to finally live with Matt after four years of maintaining a long distance relationship(!), but I will definitely miss the high adventure of the past couple of years.  My residency at the Archie Bray changed my life and career in so many unimaginable ways...I know I will never let go of the roots and threads that I tied there.  My brief  experience at The Clay Studio had a major impact on me and my work as well.  It really comes down to the wealth of incredible people that I have had the chance to get to know in both places.  Although I will miss that beehive of activity, I hope I will never really leave it, no matter where I go next.  As always, wish me luck, and stay in touch.

 

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