Currents in Contemporary Ceramic Art

Currents in Contemporary Ceramic Art | June 29 - July 20
with Guest Curator Gandee Gallery
Opening Reception: Sunday, June 29, 4-6PM
Curator & Artist Talk: Wednesday July 9 at 4PM
with Jen Gandee and Errol Willett
Curator & Artist Talk: Wednesday July 16 at 4PM
Shanna Fliegel
Ceramics Workshop with Jen Gandee: Tuesday July 8 & 15 from 1-4PM
Stencils and Decals for Ceramic Surface (full description below)
Ceramics Demonstration with Jennifer McCurdy: Saturday, July 12 from 10AM-5PM
Testing the Limits of Porcelain in Thrown, Altered, and Carved Sculptures (full description below)

Currents in Contemporary Ceramic Art is a survey of ceramic art from across the United States. The show presents a variety of approaches, from utilitarian to sculptural, figurative to abstract. The exhibition features artists at various career stages, from emerging talents to established masters. Although these artists are all drawn to using clay as a dominant part of their discipline, the curatorial vision emphasizes art as diverse as the identities and narratives of the makers, creating a rich tapestry of contemporary ceramic expression.

The exhibition is curated by Jen Gandee, director of the Gandee Gallery which specializes in ceramic art. Founded in 2009, the gallery is located near Syracuse, New York. Jen is also a ceramic artist and is an Adjunct Professor of Art at Syracuse University and Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York. Gandee and her husband and fellow ceramic artist, Errol Willett have been coming to Martha’s Vineyard since the 1990’s and have shown their work at local venues and galleries.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Jen Allen (WV), Peter Beasecker (NY), Andrea Denniston (VA), Ruth Easterbrook (PA), Jee Eun Lee (KY), Shanna Fliegel (MA), Jen Gandee (NY), Chris Gustin (MA), Lynne Hobaica (NC), Noelle Hoover (IN), Liz Lurie (NY), David MacDonald (NY), Andrea Marquis (PA), Jennifer McCurdy (MA), Matt Mitros (IL), Ted Neal (IN), Stephen Procter (VT), Jeremy Randall (NY), George Rodriguez (PA), Shoji Satake (RI), Isaac Scott (PA), Taylor Sijan (NJ), Sorrel Stone (OH), Errol Willett (NY), Renqian Yang (NY).

Curator and Artist Tours with curator Jen Gandee
Dates: Wednesdays, July 9th and 16th at 4PM
Time: 4:00PM
Location: Francine Kelly Gallery
Fee: Free and open to all

Join us on Wednesday, July 9th and July 16th at 4PM, for a tour of the gallery with guest curator and ceramic artist Jen Gandee. Jen will provide insights regarding her curatorial process and the artwork featured in the exhibition. She will be joined Wednesday, July 9th by participating artist Errol Willett who will discuss his background, artistic approach, and his ceramic work featured in the show. The tour on Wednesday, July 16th will feature participating artist Shanna Fliegel.

sold out

Visiting Artist Workshop: Stencils and Decals for Ceramic Surface with Jen Gandee
Dates: Tuesdays, July 8 and 15
Time: 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $150

In this 2-week workshop, participants will experiment with innovative ways to incorporate imagery and pattern with their ceramic surfaces. The workshop will demonstrate how to manipulate images digitally using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and then students will design and cut their own custom stencils using a digital cutting machine (Cricut Maker) and print and apply decal transfers of their own images and drawings.

Beginning students can use provided tiles for their experiments and intermediate/advanced students can work on their own greenware, bisqueware, and/or glazed pieces. Computers will be available in the studio for this workshop, but students are encouraged to bring their own laptops/iPads with photo editing software.

Jen Gandee grew up in West Virginia and graduated in 1996 from West Virginia University with a BFA in Ceramics. Gandee developed a line of functional ceramic work, which was sold through the ACC wholesale craft market, national craft shows, gallery venues and studio sales from 1999-2005. She received a MFA from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2008. Currently, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Art at Le Moyne College and Cayuga Community College and owns the Gandee Gallery in Fabius, NY.

Featherstone is grateful to Jen Gandee, curator of Currents in Contemporary Art, for donating her time to teach this workshop, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Featherstone.

Artist Demo: Testing the Limits of Porcelain in Thrown, Altered, and Carved Sculptures with Jennifer McCurdy
Date: Saturday, July 12
Time: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Location: Art Barn Painting Studio
Fee: $75, open to all. This is a fundraiser, with all proceeds from this demonstration going towards the ceramics program at Featherstone.

Renowned porcelain ceramic artist Jennifer McCurdy, will visit Featherstone for a full day artist demonstration in conjunction with the Currents in Contemporary Ceramic Art exhibition. Jennifer will demonstrate basic wedging, centering, and throwing as well as the technique of “dry throwing”, using two metal ribs to create the shape of the piece. She will cover her technique of altering these pieces off the wheel to create soft shadow and movement.

Following a lunch break, Jennifer will present a slide show and discuss the transition of her work over the last forty years. In the afternoon, she will demonstrate carving techniques on leather hard porcelain , then briefly demonstrate sanding techniques, and discuss firing strategies for porcelain. She will discuss the concept of “strength vs. plasticity” in the porcelain as it moves through the working stages from wet to dry through vitrification.

Jennifer McCurdy received a BFA from Michigan State University in 1979 and then learned how to formulate and throw porcelain at Florida Atlantic University under John McCoy in 1980. She has been selling her porcelain for the last forty years, and her work resides in personal collections, galleries and museums around the world, including the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Gallery, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the American Museum of Ceramic Art, and the Everson Museum of Art. She maintains a studio in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Her focus on the reflective and bone-like quality of the bare porcelain has led her to explore the light and shadow of the clay forms, resulting in a unique melding of line and structure.

Thank you to Jennifer McCurdy for donating her time and expertise during this 7 hour demonstration, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Featherstone.

CURRENTSin Contemporary Ceramic Art

CURRENTS
in Contemporary Ceramic Art