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ferrincontemporary

specialists in contemporary ceramic art
moving to Project Art in Cummington,MA in Sep ‘23

DENMARK - It’s been too long … my last trip ov

DENMARK - It’s been too long … my last trip overseas was in 2019. The last time I was in Denmark was 2017.

A lot has happened during those years, particularly this one, a milestone year for my family and @ferrincontemporary. The personal and professional reflection on 40+ years led us to move the gallery to @projectart01026 in Cummington, MA. During this time, I kept my focus on the present, the people and the land around me. Posting on IG took a back seat.

IG simultaneously takes you to other worlds while providing a way to share yours.

This month, as I began traveling again, the opportunity gave me a way to start sharing again. Starting with Guldegeraard, a place that means so much to so many who, like me, find it a place easy to return to.

Established in 1997 by a group of Danish ceramists led by Nina Hole, it is a place for artists to come, work, retreat, think, explore, experiment or “reboot” - it has hosted many of the artists we work with, given opportunities to those who are starting their careers and those who are well established in their practices. In this quiet seaside fishing village Skaelskor, an hour from Copenhagen, like the orchard the founders planted, the place is where seeds get planted, introductions are made and relationships grow.

For this trip, I was delighted to spend a few days with Giselle Hicks, Kala Stein and imagine future projects with director Mette Blum Macher for future workshops and a possible fire sculpture. During our three days we rode bikes through farms at harvest time, explored the outdoor sculpture park, even went for a swim. Our day trips took us to the aptly named CLAY Museum (also founded by Nina Hole in 1994) and the special treat was a studio visit with one of our sheroes, artist Bodil Manz, a national treasure who is celebrating her 80th year and preparing for an important career survey in 2024.

I feel inspired and refreshed- thank you Denmark!

@gisellehicks @kalasteindesign
@metteblummarcher
@claykeramikmuseumdanmark

#guldagergaard #denmark #skælskør #keramik #ceramicart

We are so excited to welcome you to Project Art in

We are so excited to welcome you to Project Art in Cummington, MA this weekend for Ferrin Contemporary’s Open House!

When:
September 30-October 1, open 11-5pm each day.

Don’t forget:
Artist talk & tour by Sergei Isupov at 1pm each day,
RSVP required. Spaces are limited; RSVP in the 🔗 in our bio.

See you there!

ARTIST TALK | PETER PINCUS Monday, October 2, 12 P

ARTIST TALK | PETER PINCUS
Monday, October 2, 12 PM EST

Join Peter Pincus in-person as he speaks about his work in the group exhibition, “Call Sol: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt”

“Call Sol: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt” traces the literal and symbolic influence of this icon of American conceptual art on artists working in a wide variety of styles and materials. The exhibition focuses on 10 artists that LeWitt touched intellectually, formally or stylistically.
As part of the group exhibition, CALL SOL: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt.

Free to attend | All are welcome

Location:
The Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT
83 Windham Street
Fine Arts Instructional Center, Room 112
Willimantic, CT 06226

CALL SOL: The Enduring Legacy of Sol LeWitt
On view through October 27th, 2023

ON VIEW NOW | HEY! LA CERAMIQUE Exhibition of 30

ON VIEW NOW | HEY! LA CERAMIQUE

Exhibition of 30 international ceramic artists curated by Anne Richard

Featuring work by Chris Antemann, Crystal Morey, and Mara Superior

Museum of La Halle Saint Pierre, Paris, France
on view September 20, 2023 - August 14, 2024

Slide 1: Crystal Morey, “The RePlanting: Over the Land (Mt. Lion and Unicorn”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 17.5 x 11 x 7″, photo credit to Crystal Morey

Slide 2: Mara Superior, “A China Vase”, 1988, high-fired porcelain, ceramic oxides, underglaze, glaze, 23 x 15 x 8″, John Polak Photography

Slide 3: Chris Antemann, “Kissing Flora”, 2023, porcelain, decals, enamels, luster, 18 x 11 x 6″, Kendrick Moholt Photography

RSVP today for one of two talks given by Sergei Is

RSVP today for one of two talks given by Sergei Isupov during our Open House at Project Art in Cummington, MA.

Saturday Sep 30 - Sunday Oct 1
1pm both days
RSVPs required. See the 1st 🔗 in our bio to RSVP.

In 2006, Sergei Isupov moved to Cummington, MA to establish Project Art with Leslie Ferrin, director of Ferrin Contemporary. Arriving in the USA in 1994 from Estonia, he lived in Kentucky, Virginia and now, for 17 years in Cummington. Isupov was joined by his wife, Kadri Pärnamets from Estonia in 2008. Their daughter Roosi, now 13, grew up at Project Art and is also creating artwork in the family’s shared studio. Sergei’s family who still live in Kyiv, Ukraine, are also producing artists.

Sergei Isupov will give a tour of Project Art (54 Main Street, Cummington) and speak about his work each day. Isupov’s ceramic sculptures on view in the gallery at Project Art trace his career with works made in studios throughout the world (Estonia, Hungary, and in the USA) and date from 1990 – present. The talk will run for 45 minutes and is limited to 30 people each day.

"Peter Pincus: The Incomplete Collection" is now o

"Peter Pincus: The Incomplete Collection" is now on view at City Art Space, the downtown exhibition venue of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY.

The exhibition presents recent work derived from ancient vessel making, along with a selection of his colorful, signature pieces cast in porcelain.

A major highlight of the exhibition is "Lapse", a series of 21 colored porcelain vessels that were photographed to create a gradient animation by Elizabeth Lamark.

GALLERY TALK: TODAY Friday, September 8 @ 6:00pm
Free | All are welcome

The address:
280 East Main Street
Sibley Tower, First Floor
Rochester, New York, 14604

"Peter Pincus: The Incomplete Collection", on view through Sep 24, 2023.

As we start packing up to move to Cummington, MA,

As we start packing up to move to Cummington, MA, we reflect back on our 9 years in North Adams. Thank you to all who made this space a home for Ferrin Contemporary and to all who visited over the years.

Our team will be hard at work this week packing up the gallery and setting up for our opening weekend in Cummington. Come visit us September 30-October 1st, 11-5pm each day, after which we will be open by appointment.

Ferrin Contemporary at Project Art:
54 Main Street
Cummington, MA
01026

AND THAT’S A WRAP! THANK YOU North Adams! Today

AND THAT’S A WRAP! THANK YOU North Adams!

Today, we officially close our North Adams gallery space and begin the move to Project Art in Cummington, MA.

Since moving to the MASS MoCA campus in 2014 we've:

✨presented 30+ exhibitions
✨featuring 1,000+ artworks
✨by 100+ artists

We are so grateful for this chapter in our Ferrin history and look forward to continue supporting ceramic artists and presenting ceramic work in our new Cummington location. See you there 🌷

DID YOU HEAR? WE ARE MOVING! As our summer group

DID YOU HEAR? WE ARE MOVING!

As our summer group exhibition ARE WE THERE YET? comes to a close, we'd like to remind our Ferrin Contemporary family that after September 2nd, we will be moving to Project Art in Cummington, MA.

Project Art has been supporting the production of ceramic art through artist residencies, internships, workshops, studio rentals, events, and exhibitions since 2003 when Leslie Ferrin and Sergei Isupov renovated our big red mill building. It is also the live-work space of artists Sergei Isupov and Kadri Pärnamets.

Cummington was recently designated as a cultural district, paving way for additional funding, programming, events, and tourism. We're so excited to transition our gallery to our other home during this exciting time for the local community.

We look forward to continuing to uplift our artists careers through institutional relationships, display work in our new gallery spaces, and present reimagined educational resources and programs.

We'll open our doors to the public during an Open House the weekend of September 30 + October 1, with artwork on view and an artist talk with Sergei Isupov. We will then be open by appointment through the Fall.

Thank you North Adams for these wonderful nine years.

See you in Cummington!

MARA SUPERIOR | Are We There Yet? In 1979, Leslie

MARA SUPERIOR | Are We There Yet?

In 1979, Leslie Ferrin, Mara Superior, and Barbara Walch opened Pinch Pottery in Northampton, MA. Soon after, Ferrin Gallery (now Ferrin Contemporary) was born out of Pinch Pottery, and “A Tea Party” was exhibited as one of Mara Superior’s first solo shows.

43 years later, Mara Superior has exhibited in countless group and solo shows through Ferrin Contemporary's history. Her ceramic high relief platters and sculptural objects reflect her passion for art history and the decorative arts, and her painterly motifs range from the pleasures of the domestic to serious political and environmental issues as points of departure to comment on contemporary culture and its relationship to history.

Slide 1:
Mara Superior at the Are We There Yet? reception, holding "A Pair of Artist Eyes", 2023, English porcelain, ceramic oxides, gold luster, glaze, 2.5 x 10 x 0.5"

Slide 2:
"Let the Sun Shine on Moi", 2023, English porcelain, cobalt oxide, 24kt gold leaf, glaze, 11 x 14.25 x 5"

Slide 3:
"The Ice is Melting, (Five-finger Vase)", 2022, high-fired porcelain, ceramic oxides, underglaze, glaze, 9.25 x 9 x 5.25"

Now on view thru this Saturday, 9/2.
2m

BOBBY SILVERMAN | Are We There Yet? "My work expl

BOBBY SILVERMAN | Are We There Yet?

"My work explores the idiosyncratic nature of ceramic material and its ability to express phenomenological properties including luminosity, translucency, gravity, and reflection. I am primarily interested in how the ceramic surface relates to ideas about abstraction or natural phenomena such as how the static can be made fluid or how a physical surface can seem to have infinite depth. My work develops from the outside in—the surface quality is paramount and the form is chosen to highlight that surface. Most recently, I have begun to add other materials to the mix: cast resin, glass, and automotive paint are used as static counterpoints to the glaze and to extend my conversation about the inherent quality of different materials."

Slide 1:
Untitled (After Kline)
2022
Commercial tile, glazed porcelain, autopaint
22 x 19" (backdrop tile), 10.75 x 8.75 x 11.75" (vase & base tile)

Slide 2:
Untitled
2022
Econolite, commercial tile, glazed porcelain, autopaint
24 x 24" (backdrop tile), 10.75 x 10.25 x 11.75" (vase & base tile)

Slide 3:
Are We There Yet? installation image with Bobby Silverman, Russell Biles, and Courtney M. Leonard

Slide 4:
Bobby Silverman at the ARE WE THERE YET? Reception, photo by Tracy Eller Photography.

On view through this Saturday, Sep 2.

JASON WALKER | ARE WE THERE YET? "The culture I l

JASON WALKER | ARE WE THERE YET?

"The culture I live in does not emphasize our physical connection and dependence on nature. The current ideology is reliant upon technology, and it promotes disembodied activity such as television and computers.....The gap between man-made and natural is ever increasing.

The way in which we perceive nature inadvertently describes the way in which we perceive ourselves. Ultimately, my quest is a journey to define for myself what it means to be human in the present time."

"Double Vision"
2022
Porcelain, underglaze
17 x 13 x 9"

On view in Are We There Yet? thru Sep 2.

SIN-YING HO | ARE WE THERE YET? As we flip throug

SIN-YING HO | ARE WE THERE YET?

As we flip through the archives and reflect on artists' careers, we're excited to offer museum quality work from private collections.

Ceramic artist Sin-Ying Ho was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Canada, and currently resides in New York City. Sin-Ying first exhibited with Ferrin Contemporary in 2014 as part of “MADE IN CHINA: THE NEW EXPORT WARE”, in North Adams, MA. Almost 10 years later, we've come full circle and are excited to bring her work, "Made in the Postmodern Era no.1", back to North Adams to be exhibited in "ARE WE THERE YET?".

"Made in the Postmodern Era no.1"
2008
Porcelain, high fire reduction, hand painted cobalt pigment, computer decal transfer, terra sigillata
20.5 x 11 x 11”.

On view in Are We There Yet? thru Sep 2.

ARE WE THERE YET? | Cristina Córdova We first b

KURT WEISER | ARE WE THERE YET? As we flip through

KURT WEISER | ARE WE THERE YET?
As we flip through the archives and reflect on artists' careers, we're excited to offer museum quality work from private collections.

"I started drawing and painting on pots out of desperation more than anything else…to have some say over what happened on the surface. The ideas and subjects of these paintings on the pots are for the most part just a collection of my own history of fantasy and view of reality, built the same way we dream."

Kurt Weiser, "Bug Lesson", 1994, porcelain, china paint, 17 x 13 x6.5". On view in Are We There Yet? thru Sep 2.

SERGEI ISUPOV | ARE WE THERE YET? As we flip throu

SERGEI ISUPOV | ARE WE THERE YET?
As we flip through the archives and reflect on artists' careers, we're excited to offer museum quality work from private collections.

Photo 1 - "Chain", 1999, Porcelain, 10.5 x 13.5 x 9″

Photo 2 - "Complacency", 1998, Porcelain Sculpture, 11 x 18 x 6.5″

Photo 3 - "Voice from Inside" (detail), 1997, Porcelain Sculpture, 8 x 6 x 4″

Video 4 - “Burden II”, 2021, stoneware, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 15 x 6.5″.

On view among recent works in Are We There Yet? thru Sep 2.

CHRIS ANTEMANN | ARE WE THERE YET? As we flip thro

CHRIS ANTEMANN | ARE WE THERE YET?
As we flip through the archives and reflect on artists' careers, we're excited to offer museum quality work from private collections.

Chris Antemann, "Dining in the Altogether", was produced in 2010 in her Oregon studio and first exhibited that same year at Art Miami. In 2019 it was featured in the traveling exhibition "About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture" curated by Jennifer Jankauskas at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. This work led to an invitation to MEISSEN and the opportunity to spend 10 years producing with a team at the manufactory in Germany. Returning to her studio practice in the USA in 2020 we are pleased to present recent works from 2023 side by side with this important masterwork from 2010.

Chris Antemann, "Dining in the Altogether", 2010, porcelain, decals, luster, 17 x 33 x 15″.
Now on view among recent works in ARE WE THERE YET? thru Sep 2.

Photo 1 - "Dining in the Altogether", Are We There Yet? installation, photo by John Polak, 2023
Photo 2 - "Lovers Vase in Blue” (second from left), Are We There Yet? installation, photo by John Polak, 2023
Photo 3 - "Dining in the Altogether", Art Miami installation with director Leslie Ferrin and Lauren Levato-Coyne, 2010
Photo 4 & 5 - "Dining in the Altogether", About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture installation at Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, 2018

We had such a good time at our reception for ARE W

We had such a good time at our reception for ARE WE THERE YET? on view now @ferrincontemporary - I want to take a moment to thank our locally owned newspaper, the @berkshireeagle for their support during our 20 + years in the Berkshires - Lenox, Pittsfield and the last nine in North Adams. Award winning writer, Jennifer Huberdeau has covered so many of our shows. This article on our final exhibition blends the story of our gallery with the artwork and objects from throughout our years and presented side by side with recent works completed in 2023. Her consistency and dedication to visual arts is unusual in these times of change in publishing. We are fortunate too, as we move our gallery program to @projectart01026 in the newly designated Cultural District of Cummington, MA - we are still in her coverage range #moretocome

#arewethereyet
#ferrincontemporary
#intheberkshires
#projectart01026
#onlyonecummington

RAYMON ELOZUA | ARE WE THERE YET? As we flip thro

RAYMON ELOZUA | ARE WE THERE YET?

As we flip through the archives and reflect on artists' careers, we're excited to offer museum quality work from private collections.

"My work from 1977 through 1982 was ceramic masquerading as wood. My subject material was American industrial architecture of the early 1900’s. My model railroad hobby had meta-morphed into a fine art career." - Raymon Elozua

"Water Tower", circa 1980, 9.5 x 6 x 5.5”
Offered by Modern Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Additional works by Raymon Elozua, including a sculpture from his Hubris series and photographs from his Enamelware series, are also on view in ARE WE THERE YET? at Ferrin Contemporary thru Sep 2nd.

Photos 1-4 courtesy of @modernegallery
Photo 5 by @johnpolak

THANK YOU to our friends, neighbors, collaborators

THANK YOU to our friends, neighbors, collaborators, clients, artists, and family who traveled far and wide to attend the reception for our last exhibition in North Adams, ARE WE THERE YET? It was wonderful to celebrate with 70+ guests, many of whom have been a part of our Ferrin world throughout 40+ years.

ARE WE THERE YET? will remain on view in North Adams through September 2nd, 2023.

"Where to Next?" - this fall, our office, library, archives and gallery program will be all in one location at Project Art in Cummington, MA. We will be open to the public by appointment and participate in regional events, starting with Hilltown Open Studio Tour on the weekend of September 30th - October 1, 2023.

ARE WE THERE YET? reception is TOMORROW, Thursday

ARE WE THERE YET? reception is TOMORROW, Thursday August 3rd from 5-7pm | 1315 MASS MoCA Way | Building 13

We hope to see you there as we celebrate this exciting chapter in Ferrin Contemporary history. ARE WE THERE YET? marks our last exhibition on the MASS MoCA campus. We hope to see you there!

Also coming up:
An opening celebration of our move to Project Art in Cummington, MA will take place from September 30th-October 1st, after which we will be available by appointment. Featured works from ARE WE THERE YET? as well as additional pieces from our represented artists will be on view. See you in Cummington!

LAUREN MABRY | ARE WE THERE YET? On view this sum

LAUREN MABRY | ARE WE THERE YET?

On view this summer in the gallery: works from Lauren Mabry’s Glaze Flow Cylinders, Glazescapes, Cave Bloom series, and Scrap Yard wall-hangings.

“My goal is to create dynamic compositions that push the boundaries of how ceramic materials have been historically perceived. Looking towards the future, I use hypnotic tones, textures, and forms aiming to change the nature of the technical questions craftspeople often get: ‘how did you do that?’ to instead ‘why did you do that?’

My queerness and my artwork create glitches in the system, highlighting, and pausing on, the states in between. I interrupt the expectations of materiality and craft to call both concepts into question. I adapt and shift and fall into the cracks like fluxing glaze which fails to hold form, and at a passing glance, defies gravity.” - Lauren Mabry

Are We There Yet?
on view thru Sep 2
in Building 13 on the MASS MoCA campus
North Adams, MA

Appreciation post for The Red Clay Rambler podcast

Appreciation post for The Red Clay Rambler podcast for featuring several gallery artists in recent episodes! Hosted by Benjamin Carter @carterpottery

Listen in for interviews with:
• Mark Shapiro, on 19th century potter Thomas Commeraw (#365)
• Sergei Isupov, on his surrealist sculptures (#464)
• Lauren Mabry, on pushing the boundaries of glaze (#465)
• Linda Sikora, on service, storage, display, and teaching (#473+#474)

Find links in our bio or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Photos clockwise from top left: Mark Shaprio, "Barrel (set of 3)", 2021; Sergei Isupov, "Chain", 1999; Linda Sikora, "Hexagon Teapot", 2022; Lauren Mabry, "Glaze Flow Cylinder No.1", 2021, and "Scrapyard" series, 2023. Photos by John Polak.

Thur Aug 3 | Join us in for a reception celebratin

Thur Aug 3 | Join us in for a reception celebrating our last exhibition in the North Adams gallery, ARE WE THERE YET?

The exhibition reflects on the past 40+ years as leaders in contemporary ceramic art and the careers we've bolstered along the way, while also looking ahead and musing about future possibilities.

We want to thank our community for this chapter in Ferrin Contemporary's history as we embark on new beginnings - join us next week in building 13 during the A4A Open Studios for a look at this special exhibition.

ARE WE THERE YET Reception
Thursday, August 3, 5 - 7 pm
Ferrin Contemporary
MASS MoCA Building 13, first floor

Following this show, we're moving to Project Art in Cummington, MA with an opening weekend September 30 - October 1, then open by appointment through the Fall.

Photography by John Polak, featuring artwork by (L to R) Bobby Silverman, Cristina Cordova, Lauren Mabry, Steven Young Lee, Russel Biles, Courtney M. Leonard, Kurt Weiser, Chris Antemann, Jason Walker, Crystal Morey, and Sergei Isupov.

ON VIEW | Courtney M. Leonard BREACH: Logbook 23 |

ON VIEW | Courtney M. Leonard BREACH: Logbook 23 | ROOT at Planting Fields Foundation.

Not far from her retrospective at The Heckscher Museum is Leonard's first site-specific installation that addresses how the colonization of Long Island has impacted the culture of coastal Indigenous groups, particularly the Shinnecock Nation.

ROOT features two main design themes – whales and root cellars. The shape of the shipping container structure itself is meant to evoke the body of a whale. As you enter through the jaws of a Northern Right Whale, you move through the whale’s body. Through these motifs, ROOT explores themes of food and cultural sovereignty, as well as ongoing ecological issues that endanger the Shinnecock Nation and our global waterways.

Read more at the 🔗 in our bio.

Next Saturday, join us for lunch with Linda Sikora

Next Saturday, join us for lunch with Linda Sikora at Project Art! Selected works from her recent solo exhibition DARKENING GROUND will also be on view.

Linda joins us during the Hilltown Six Pottery Tour, an annual tour hosted by a group of nationally recognized potters based in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. The event features 27 artists and takes place on Saturday 7/29 and Sunday 7/30.

Lunch with Linda Sikora
Saturday July 29 @ 1p - 2:30p
Project Art, 54 Main St, Cummington, MA

We kindly ask that you RSVP so we may plan accordingly (link in bio)
We hope to see you there!

ARE WE THERE YET? “Gone Too” - Russell Biles c

ARE WE THERE YET? “Gone Too” - Russell Biles ceramic sculpture of two kids, their tire tubes, riding in the back of a pick up, the Dad in the driver seat with a cigarette - no seatbelts. This work perfectly illustrates the title of our show with a nostalgic nod to the “innocent” past, foreshadowing our less innocent present.

We came in early to prep for the photo shoot of our summer exhibition - swipe left to see details and meet @ferrincontemporary ‘s amazing team in the morning light.

A huge thanks to the artists, my friends and family during a most challenging year.

In the words of 1970’s adverts - “Like a Good Neighbor” they were there. They worked hard to “Bring Good Things To Life”,

“Lifesavers … A part of Living” 20+ years of life saving photography @johnpolak

“Be All You Can Be” 9+ years of doing and learning whatever got thrown in her way - Alexandra Jelleberg

“I’d like to teach the world to sing” - cheerfully greeting everyone who crosses the threshold - Isabel Twanmo 2+ years

“You’ve Come A Long Ways Baby” - celebrating 40+ years of ceramic art, all in the 413. Northampton, Hadley, Lenox, Pittsfield, North Adams and Cummington.

“Are We There Yet?”
FERRIN CONTEMPORARY
Celebrating 40+ Years of Ceramic Art
Reception: Thursday, August 3, 5-7

#ferrincontemporary
#1315massmocaway #northadamsma #intheberkshires
#inthevalley
#whyiliveinwesternmass

In early July, Courtney M. Leonard @courtneymleona

In early July, Courtney M. Leonard @courtneymleonardart and I spent the day together visiting her solo show at @heckschermuseum and seeing her public art installation at @plantingfields - we ended the day with a walk along the beach on the Shinnecock reservation where she lived and where her family still lives. Everything Courtney references in the works featured in her mid-career survey and new installations, stem from direct knowledge of the land and waters on Long Island where generations of her ancestors live and lived. The Shinnecock were never forced from their land but were only recognized as the 565th tribe in 2010. From their home base on the Atlantic shore, they travelled far and wide by boat, to fish, to trade, for work. Now with waters rising, the cemetery, the resting place of so many generations of family ancestors that overlooks the bay is exposed and at risk from the more frequent floods in storms. But the thing that struck me hardest, was standing on the reservation land in sight of wealth, in fact extreme wealth, that surrounds it - the huge houses, their big docks and costly boats, all so visible across the bay that is no longer clean enough to support the wildlife that was the source of sustenance.

Thank you Courtney for the day-long tour. Seeing and spending time together explained so much about your work and what you've been expressing through your research based, site responsive installations encompassed and documented in the multi-year exhibitions LOGBOOKS.

#Shinnecock #breachlogbook23
#alluvian
#courtneymleonardart
#heckschermuseum
#plantingfields
#longisland

AWWW so nice - reposting @ferrincontemporary - “

AWWW so nice - reposting @ferrincontemporary - “Thank you to @juliakimdixon and @ruralintel for this wonderful interview with Director Leslie Ferrin as she looks back on her 4 decades in ceramics!

"Ferrin began her career as an artist studying ceramics and glass at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. After graduating in 1979, she co-founded a ceramic studio and gallery called Pinch Pottery in Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, with friends Mara Superior and Barbara Walch. “It was an incubator,” says Ferrin. It was also the first of many manifestations of Ferrin’s entrepreneurial and community spirit which, coupled with her love of ceramics, became her guiding principles. “We were artists who wanted to sell our own work and [the work of] others who worked in clay in our community,” she says of her goals at the time. “We were exploring what people were doing in the field.”

Ferrin has always been able to adapt her business model to meet the changing demands of the market —a testament to her longevity. In 2014, as her clientele grew internationally and a lively northern Berkshire arts community emerged around activities and programs at MASS MoCA, Williams College Museum of Art, and The Clark, the gallery reopened as Ferrin Contemporary. Occupying prime real estate on MASS MoCA’s campus, it is focused on shows and collaborations that support the clay artists she’s represented for decades."

Click the 🔗 in our bio to read the full article.”

Thank you to @juliakimdixon and @ruralintel for th

Thank you to @juliakimdixon and @ruralintel for this wonderful interview with Director Leslie Ferrin as she looks back on her 4 decades in ceramics!

"Ferrin began her career as an artist studying ceramics and glass at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. After graduating in 1979, she co-founded a ceramic studio and gallery called Pinch Pottery in Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, with friends Mara Superior and Barbara Walch. “It was an incubator,” says Ferrin. It was also the first of many manifestations of Ferrin’s entrepreneurial and community spirit which, coupled with her love of ceramics, became her guiding principles. “We were artists who wanted to sell our own work and [the work of] others who worked in clay in our community,” she says of her goals at the time. “We were exploring what people were doing in the field.”

Ferrin has always been able to adapt her business model to meet the changing demands of the market —a testament to her longevity. In 2014, as her clientele grew internationally and a lively northern Berkshire arts community emerged around activities and programs at MASS MoCA, Williams College Museum of Art, and The Clark, the gallery reopened as Ferrin Contemporary. Occupying prime real estate on MASS MoCA’s campus, it is focused on shows and collaborations that support the clay artists she’s represented for decades."

Click the 🔗 in our bio to read the full article.

Tomorrow we open our exciting new summer exhibitio

Tomorrow we open our exciting new summer exhibition, ARE WE THERE YET? which runs through September 2nd, 2023. The show includes works by almost 20 artists, some never before seen and some from the artists’ archives.

Here is our team hard at work installing Cristina Córdova’s “EVA XV”. Come see Eva and 60+ other works in the show this Saturday!

“EVA XV”
2022
unglazed earthenware, burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, oxides
60 x 18 x 22”

EVA XV Install team:
@integralartsolutions
@alexandra_renee_j
@isabel_mai_

RISING WATERS - FALLING WATERS - at 7 a.m. on Mond

RISING WATERS - FALLING WATERS - at 7 a.m. on Monday the rain had been falling all night - an hour later, the big rocks were covered, and rain was still falling hard. The river was about a foot below the bank, the willow branches looked like they were blowing but it was the water pulling them in swirls. I watched from the window, as it kept rising. The culverts were exploding with water coming from the road. Knowing that the storm was almost past us but heading North meant that water flowing from side streams would still impact the volume entering the river. I kept an eye on the logs floating by, an indication of waters continuing to rise upstream. But by two pm, the river had crested and starting to drop. By 7 pm people in the little town of Cummington were out walking dogs, greeting one another in sunshine and sighing in relief that the river had fallen. The slow moving storm didn’t hover us this time, we were lucky on July 10, 2023.

We did not get the amount of rain that our neighbors West and North of us got in New York Hudson Valley or above us in Vermont.

The last time we saw water this high in the summer was Hurricane Irene - August 28, 2011. That one hit us much harder with waters well over the banks and flooding in our building.

Project Art, where I live and work is in the flood plain. Our building, a former mill, was hydro powered and also housed a turbine that provided electricity to our town until 1920 when rural electrification made it widely available. All to say, rising waters are a regular occurrence but are always a concern to us. Ice dams are more common but that is another story and a different season.

Our thoughts are with our friends up North who are experiencing what we went through during that frightening time in 2011. The storm is one thing, the clean up takes a long time and rebuilding roads takes even longer.

#onlyonecummington
#projectart01026
#risingwater #fallingwaters
#globalwarming

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