Project Type: 2022

05
Jan
2024
Our America/Whose America? at Ferrin Contemporary, North Adams, MA

Our America/Whose America? at Ferrin Contemporary, North Adams, MA

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

OUR AMERICA/WHOSE AMERICA?

AUGUST 6 – OCTOBER 30, 2022

Our America, Whose America presents a dialogue between contemporary artists and a collection of commercially produced ceramics. This collection of historical objects, collected across the span of several years by Founding Director Leslie Ferrin, is in the form of plates, souvenirs, and figurines from the early 19th through mid-20th centuries. The items were produced in England, Occupied Japan, and various factories in the USA. The exhibition title was chosen from a series of plates produced by Vernon Kiln that features illustrations of American scenes by the painter Rockwell Kent.

In response to this historical collection, contemporary works by nearly 30 participating artists will provide new context and interpretation of these profoundly powerful objects. Seen now, decades and in some cases centuries later, the narratives they deliver through image, characterization, and stereotype, whether overt and bombastic or subtle and cunning, form a collective memory that continues to impact the way people see themselves and others today.

  • View the historic collection HERE
  • View the 2022 Press Release HERE

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Throughout our forty-year history, we have used multi-artist survey exhibitions as a platform to explore social issues. We’ve focused on gender and feminist perspectives, broached relationship taboos, and challenged historical notions of ceramics and art.

The contemporary artists we’ve invited use their work to assert their autonomy and subjectivity by presenting intertwined cultural critiques through lenses of their own choosing, starting with race, gender, and class. Each of these categories is tentacular and touches upon myriad other ideas including nature, warfare, food and water inequity, and more.

Elizabeth Alexander

Russell Biles

Jacqueline Bishop

Judy Chartrand

CRANK

Cristina Córdova

Connor Czora

Michelle Erickson

Sergei Isupov

Salvador Jiménez-Flores

Garth Johnson

Niki Johnson

Akinsanya Kambon *

Beckie Kravetz

Steven Young Lee

Jennifer Ling Datchuk

Beth Lo **

Angelica Pozo

Leo Quiles

Paul Scott

Rae Stern

Momoko Usami

Kukuli Velarde

Jason Walker

**courtesy Lucy Lacoste Gallery

* courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery

VIEW LIST OF ARTISTS
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ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

RUSSELL BILES

Jacqueline Bishop, Artist Portrait, 2022

JACQUELINE BISHOP

Judy Chartrand, Artist Portrait, 2022.

JUDY CHARTRAND

CRANK

Connor Czora, Artist Portrait, 2024

CONNOR CZORA

MICHELLE ERICKSON

Sergei Isupov, Artist Portrait with "Lips Eyes Ear, Eyebrow", 2023. Photo by John Polak Photography.

SERGEI ISUPOV

SALVADOR JIMÉNEZ-FLORES

Jennifer Ling Datchuk Artist Portrait, Photo by Kohler Co.

GARTH JOHNSON

Beth Lo Artist Portrait

NIKI JOHNSON

AKINSANYA KAMBON

BECKIE KRAVETZ

Steven Young Lee Artist Portrait 2023

STEVEN YOUNG LEE

Jennifer Ling Datchuk Artist Portrait, Photo by Kohler Co.

JENNIFER LING DATCHUK

Beth Lo Artist Portrait

BETH LO *

Paul Scott, Artist Portrait, 2022

ANGELICA POZO

Paul Scott, Artist Portrait, 2022

LEO QUILES

Paul Scott, Artist Portrait, 2022

PAUL SCOTT

Rae Stern, Artist Portrait in Studio, 2024, photo by Johanna Brooks.

RAE STERN

Black and white image of Momoko Usami, Artist Portrait

MOMOKO USAMI

Black and white image of Momoko Usami, Artist Portrait

KUKULI VELARDE

Jason Walker Artist Portrait, 2019

JASON WALKER

2022 | OUR AMERICA/WHOSE AMERICA? EXHIBITION CATALOG

Exhibition and catalog production by Ferrin Contemporary staff, catalog layout by Rory Coyne with installation and artwork photography by John Polak Photography, 2022.

  • 58 Page Catalog
  •  Introduction by the Gallery
  • Featuring 23 Artists
  • Installation & Artwork Photos by John Polak Photography

Published by Ferrin Contemporary

2022 | PRESS & PROGRAMMING

NRM | SYMPOSIUM

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ILLUSTRATION AND RACE, Exhibition & Symposium at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ILLUSTRATION AND RACE

Zoom Webinar (online)
Welcome and Opening Program:
Friday, September 23, 2022
7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Symposium Presentations and Panels:
Saturday, September 24, 2022
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: ILLUSTRATED CERAMICS AND AMERICAN IDENTITY

Panelists: Leslie Ferrin, Elizabeth Alexander, Jacqueline Bishop, Judy Chartrand, Niki Johnson, and Paul Scott.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ILLUSTRATION AND RACE

A series of compelling talks by Heather Campbell Coyle, Ph.D; Karen Fang, Ph.D; Michele Bogart, Ph.D.; Theresa Leininger-Miller, Ph.D.; and Leonard Davis, followed by conversation with the commentators.

SYMPOSIUM FEATURES

Hidden in Plain Sight: Illustrated Ceramics and American Identity

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction to Symposium co-curators Stephanie Plunkett and Robyn Phillips Pendleton
23:00 Introduction
28:00 Leslie Ferrin Our America/Whose America? collection and exhibition
46:00 Jacqueline Bishop
52:00 Paul Scott
1:02:00 Elizabeth Alexander
1:11:00 Johnson
1:21:00 Judy Chartrand
1:37:00 Q&A

Hidden in plain sight, illustrations on porcelain and ceramic ware have, throughout history, transformed functional objects into message-bearers for a wide range of political and propagandistic causes, whether exchanged by heads of state or acquired for use or display in domestic settings. Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Contemporary will discuss the imagery, drawn from popular nineteenth-century prints, that was reproduced on widely distributed ceramics portraying historical events, indigenous people, and notable explorers, inventors, and politicians through a white European lens. The panel will explore how these seemingly ordinary objects, including Rockwell collector plates, have helped to establish firmly held beliefs about American identity. Artists Elizabeth Alexander, Jacqueline Bishop, Judy Chartrand, Niki Johnson, and Paul Scott, will discuss contemporary ceramics, which reject systems of racial oppression and invite reconsideration of the sanitized version of history that was presented for generations.

Historical Perspectives on Illustration and Race

View the Entire Symposium Playlist from the Norman Rockwell Museum

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 START
00:13 Welcome
04:49 Opening Remarks
22:50 Panel: Hidden in Plain Sight – Illustrated Ceramics and American Identity

These concise presentations by Imprinted: Illustrating Race catalogue authors and exhibition lenders will focus on widely-circulated historical representations of race in the press and in popular culture that established a sense of American nationalism for white audiences through the subjugation of Indigenous, Black, and Asian people and cultures.

Witness to History: Collecting Black Americana
Leonard Davis, designer and collector

PAST PROGRAMMING

PAST PROGRAMMING

Ferrin Contemporary | Exhibition | 2022

OPENING RECEPTION

Thursday, August. 11, 2022 | 5-7 pm
during Building 13 Art Walk

CLOSING RECEPTION

Special Guest Artist Paul Scott (UK)

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022 |  5-7 pm

Closing reception of the ‘OAWA’ exhibition at Ferrin Gallery, with special guest artist Paul Scott (UK) in attendance, as well as select additional artists and the curators in the exhibition.

at Ferrin Contemporary, North Adams, MA

SYMPOSIUM

Historical Perspectives on Illustration and Race

Zoom Webinar (online)
Welcome and Opening Program:
Friday, September 23, 2022
7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Symposium Presentations and Panels:
Saturday, September 24, 2022
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

01
Jan
2024
NEW AMERICAN SCENERY: The Art of Paul Scott

NEW AMERICAN SCENERY: The Art of Paul Scott

ABOUT NEW AMERICAN SCENERY

Exhibiting internationally since 2019

EXHIBITION OBJECTIVE

Initially guided by the images depicted in the historic transferware, Paul traveled to cities, explored natural landscapes, met collaborators, and produced a body of work now known as PAUL SCOTT: New American Scenery. First shown in the newly renovated porcelain room at RISD Museum curated by Elizabeth Williams, the exhibition traveled next to Albany Institute of History & Art in 2022 and selected works featured in exhibitions at other locations in both the USA and UK and four open now in the USA.

EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION

In New American Scenery, Scott scrutinizes the American landscape from a contemporary perspective, one that grapples with issues of globalization, energy generation and consumption, capitalism, social justice, immigration, and the human impact on the environment. The images that Scott creates for his ceramics depict unsettling views of nuclear power plants, aging urban centers, abandoned industrial sites, wildfires, and isolating walls. As representations of the American landscape, they suggest a subversion of the picturesque aesthetic—the unpicturesque picturesque—and a new, disturbing norm.

Paul Scott is a leading figure in the international field of ceramics and print. He is known for his manipulation of transfer-printed designs on factory-made domestic tablewares, which thus become vehicles for socio-political commentary. New American Scenery is permeated with his response to the ‘American’ transfer-printed tablewares that were produced in Staffordshire during the first part of the nineteenth century, exclusively for export to America. They have a common format of a central motif framed within an ornamental border and are decorated with imagery that celebrates the new republic. Scott’s New American Scenery work often maintains the same traditional format, while his surface imagery highlights a range of contemporary themes and issues. On the reverse of each piece can be found his maker’s mark, information about the printed edition to which it belongs and his signature; several pieces also offer substantial narrative accounts of the subjects depicted.

Paul Scott: New American Scenery, was made possible by an Artist In Residence grant from the Alturas Foundation, with additional support from Ferrin Contemporary, RISD Museum, Arts Council England, and Albany Institute of History & Art.

EXHIBITION SPECS

EXHIBITION TYPE

  • Solo exhibition

KEY TOPICS

  • American history
  • Environmental
  • Critique

TARGET INSTITUTION

  • Historic Institution/home
  • Museums with historic collection

DURATION | DISPLAY | COSTS & FEES

DURATION OPTIONS

  • RUN TIME 5–12 months
  • ARTIST CONTRACT DURATION (length of loan): 7-15 months

 

SPACE/DISPLAY REQUIREMENTS

  • REQUIRED DISPLAY TOOLS dependent on location 

 

COSTS & FEES

  • EXHIBITION FEES variable by exhibition location
  • SHIPPING/LENDING FEES variable by exhibition location
  • INSURANCE COVERAGE variable by exhibition location

EVENT OPPORTUNITIES

  • OPENING/CLOSING RECEPTIONS – select artist/curator talks

 

  • MEET THE ARTIST – Paul Scott available on-site to speak about his work and how it relates to historic content in conversation.

PRESS

New American Scenery Expanded Series Information

NAS includes the following bodies of work, many of which were conceived on location and/or with insights from significant collaborators. Each highlighted title below represents a sub-series containing multiple iterations and/or designs.

Across the Borderline

Across the Borderline

Series of platters depicting the border between the US and Mexico using imagery culled from the Wedgwood archive and popular media to address the theme of immigration.

READ MORE/VIEW PDF

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Trumpian Campaigne, Legacy No:1, (Across the Borderline, Portland, Black Lives Matter)”, 2021, in-glaze decal collage on pearlware platter (after Enoch Wood), 15.4 x 12.2 x 2″, 39 x 30.5 x 5cm.

Paul Scott, Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Across the Borderline (4) (Trumpian Campaigne), 2020

The Angola 3

The Angola 3

souvenir plate drawing reference to inmates in the Louisiana State Penitentiary who were held in solitary confinement for the longest period in American history. It is suspected that this unethical treatment was retaliation for the inmates’ connection to the Black Panther Party.

Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Angola 3″ 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 11 x 11 x 1”.

Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, The Angola 3″ back, 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 11x 11 x 1”

Albany (Souvenirs & Views of New York)

Albany (Souvenirs & Views of New York)

souvenir plate of an urban landscape viewed through a roadside screen of trees and brush.

Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, “View of Albany”, 2019, In-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 11 x 11 x 1″, 28 cm dia.

Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Near the Oxbow (after Thomas Cole)”, 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal), on shell-edged pearlware platter c.1850, 13.5 x 16.75 x 2″.

Fleur.de.Sel's New York

Fleur.de.Sel’s New York

series of souvenir plates depicting New York City streetscapes drawn from the Instagram account @Fleur.de.Sel that appear timeless, illustrating the small businesses and cultural diversity that are increasingly at risk with the city’s dangerously inflated wealth gap.

READ MORE/VIEW PDF

“New American Scenery, New York and Transferwares”

In the early part of the nineteenth century, tens of thousands of printed blue and white tablewares from England were exported to North America. Scenes of the newly independent United States were used in a myriad of designs and were characterized by a deep blue semiotic. Alongside printed wallpapers and textiles these transferwares formed part of the new media of their day. Pictorial in nature, their vitrified designs remediated prints from book or magazine illustration, melding them with floral and botanical borders. By the end of the century, they became highly collectible and the subject of a number of books, including RT Haines Halsey’s classic ‘New York on Dark Blue Staffordshire Pottery’. Published in 1899, the limited edition tome plotted the history of the genre, illustrated by sumptuous photogravures in blue depicting a comprehensive range of pictorial transferwares. 120 years later, in my New American Scenery series of artworks I updates some of these early subject matters of New York using 21st century alternatives.

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Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, “Fleurs.de.sel’s New York”, 2019, (set of twelve plates), In-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze., 11 x 11 x 1″, 11″ or 28 cm diameter (each plate)

Stop, Keat’s & Palm Too… 511 Too… Chicken Place…Mexicana… Laundry Project 23, ChelseaHypermarket, Chelsea Square… Canal Street…. Stairs 361… Hot Dogs…. Village Pizza… Pizza Park… Ray’s Pizza, Jakes Saloon, Meatballs.

California Wildfires

California Wildfires

souvenir plate addresses ecological precarity by referencing the most severe wildfire season in California’s history that occurred in 2020.

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, California Wildfires No:1″, 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on partially erased ‘Beauty Spots of California’, Staffordshire souvenir transferware plate, 9.75 x 9.75 x 1.25”.

Back of Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, California Wildfires No:1″, 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on partially erased ‘Beauty Spots of California’, Staffordshire souvenir transferware plate, 9.75 x 9.75 x 1.25”.

Cup Plates

“Cup Plates”

In the early part of the nineteenth century, transfer printed blue and white tablewares from Staffordshire were exported to North America in their tens of thousands. Pictorial in nature, their vitrified designs remediated print from book or magazine illustration, melding with floral and botanical borders. Scenes of the newly independent United States formed a significant part of this material. These transferwares included ‘Cup Plates’, tiny coasters used to protect furniture from marks whilst the diner drank coffee or tea from the cup’s accompanying saucer. Measuring between 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4 inches) across, the plates are characterised by deep cobalt blue prints melted into a pearlware glaze. Images and patterns were sometimes specifically designed and made for the small form, others (above) were collaged from tissue print details of larger patterns. Because of their small scale, flaws in the prints or their application are more obvious than on larger wares and they have their own aesthetic.

READ MORE/VIEW PDF

Cumbrian Blue(s), Indian Point cup plate, 4/50. Transferware print on pearlware cup plate, 104mm. dia. Collaborative work with Paul Holdway (former head of engraving at Spode). Tissue print transfer taken from a copper plate engraved by Paul Holdway, Paul Scott 2021.

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Indian Point (detail)

Flint, Belle Island, & The Ghost Gardens of Detroit

“New American Cites, Flint, Belle Island & The Ghost Gardens of Detroit”

I grew up in Birmingham, Britain’s ‘Motor City’, where the local economy relied on car manufacturers…. Austin, Morris (later British Leyland), Mini, Rover and all the associated motor suppliers. As a student in the early 1970’s, holiday working included ‘industrial cleaning’ in the huge Austin works in Longbridge… then two summers were spent in an engineering factory in Balsall Heath, assembling brake pipe adjuster clamps (amongst other things). When car production eventually ceased in the city, unemployment, and the impoverishment of communities swiftly followed. I clearly recall the dereliction, then later demolition of huge industrial sites, and the yawing empty spaces. A few years later, similar scenes also became familiar to me in the Staffordshire pottery towns as the British ceramics industry all but collapsed. I was thus well aware, from first hand experience, of the effects of deindustrialisation on urban environments and communities. A series of early Cumbrian Blue(s) artworks reflected the ruin and decay of my home town in prints and tiled panels…

READ MORE/VIEW PDF

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Detroit Ghost Gardens No:2″, 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 12 x 12 x 1.25”, 30.48 x 30.48 x 3.18cm.

Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Belle Island Bridge, Detroit” 2019, in-glaze screen print (decal) on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 11 x 11 x 1″.

Pattern Samplers

Pattern Samplers

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Pattern Sampler No:4 (Adams)”, 2019, in-glaze decal collage on shell-edge, pearlware platter c.1820, 10 x 13 x 1.5″.

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Pattern Sampler No:1″, 2019, in-glaze screenprint (decal) on pearlware shell-edged platter c.1820, 11.75 x 14.75 x 1.5”

Posy Vases

Posy Vases

Cumbrian Blue(s) New American Scenery, Set of five posy vases. Comprising, Fleurs de Sel’s New York Canal Street & Village Pizza, Souvenir of Portland (Black Lives Matter) & Selma, Broken Treaties & Leonard Peltier, No Human Being is Illegal & Across the Borderline San Antonio, Fracked & California Wildfires. Each vase 165mm x 125mm x 85mm. Paul Scott 2022.

UPCOMING LOCATIONS

American Scenery and Souvenirs: Transferware by Paul Scott

Lightner Museum
75 King St, St.
Augustine, FL

April 25, 2025 – October 27, 2025

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

Paul Scott: Viewing America

Cincinnati Museum of Art
953 Eden Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH

October 10, 2025 – January 4, 2026

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

NAS | PAST LOCATIONS

CONFECTED, BORROWED & BLUE: TRANSFERWARE BY PAUL SCOTT

SHELBURNE MUSEUM
6000 Shelburne Road
PO Box 10
Shelburne, VT

May 11, 2024 – October 20, 2024

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

Paul Scott, "Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Sampler Jug No:10, Shelburne & Sugar", 2024, Transfer print collage on pearlware jug with platinum lustre,14.5 x 15.25 x 12.25", 360mm x 390mm x 290mm. Shelburne Museum Collection. Artwork by Paul Scott, Photography by Chris Lewis.
Paul Scott, "Cumbrian Blue(s), Indian Point cup plate, 4/50", 2021, transferware print on pearlware cup plate, 4.25 x 4.25 x .5". Collaborative work with Paul Holdway (former head of engraving at Spode). Tissue print transfer taken from a copper plate engraved by Paul Holdway, Paul Scott 2021.

Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott

LSU MUSEUM OF ART
100 Lafayette Street, Fifth Floor
Baton Rouge, LA

October 27, 2022 to February 26, 2023

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.

Paul Scott: New American Scenery

Albany Institute of History & Art
125 Washington Ave
Albany, NY

August 13, 2022 – December 31, 2022

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

New American Scenery: Printed Ceramics by Paul Scott at Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Aberystwyth University,
Penglais, Aberystwyth
SY23 3FL
United Kingdom

July 9, 2022 – September 25, 2022

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

Raid the Icebox Now with Paul Scott: New American Scenery 

RISD MUSEUM
20 N Main St
Providence, RI

September 13, 2019 – December 31, 2021

VIEW THE EXHIBITION PAGE

THE BOWES MUSEUM

Barnard Castle County
Newgate, Barnard Castle
DL12 8NP
United Kingdom

September 26, 2020 – April 11, 2021

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

DOWNLOADS & RESOURCES

28
Dec
2022
FIGURING SPACE

FIGURING SPACE

JANUARY 12th to APRIL 16th 2023

Featuring work by Cristina Cordova and Sergei Isupov

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The Clay Studio Presents FIGURING SPACE, an Exhibition of Full-scale Figurative Sculptures by a Dozen Top Ceramic Artists Based in America

The Clay Studio (1425 N. American St), Philadelphia’s preeminent ceramic arts and resident artist’s center, will present Figuring Space, a new exhibition comprised of full-scale, figurative sculptures by 12 leading ceramic artists based in the United States. Each of the artists explores their individual cultural identity and what it means to be human through their figurative sculptures. The powerful figures will serve as a body of evidence to lay bare the issues that permeate American art and social culture. Figuring Space will open on January 12, 2023, and will be on display in The Clay Studio’s Jill Bonovitz Gallery through April 16, 2023.

The body, as a concept, is intimately tied to ceramic art. Clay is often used as a proxy for the physicality of flesh and has the capacity to articulate cultural perspectives, social engagement, and artistic intention. Furthermore, figurative sculptures have been at the center of public debate as monuments honoring individuals with dark histories are being reexamined and sometimes removed. Figuring Space uses that conversation – who gets to be seen and celebrated – as the backdrop to present a collection of works used to usurp the painful history of bodies on display in American history. Together, the artists will assert their autonomy and subjectivity by presenting cultural critiques through lenses of their own choosing, including race, gender, class, and anti-war ideas as inspiration for their own powerful stories.

Each of the artists selected for Figuring Space is known for creating contemporary, representational work that incorporates concepts and designs inspired by their cultural heritage.

FIGURING SPACE

The Clay Studio | 1425 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA

Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.

Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″.

Upcoming

MAR & APR

Clay & Conversations: Season 5

bi-weekly zoom conversations (in person and on zoom) at 1 pm on Thursdays

MORE ON THE FEATURED ARTISTS

  • View More by Sergei Isupov HERE
  • View More by Cristina Cordova HERE
Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, detail, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.
Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.
Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″.
Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 59.5 x 26 x 16″.

CRISTINA CORDOVA

Native to Puerto Rico, Cristina Córdova creates figurative compositions that explore the boundary between the materiality of an object and our involuntary dialogues with the self-referential. Images captured through the lens of a Latin American upbringing question socio-cultural notions of gender, race, beauty, and power.  Córdova has received numerous grants including the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship Grant, a Virginia Groot Foundation Recognition Grant, several International Association of Art Critics of Puerto Rico awards, and a prestigious United States Artist Fellowship award in 2015.

EVA XV

Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, detail, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.
Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.
Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”, detail, 2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides; 60 x 18 x 22″.

2022, unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides
60 x 18 x 22″

ON EVA & MATERIAL EXPERIMENTATION

I have been sculpting my daughter since she was 9. This 15-year-old version of Eva is unglazed and finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides. They came specifically from two areas, one in Fajardo near the coast, where the rainforest is, and one from Orocovis in the mountainous center. Written on her back are the words “de monte y mar” ( “from mountain and sea” ) in gold, a phrase from the song Verde luz by El Topo (Antonio Cabal Vale), which became a symbol of national Puerto Rican pride and an anti-colonialist anthem.

In my practice, the image of Eva is the embodiment of change and possibility. It speaks to the inevitability of transience and the inherited threads of code that perpetuate both genes and identity. This piece seeks to perform both as a symbol and a relic by holding in its materiality a part of the Island that has thematically bound this whole series through the years, exploring the riches and vulnerabilities of this small Caribbean nation that is my home.

DOWNLOAD STATEMENT PDF

SERGEI ISUPOV

Isupov is the son of a painter and sculptor. While born in Stravapole, Russia in 1963, Isupov was raised in Ukraine from 1964, educated in Kyiv and moved to attend the university of art in Tallinn, Estonia in 1984 at a time when these now separate countries were part of the USSR. Isupov’s family, his father, mother and brother, all established artists, currently reside in Kyiv, Ukraine. With the backdrop of the current war there and threats of Russian aggression in Estonia, Isupov’s studio work took on an urgency to counter the overwhelming anxiety and concern for his family facing down threats to their safety and the loss of their formerly peaceful lives. Now, with his wife, artist Kadri Pärnaments and their daughter Roosi, they divide their time between two studios/homes in the USA and Estonia.

ON THE WAY

Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″.
Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″.
Sergei Isupov, “On the Way”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″.

2020, large-scale figure, porcelain, slip, glaze, 58.5 x 38 x 18″

ON THE WAY & IMPACT OF WORLD EXPERIENCE

On the Way is one of a pair of related, multi-figured, life-sized sculptures produced over several months in 2019-2020. These works strangely, foreshadow the present situation in Ukraine. “Most of my work depicts human relationships through contrasts and comparisons which makes it easy for anyone to find messages or meanings that may or may not be my original intention. Upon reflection, it is easy to connect the expressions, gestures and movements to current events but in reality, all my work comes out of my life experience – growing up during USSR, experiencing its breakup and the establishment of fifteen independent countries – followed by coming to America as a young artist in the 90’s.”

Isupov is a master of nonlinear narration. Combined with his unmatched, masterful skills as both painter and sculptor, the resulting works draw from the past and reflect on the present. Semiautobiographical, Isupov’s intimate narratives interweave poignant representations of men and women, parents and children, shown alongside one another, their pets pointing to the naive sense of security we hold in our daily lives. These works explore individual, interior landscapes and the continually expanding dualities of the self within complex psychological relationships. Intensely personal yet universal, these works in the context of the present day, remind and call upon us to value, protect and preserve the precarious balance we all stand to lose at any present moment.

DOWNLOAD STATEMENT PDF

PROGRAMMING

*Exhibition Catalog can be ordered HERE.

Figuring Space Exhibition Catalog

The Clay Studio: Figuring Space Publication Date: January 2023. This catalog features highlights on the artists in the exhibition and includes commentary by Jennifer Zwilling, Curator & Director of Artistic Programs at TCS, and Dr. Kelli Morgan, who are working together to make Figuring Space relevant to our audiences and the art historical record. Dr. Morgan is a curator, educator, and social justice activist who specializes in American art and visual culture has worked with TCS in the past. Her scholarly and activist work combine to make her incredibly qualified to examine the issues of racial politics and the artistic use of the figure in this exhibition. Morgan has developed and championed new curatorial methodologies that privilege the voices of museum audiences, breaking the misconception that museums should hold all the authority dictating how to experience art. Collaboration with colleagues of varied experiences produce expansive curatorial perspective. Together, we are endeavoring to create an exhibition that can offer truly meaningful experiences for every person who walks into the gallery at The Clay Studio.

  • 2023 Catalog
  • The exhibition catalog also includes color photography of select works in the exhibition.
  • 8 x 10 x .5
  • Available for purchase for $15.00
  • Item:TCS-2252

Upcoming | MAR & APR

Clay & Conversations: Season 5

bi-weekly zoom conversations (in person and on zoom) at 1 pm on Thursdays

Clay & Conversations: Season 5

Series of conversations and get-togethers with ceramic artists, curators, scholars, and friends.

Join The Clay Studio in person at their fourth-floor Conference Room or dial in on Zoom.

OPENING RECEPTION | Thursday, January 12

The Clay Studio will host a special opening reception to launch Figuring Space on Thursday, January 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.

RSVP HERE

Figuring Space Workshop Creating Expressive Facial Features | Friday, January 13, from 1 to 4 p.m.

For those looking for an in-depth look at Figuring Space, The Clay Studio will host the Figuring Space Workshop – Creating Expressive Facial Features, a special workshop led by featured artists Sergei Isupov and Jonathan Christensen Caballero. On Friday, January 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., participants of all skill levels will watch the two highly-acclaimed figurative artists give demonstrations as they explain their techniques for creating expressive facial features in clay. The Creating Facial Features in Clay workshop is an in-person-only event.

Tickets to attend are $100 each and available for purchase HERE.
Please contact Josie Bockelman (josie@theclaystudio.org) for discount information for this workshop.

Figuring Space Symposium | Friday, January 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

To further expand on the ideas and themes of this exhibition, The Clay Studio will host a special Figuring Space symposium on January 13, where guests can hear lectures and panel discussions from the artists and curators. From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., attendees will hear from the twelve featured artists about what making full-scale figurative sculptures means to their art practice. The co-curators, Dr. Morgan and Zwilling, will also share their ideas about figurative sculpture in contemporary art through the lens of social activism as well as the form’s evolution throughout American art history.

Both of these events are free and open to the public. Audiences can also register to participate in the Figuring Space symposium virtually by registering HERE .

VIDEO

Clay & Conversation with Tip Toland and Sergei Isupov | Youtube | April 18th, 2023

Tip Toland and Sergei Isupov are two of the dozen artists whose work appears in Figuring Space, an exhibition of life-size ceramic figurative sculpture. We are thrilled to have these talented artists as guests to ask them about their inspirations for the ideas and styles of their work.

Clay and Conversation with Cristina Córdova| Youtube | May 17th, 2023

Cristina is one of the dozen artists whose work appears in Figuring Space, an exhibition of life-size ceramic figurative sculpture. We are thrilled to have this talented artist as a guest to ask her about her inspirations for the ideas and styles of her work.

27
Oct
2022
Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott

Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott

October 27, 2022 – February 26, 2023

LSU MUSEUM OF ART

Shaw Center for the Arts
100 Lafayette Street, Fifth Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION & PROGRAMMING

Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott

Paul Scott transforms factory-made tableware with subversive imagery and commentary. He replicates traditional porcelain designs developed by late 18th-century English artisans, such as the Willow pattern or Spode’s Blue Italian. These early ornamentations included appropriated motifs copied from hand-painted blue and white wares imported from China, and were mass-produced using printed glaze transfers applied on porcelain and pearlware blanks.

At first glance, Scott’s contemporary redesigns are indistinguishable from manufactured originals. This intentional mimicking is the result of years of studio practice and academic research into the lost history of British and European transferware. The resulting objects seamlessly blend modern and conceptual imagery, posing compelling observations on current issues such as environmental destruction, racism, gentrification, and social injustice.

The series New American Scenery is the result of a multi-year grant from the Alturas Foundation that enabled Scott to travel and conduct research throughout the United States. He studied transferware in museum collections and visited many of the sites illustrated on their surfaces. The historic originals were not made in America. The objects were supplied by British companies that plied the burgeoning post-Revolution market with decorative and luxury goods. In the early 1800s, factory owners and agents traveled to the New Republic, meeting with merchants and taking orders for British-made ceramics. Local artists were often commissioned to sketch subject matter, including idyllic landscapes, dignitaries, landmarks, and historical sites, which, as engravings, would be used to decorate tableware earmarked for export. These highly prized English objects, initially marketed to an expanding upper class, were available in varying consumer levels. Popular mass-produced designs were sold to an ever-growing merchant and middle class who had the funds to afford decorative objects, while wealthier households commissioned their own patterns, often printed on finer bone china or porcelain

In this exhibition, Scott’s artworks are paired with objects from the LSU Museum of Art’s permanent collection to provoke further contemplation on the issues presented by the artist.

AT LSU MUSEUM OF ART

Baton Rouge, LA | October 27, 2022 to February 26, 2023

"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
“Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott”, Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
“Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott”, Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
“Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott”, Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
“Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott”, Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
“Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott”, Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.

PROGRAMMING & EVENTS

Important Dates:
Oct. 27, 2022 – Opening
Feb. 26, 2023 – Closing

Art at Lunch: Angola Plantation

Wednesday, February 15 at 12 PM

  •   

Join us for the special WEDNESDAY Art at Lunch, as Dr. John Bardes, Assistant Professor of History at LSU, provides a historic overview of Angola Plantation. Bring a lunch—we’ll supply the water and sodas. Third-floor LSU MOA offices. FREE.

  • LSU Museum of Art100 Lafayette Street, Third FloorBaton Rouge, LA, 70801United States (map)

Video: LSU LECTURE | “Cumbrian Blue(s): New American Scenery, Transferwares for the 21st Century” Sunday, November 16, 5:00 pm Paul Scott, ceramics artist, will give a Paula G. Manship Endowed Lecture to the College of Art & Design on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. in 103 Design Building Auditorium.

Artist Gallery Talk: Paul Scott  

Tuesday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Meet Paul Scott, the featured artist of Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege, and learn about his innovative printmaking techniques. FREE.

LECTURE | “Cumbrian Blue(s): New American Scenery, Transferwares for the 21st Century”

Past Event | Sunday, November 16, 5:00 pm

Paul Scott, ceramics artist, will give a Paula G. Manship Endowed Lecture to the College of Art & Design on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. in 103 Design Building Auditorium.

LEARN MORE

WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE LECTURE

ABOUT PAUL SCOTT

English, b. 1953, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, England
lives and works in Cumbria, UK

Paul Scott is a Cumbrian-based artist with a diverse practice and an international reputation. Creating individual pieces that blur the boundaries between fine art, craft and design, he is well known for research into printed vitreous surfaces, as well as his characteristic blue and white artworks in glazed ceramic.

Scott’s artworks can be found in public collections around the globe – including The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design Norway, the Victoria and Albert Museum London, National Museums Liverpool, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn Art Museum USA. Commissioned work can be found in a number of UK museums as well as public places in the North of England, including Carlisle, Maryport, Gateshead and Newcastle Upon Tyne. He has also completed large-scale works in Hanoi, Vietnam and Guldagergård public sculpture park in Denmark.

A combination of rigorous research, studio practice, curation, writing and commissioned work ensures that his work is continually developing. It is fundamentally concerned with the re-animation of familiar objects, landscape, pattern and a sense of place. He was Professor of Ceramics at Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO) from 2011–2018. Scott received his Bachelors of Art Education and Design at Saint Martin’s College and Ph.d at the Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design in Manchester, England.

His current research project New American Scenery has been enabled by an Alturas Foundation artist award, Ferrin Contemporary, and funding from Arts Council England. More on New American Scenery, here.

Paul Scott, Artist Portrait, 2022

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION LENDERS & SPONSORS

Paul Scott is the Paula G. Manship Endowed Lecture Series Visiting Artist. This exhibition is a collaboration between the LSU College of Art + Design, the LSU School of Art, and the LSU Museum of Art.

Support for this exhibition and all LSU MOA exhibitions is provided by the generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund: Louisiana CAT; The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; The Alma Lee, H.N. and Cary Saurage Fund; Charles “Chuck” Edward Schwing; Robert and Linda Bowsher; Becky and Warren Gottsegen; LSU College of Art + Design; Mr. and Mrs. Sanford A. Arst; and The Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group Fund.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART

Shaw Center for the Arts
100 Lafayette Street, Fifth Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

"Pearlware, Polish, and Privilege: Artwork by Paul Scott", Featuring works from New American Scenery, on view October 27, 2022–February 26, 2023 at LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, LA.

INQUIRE

Additional works may be available to acquire, but not listed here.

If interested in lists of all works and series: Send us a message

Pearlware_Polish_and_Privilege_Art_-by_Paul_Scott_2022_to_2023_LSU_Museum_of_Art_Artwork_Checklist

13
Oct
2022
Kadri Pärnamets: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER

Kadri Pärnamets: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER

NOVEMBER  17, 2022 to JANUARY 28, 2023

FERRIN CONTEMPORARY
1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams MA

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, Dec. 3, 3-5 pm
At Ferrin Contemporary, North Adams, MA

“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

North Adams, MA –

Ferrin Contemporary is proud to present a new exhibition about one of our most precious resources, water.

Kadri Pärnamets: THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER features porcelain sculptures, vases, and cups as a meditation on this universal element. The exhibition is open now with a reception for the artist on Sat., Dec. 3, 3-5 pm.

After installing her work in the gallery, Pärnaments stood outside in the rain, looking in on her work. “It’s amazing to me, we all share this substance. Everyone all over the world is sharing the same water,” said the artist whose primary inspiration for this work is rain.

The exhibition features her biomorphic, organic vessel forms. Thinking of herself as a choreographer, the artist explores shapes that connect to water, from cloud to cup. Pärnaments interests range from fragile, natural environments to female identity and this is evident across form, color, and function.

CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER

Ferrin Contemporary | Nov 17 2022 to Jan 28 2023

“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.

ABOUT KADRI PÄRNAMETS

Kadri Pärnamets works in porcelain using traditional hand-building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form. Her biomorphic, organic forms provide a means to convey her personal interests ranging from fragile, natural environments to female identity. Her surface treatments feature a range of gesture and expression with either abstract shape or narrative figure painting, inspired by painters from the European Renaissance and Impressionist eras, like Lucas Cranach the Elder and Edouard Manet.

Pärnamets’ work has been shown internationally at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design (Tallinn, Estonia), at the International Tea Trade Expo (Shanghai, China), and many others. Since 1996, she has participated in symposiums in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Switzerland, USA, Norway, and Hungary.

Pärnamets graduated from the Art Institute of Tallinn, Estonia with a BA/MFA in Ceramics. Dividing her time between Estonia and USA, her primary studio is the USA at Project Art in Cummington, MA. She is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

INQUIRE HERE

SHOP

SELECT WORKS
AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE SHOP

CUPS

*Cups by Kadri Pärnamets will be released to the online shop in groups of 10 and will remain online for a limited time.

“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.
“Kadri Pärnaments: CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER”, installation at 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, November 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023.

VASES

Kadri Pärnamets, “Blue and White Cloud Vase (2)”, 2022, porcelain, slip, glaze, 10.25 x 11 x 9.5″
Kadri Pärnamets, “Blue Cloud Vase”, 2022, porcelain, slip, glaze, 6.5 x 9.75 x 8.5″
Kadri Pärnamets, “Light Green and Red Vase”, 2022, porcelain, slip, glaze, 11 x 7 x 8″

CLOUDS

Kadri Pärnamets, “Black Cloud”, 2015, Porcelain, Slip, Glaze, 25.5 x 18 x 14″
Kadri Pärnamets, “White Cloud”, 2015, Porcelain, Slip, Glaze, 21 x 17 x 14.5″
Kadri Pärnamets, “Black Cloud”, 2015, Porcelain, Slip, Glaze, 23 x 15 x 11″
Kadri Pärnamets, “White Cloud”, 2015, Porcelain, Slip, Glaze, 20 x 22 x 11.5″

PRESS

Kadri Pärnamets: THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF WATER Press Release 11.21.22

PROGRAMMING

Public artist reception | Sat., Dec. 3, 3-5 pm

Now open at Ferrin Contemporary
exhibition continues through Jan. 28, 2023

PREVIEW EVENT | Oct 1 – 2, 2022

Hilltown Open Studio Tour
at Project Art, Cummington, MA

Kadri Pärnamets, “Cups”, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, ~4 x 4 x 4″ (each)
Kadri Pärnamets, “Blue and White Cloud Vase”, 2019, porcelain, slip, glaze, 12 x 13 x 9.5″
Kadri Pärnamets, Cups, 2020, porcelain, slip, glaze, 4 x 4 x 4″ (each).
Kadri Pärnamets, “Blue and White Cloud Vase (2)”, 2022, porcelain, slip, glaze, 10.25 x 11 x 9.5″
17
Sep
2022
Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection

Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

One of the earliest and best-preserved areas of artistic production across the globe, ceramics remains a vital field of expression and experimentation into the present. Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection explores the medium through 14 case studies, placing historical works in visual dialogue with contemporary examples to illuminate symbolic meanings, technical achievements, and resonances throughout time. The exhibition examines how artists working today relate to international artistic traditions of the medium, both through deliberate references to the past and by engaging with aspects of clay materiality that have inspired makers over the centuries. Drawing from LACMAs wide-ranging collections, the exhibition also highlights many recent contemporary acquisitions, including works by Nicholas Galanin, Steven Young Lee, Courtney Leonard, Paul Scott, Mineo Mizuno, Elyse Pignolet, and more.

AT LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

Los Angeles, CA | August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023

Steven Young Lee Installation in "Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Image (right): Steven Young Lee, "Jar with Tiger and Clouds", 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Debbie and Mark Attanasio and Kelly and Steve McLeod through the 2021 Decorative Arts and Design Acquisitions Committee (DA²), © Steven Young Lee, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA Image (left): Unknown, Jar with Dragon and Clouds, 1700–1800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with museum funds, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA Pictured on the right if a blue and white vase by Steven Lee, which has been manipulated by the artist and is fired intentionally to appear as if it collapsed or was torn. Imagery includes tigers and clouds and highlights motifs from Korean decorative imager and ceramics. To the left is a Jar with Dragon and Clouds, featuring two dragons curving around the vase and the same clouds as on the contemporary work.
Paul Scott Installation in "Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view of 3 blue and white tranferware print collages by artist Paul Scott on ceramic plates: (left) "Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Forget Me Not, No Human Being is Illegal (1/5)", 2019, transfer print collage on salvaged Syracuse China with pearlware glaze, 12 x 12 x 1.25". (center) "Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, California Wildfires No:1", 2019, transfer print collage on partially erased 'Beauty Spots of California', Staffordshire souvenir transferware plate, 9.75 x 9.75 x 1.25". (right) "Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Souvenir of Shiprock, No. 4", 2020, transfer print collage on pearlware plate with uranium glass, & Corona beer bottle shards collected from the base of Shiprock, 12 x 12 x 1.25". The plates feature subject matters ranging from the artist's series: New American Scenery, Immigration, Race, Souvenir, Native American, Energy, Nuclear, Environment, American Landscapes They are installed in a row of 3, hanging above two trasferware pieces from the LACMA collection. One piece is blue and white while the other is brown or sepia. All works have dynamic shadows which bring drama and dimensionality to the installation view.
"Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view. Angled perspective of artworks in wall and floor vitrines, including plates by Paul Scott hanging on the wall (left) , and a vase by Steven Young Lee placed next to a vase from the LACMA collection (right). Other works featured include vases, bowls, and scultpures. The entry panel "conversing in clay" can be seen behind the works on one wall.
"Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view. Angled perspective of artworks in wall and floor vitrines, including plates by Paul Scott hanging on the wall, and a bowl by Courtney Leondard in a case along with a smaller white ceramic bowl. Other works featured include vases, bowls, and scultpures. A large portion of the wall is cast with shadows from an overhanging installation which can be seen in this photo.
"Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view. Angled perspective of artworks in wall and floor vitrines, including plates by Paul Scott hanging on the wall, and a bowl by Courtney Leondard in a case along with a smaller white ceramic bowl. Other works featured include vases, bowls, and scultpures. A large portion of the wall is cast with shadows from an overhanging installation which can be seen in this photo.
Steven Young Lee Installation in "Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Image (left): Steven Young Lee, "Jar with Tiger and Clouds", 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Debbie and Mark Attanasio and Kelly and Steve McLeod through the 2021 Decorative Arts and Design Acquisitions Committee (DA²), © Steven Young Lee, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA Image (Right): Unknown, Jar with Dragon and Clouds, 1700–1800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with museum funds, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA Pictured on the left if a blue and white vase by Steven Lee, which has been manipulated by the artist and is fired intentionally to appear as if it collapsed or was torn. Imagery includes tigers and clouds and highlights motifs from Korean decorative imager and ceramics. To the right is a Jar with Dragon and Clouds, featuring two dragons curving around the vase and the same clouds as on the contemporary work.
"Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view. Angled perspective of artworks in wall and floor vitrines, including plates by Paul Scott hanging on the wall, and a bowl by Courtney Leondard in a case along with a smaller white ceramic bowl. In the background is also a vase by Steven Young Lee. Other works featured include vases, bowls, and scultpures. A large portion of the wall is cast with shadows from an overhanging installation which can be seen in this photo.
"Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection", at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 - May 21, 2023. Installation view of Courtney Leonard, "Red Algae | Log:17-1", 2016, ceramics, coiled and woven earthenware, steel base, 19 x 20 x 6". Collection of the Crocker Museum of Art. "Red Algae | Log:17-1" from Leonard's "Abundance" Collection. The pieces shown in the photo are coiled, basket bowls. Courtney Leondard's work is made of brown clay and net-like coils and the smaller artwork is a white ceramic bowl, about half the size of Leonard's piece. both works are casting dynamic shadows that display the intricate and dramatic patterns.

ABOUT LACMA

Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 147,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the regions rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMAs spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.

“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Installation view of entry panel.
“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023.
“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023.
“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023.
“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023.
“Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Installation view.
Paul Scott Installation in “Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Paul Scott: 3 tranferware print collages on ceramic plates: (left) “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Forget Me Not, No Human Being is Illegal (1/5)”, 2019 (center) “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, California Wildfires No:1”, 2019 (right) “Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Souvenir of Shiprock, No. 4”, 2020.
Courtney Leonard Installation in “Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Courtney Leonard, “Red Algae | Log:17-1″, 2016, ceramics, coiled and woven earthenware, steel base, 19 x 20 x 6”. Collection of the Crocker Museum of Art.
Steven Young Lee Installation in “Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Image (left): Steven Young Lee, “Jar with Tiger and Clouds”, 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Debbie and Mark Attanasio and Kelly and Steve McLeod through the 2021 Decorative Arts and Design Acquisitions Committee (DA²), © Steven Young Lee, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA
Steven Young Lee Installation in “Conversing in Clay: Ceramics from the LACMA Collection”, at LACMA, Lost Angeles, CA, August 7, 2022 – May 21, 2023. Image (right): Steven Young Lee, “Jar with Tiger and Clouds”, 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Debbie and Mark Attanasio and Kelly and Steve McLeod through the 2021 Decorative Arts and Design Acquisitions Committee (DA²), © Steven Young Lee, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

MEDIA

Five artists featured in the show discuss their artistic practice in these short videos.

14
Sep
2022
BREAKING GROUND: Women in California Clay

BREAKING GROUND: Women in California Clay

BREAKING GROUND: Women in California Clay

American Museum of Ceramic Art
Pomona, California

September 10, 2022 through March 12, 2023

Featuring work by Crystal Morey

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The American Museum of Ceramic Art is proud to present the exhibition and accompanying catalog Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay, celebrating 44 artists who have defined—and redefined—ceramics over the past 100 years. Many of the Golden State’s most innovative and impactful ceramic artists in the 20th and 21st centuries are women who faced adversity due to gender inequality and were often ignored or overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. These incredibly determined women pushed forward, driven by creativity and tenacity.

Breaking Ground highlights the significant shifts in California ceramics over several generations of women artists. The story is told in three sections, using the artist’s “breaking ground period” (rather than their date of birth) to determine their place in history. The story begins with trailblazers Laura Andreson, Betty Davenport Ford, Stefani Gruenberg, Vivika Heino, Elaine Katzer, Mary Lindheim, Martha Longenecker, Gertrud Natzler, Susan Peterson, Ruth Rippon, Susi Singer, Helen Ritcher Watson, Marguerite Wildenhain, and Beatrice Wood. These artists laid the groundwork for the field and inspired successive generations of artists.

The second section includes a disparate group of artists who explored—or are exploring—the female figure, feminism, and the creation of the perfect form. Works by Judy Chicago, Dora De Larios, Roseline Delisle, Viola Frey, Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, Phyllis Green, Margaret Keelan, Karen Koblitz, Marilyn Levine, Elsa Rady, Lisa Reinertson, Nancy Selvin, Anna Silver, and Sandy Simon mark a substantial break in artmaking from their predecessors.

The final section represents a younger generation of artists working to shift the perspective” and includes Ashwini Bhat, Christina Erives, Keiko Fukazawa, Jenny Hata Blumenfield, Julia Haft-Candell, Anabel Juarez, Cathy Lu, Brittany Mojo, Crystal Morey, Kristen Morgin, Annabeth Rosen, Erika Sanada, Joan Takayama Ogawa, Kim Tucker, Anna Valdez, and Bari Ziperstein. Their work, in many ways, continues the conversation of the artists featured in the second chapter to traverse the themes of politics, identity, the environment, and other prevailing issues of globalization, colonialism, and reclaiming histories that have become increasingly important in the lives of practicing women artists.

Assembled together for the first time in Breaking Ground, these works tell the compelling story of how women artists from California made, and continue to make, significant contributions to the American Studio Ceramics movement in profound and singular ways.

A momentous reframing of the California Clay Movement and its legacy, this exhibition will be the first to chronologize the evolution of ceramic art in California solely through the work of women artists, and the first exhibition to be presented across all three of AMOCA’s ground-floor galleries. As the show is loosely organized by generation, so too are our gallery spaces. AMOCA’s Armstrong Gallery leads viewers through work from the first generation “Trailblazers” to the second generation, “The Body Politic.” Then, viewers move through The Vault and Gallery B to experience work from Breaking Ground‘s generation three “Now” artists.

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Breaking Ground will be on view in AMOCA’s Armstrong Gallery from September 10, 2022 through January 22, 2023, and in Gallery B and The Vault from September 10, 2022 through February 19, 2023.

The exhibition is co-curated by Beth Ann Gerstein (Executive Director), Jo Lauria (Adjunct Curator), and Edith Garcia (Professor, California College of the Arts and University of California, Berkeley).

More information about the exhibition, HERE.

FEATURED ARTWORKS

Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “RePlanting: Crow and Deer”, 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 12.5 x 8 x 6”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Replanting: Mountain Lion” 2022, hand-sculpted porcelain, 9.5 x 6 x 8.5”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.
Crystal Morey, “Without Borders/ White Rhino Airlift” 2020, hand sculpted porcelain, 16.5 x 13.5 x 10”.

MORE ON CRYSTAL MOREY

View More by Crystal Morey HERE

Crystal Morey, Artist Portrait in the studio, 2022

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

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING

Member Preview
Friday, September 9, 2022 • 2–4 PM (Pacific) • In Person

Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay is on view at AMOCA from September 10, 2022–February 19, 2023, and members get early access! Be among the first to see Breaking Ground by joining us on Member Preview Day on Friday, September 9.

This preview is complimentary for AMOCA Members.

Opening Reception
Saturday, September 10, 2022 • 4–6 PM (Pacific) • In Person

Join us for an opening reception for Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay, on view at AMOCA. Artists whose work is in the exhibition will be present starting at 4 PM, opening remarks will occur at 4:30 PM, and light refreshments will be served.

Admission to the event and Museum galleries is complimentary with advance registration. For information about at-the-door prices, check AMOCA.org/visit.

MORE ON AMOCA

As an organization of vision, devoted to the arts, we believe that visual art experiences communicated through professional artists, workshops, or gallery exhibitions, promote cross-cultural understanding and provide new perspectives and insights which enrich our lives.

Exhibitions and programming at AMOCA embraces a wide number of topics – all relating to clay. Within this broadly diverse community, it is our goal to increase the aesthetic appreciation of clay as an art form and to assist our audience in unraveling the creative thinking behind the making of ceramic objects. At the same time, AMOCA provides confirmed clay enthusiasts with encouragement, camaraderie, and exhibition opportunity.

Learn More, HERE

26
Aug
2022
IMPRINTED: ILLUSTRATING RACE | Norman Rockwell Museum

IMPRINTED: ILLUSTRATING RACE | Norman Rockwell Museum

IMPRINTED: ILLUSTRATING RACE

Norman Rockwell Museum
Stockbridge, MA

June 11, 2022 – October 30, 2022

Featuring work by Paul Scott, Garth Johnson, Elizabeth Alexander,  and objects from the Ferrin Contemporary Collection.
Additional works & collections featured in the exhibition Our America/Whose America?


Online Symposium: September 23 – 24

Zoom Webinar: Sep 23, 7pm – 8:30pm
Presentation and Panels: Sep 24, 10am – 3pm
More details below.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Imprinted: Illustrating Race examines the role of published images in shaping attitudes toward race and culture. Over 300 artworks and objects on view of widely circulated illustrated imagery will be on view, produced from the late eighteenth century to today, which have an impact on public perception about race in the United States. The exhibition will explore stereotypical racial representations that have been imprinted upon us through the mass publication of images. It culminates with the creative accomplishments of contemporary artists and publishers who have shifted the cultural narrative through the creation of positive, inclusive imagery emphasizing full agency and equity for all.

Co-curated by University of Delaware Professor of Visual Communications, and Interim Director of the MFA in Illustration Practice program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), guest Curator Robyn Phillips Pendleton, who has written and spoken widely on the theme of this exhibition, and by noted scholar in American illustration, the Museum’s Deputy Director/Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett. They are joined by a distinguished National Exhibition Advisory Committee of 10 academic scholars, curators, and artists with expertise related to the focus of the exhibition’s thesis.

MORE ON THE NORMAL ROCKWELL MUSEUM

The Norman Rockwell Museum illuminates the power of American illustration art to reflect and shape society, and advances the enduring values of kindness, respect, and social equity portrayed by Norman Rockwell.

Founded in 1969 with the help of Norman and Molly Rockwell, Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to the enjoyment and study of Rockwell’s work and his contributions to society, popular culture, and social commentary. The Museum, which is accredited by the American Association of Museums, is the most popular year-round cultural attraction in the Berkshires.

The Museum houses the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell’s work, including 998 original paintings and drawings. Rockwell lived in Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life. Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio, moved to the Museum site, is open to the public from May through October, and features original art materials, his library, furnishings, and personal items. The Museum also houses the Norman Rockwell Archives, a collection of more than 100,000 items, including working photographs, letters, personal calendars, fan mail, and business documents.

Having spent its first 24 years at the Old Corner House on Stockbridge’s Main Street, the Museum moved to its present location, a 36-acre site overlooking the Housatonic River Valley, in 1993. Internationally renowned architect Robert A. M. Stern designed the Museum gallery building.

One of the great charms of the Museum is its location. Many of Rockwell’s world-renowned images were drawn from the surrounding community and its residents. “The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, must be one of the most popular museums in the world,” wrote author Paul Johnson, “crammed from dawn till dusk with delighted visitors crowding round the originals of much-loved paintings. And one of the further pleasures of this enchanting place is that in the nearby little towns you can recognize among the locals the children and grandchildren of those whom Rockwell painted with dedicated veracity.”

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Imprinted: Illustrating Race, installation, 2022, Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA
Imprinted: Illustrating Race, installation, 2022, Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA
Edris Eckhardt (1905-1998), “Uncle Remus and Little Boy”, 1935/1936, Works Progress Administration/Federal Art Project
Paul Scott, ‘Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Souvenir of Selma, AL. No. 5, 2020. In-glaze screen print (decal) on pearlware plate, 305mm dia.
Paul Scott, ‘Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery, Souvenir of Portland Or., Black Lives Matter (After Killen & Howard)/Trumpian Campaigne No. 2, In-glaze screen print (decal) on partially erased, Staffordshire transferware souvenir plate c.1900, 10 x 10 x 1″
Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – The Village Blacksmith #760)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.
Elizabeth Alexander “A Mightier Work is Ahead: Jackson at Antietam #2”, 2022, Hand cut found porcelain, dust, glass, cork, gold leaf, and brass, 13 x 8 x 1”, image courtesy of the artist
Judy Chartrand, “Peace Talk Fuckery (1763)”, 2022, low fire paper clay, underglaze, glaze, 11.5 x 11.5 x 2”
Niki Johnson, “Fitting in with the Squares”, 2019, porcelain, Norman Rockwell commemorative plates, wood, 67 x 47″
Jacqueline Bishop, “The Market Woman Story”, full set, 2022, digital print on commercial porcelain , 8.75 x 12.25 x 1″

EXHIBITION CATALOG

The Imprinted: Illustrating Race catalog is available for purchase through the Norman Rockwell Museum Store

Imprinted: Illustrating Race, catalog, 2022
Imprinted: Illustrating Race, preview, 2022
Imprinted: Illustrating Race, preview, 2022

Exhibition catalogue featuring essays by noted scholars and curators and designed by Hollis King

Imprinted: Illustrating Race Exhibition Catalog by Robyn Phillips-Pendleton and Stephanie Haboush Plunkett. Illustration has been at the forefront of defining events in the United States from the Civil War and Reconstruction Era to the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s and today. Imprinted: Illustrating Race examines the role of the published image in shaping attitudes towards race and culture over the course of more than three centuries. This landmark volume accompanies the first comprehensive exhibition on the theme, tracing prolific stereotypical representations of race circulated through mass publication, and highlighting the efforts of twentieth- and twenty-first century artists who have worked intentionally to shift the cultural narrative, emphasizing full agency and equity for all.

Abundantly illustrated, Imprinted: Illustrating Race features essays by noted scholars, curators, and artists, presenting meaningful perspectives on the persuasive power of widely circulated art and design over time. Insightful commentary inspires deep consideration of visual imagery and the messages that are sometimes hidden in plain sight, weather in trade cards and advertisements, books and popular periodicals, or today’s digital screens. An illustrated, introductory essay by Robyn Phillips-Pendleton, whose foundational research has inspired this project, invites consideration of the interconnectivity of art culture, and industry, and the deeply felt presence of visual imagery in our lives.

Robyn Phillips-Pendleton is Professor of Visual Communications in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Delaware, Newark. A practicing illustrator, visual storyteller, designer, and educator, she has exhibited her work widely, is an artist for the United States Air Force Art program, and has created imagery for institutions, editorial magazines, and publishing companies. A member of the Norman Rockwell Museum National Advisory Board for Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms, which traveled internationally, she is also a member of the Board of Directors of New York’s Society of illustrators. Her research focuses on the history of illustration and the influence of published imagery on perceptions of race, and her essay “Race, Perception, and Responsibility in illustration” appears in A Companion to Illustration. Homework for Breakfast is her most recent illustrated picture book.

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett is Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Norman Rockwell Museum. The curator of many national and international exhibitions relating to the art of Norman Rockwell and the history of illustration, she leads the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first scholarly institute devoted fully to the study of published art. She has written and spoken widely on the field, and “The Shifting Postwar Marketplace: Illustration in the United States and Canada, 1940-1970” in History of illustration; Drawing Lessons from the Famous Artists School: Classic Techniques and Expert Tips from the Golden Age of Illustration; and Norman Rockwell: Drawings, 1911-1976 are among her recent publications.

Hardcover, 200 pages. Measures 10″ x 13″ x 1″.

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PROGRAMMING

ONLINE SYMPOSIUM: Illustration and Race: Rethinking the History of Printed Images

September 23 – 24, 2022

Compelling conversations with illustrators, art directors, authors, and scholars will explore more than three hundred years of racial representation in published art and the role of mass-circulated imagery as a force in shaping public perception about people and groups of people. Presented in conjunction with Imprinted: Illustrating Race, the Museum’s current exhibition, this symposium will spark dialogue about the ways that art, advertising, and systems of publishing have helped to frame public opinion, and how the art of illustration has become a force for change today.

Join us for all or part of the symposium.

More information can be found here.

Welcome and Opening Program
September 23, 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Hidden in Plain Sight: Illustrated Ceramics and American Identity
September 23, 7:30 pm – 8:45 pm
Moderator: Leslie Ferrin
Panelists: Elizabeth Alexander, Jacqueline Bishop, Judy Chartrand, Niki Johnson, Paul Scott

Hidden in plain sight, illustrations on porcelain and ceramic ware have, throughout history, transformed functional objects into message-bearers for a wide range of political and propagandistic causes, whether exchanged by heads of state or acquired for use or display in domestic settings. Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Contemporary will discuss the imagery, drawn from popular nineteenth century prints, that was reproduced on widely distributed ceramics portraying historical events, indigenous people, and notable explorers, inventors, and politicians through a white European lens. The panel will explore how these seemingly ordinary objects have helped to establish firmly held beliefs about American identity. Artists Elizabeth Alexander, Jacqueline Bishop, Judy Chartrand, Niki Johnson and Paul Scott will discuss their work in contemporary ceramics, which reject systems of racial oppression and invite reconsideration of the sanitized version of history that was presented for generations.

Symposium Presentation and Panels
September 24, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm