STAFF & SERVICES

FERRIN CONTEMPORARY STAFF

We offer a full range of services, knowledge, and expertise to collectors and estates who are seeking to manage their collections, offer works for sale, or make gifts to institutions. With our experienced team of professionals, we can photograph, catalog, organize, and protect your collection.

CONTACT US

Leslie Ferrin
Founder + Director

Leslie Ferrin is the director of Ferrin Contemporary (North Adams, MA) and Project Art (Cummington, MA). Specializing in contemporary ceramic art 1950 – present, Ferrin is an internationally respected curator focused on ceramics working in support of artists, private collectors and in partnership with galleries and museums throughout the USA and internationally. As director of the gallery program, Ferrin organizes and presents solo exhibitions, manages touring creative projects, and develops legacy ceramic collections for sale and gifts on behalf of artists and private collectors. In addition to the gallery, Ferrin directs Project Art, a live/work international ceramic artist residency where there are ongoing, short, and long-term projects based in ceramic art.

Details on Leslie

Alexandra Jelleberg
Operations + Collections + Web

Alexandra Jelleberg is the Operations and Financial Agent at Ferrin Contemporary. Arriving in Massachusetts in 2014, her participation in the Berkshire Hills Internship program through MCLA allowed her to become active in arts communities in the Hilltowns, Berkshires, and abroad. Jelleberg transitioned from student and education roles at the Arizona State University Art Museum and Ceramic Research Center to various roles within Ferrin Contemporary and the Project Art residency programming. Jelleberg was an artist in residence at Project Art from 2014-2019, and her specialty in contemporary ceramic art grew with her collection management, arts administration, and project coordination background. She is expanding into website development.

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Isabel Twanmo
Gallery Associate + Shipping Coordinator

Isabel is the Gallery Associate and Shipping Coordinator at Ferrin Contemporary. Originally from Cabin John, MD, Isabel graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Bennington College in 2018 with concentrations in music, visual arts, and neuroscience. Soon after, Isabel relocated to North Adams, MA to work in Visitor Experience at MASS MoCA and later served on the MASS MoCA Union Bargaining Committee to help her colleagues fight for a fair contract. She has been with Ferrin Contemporary since October 2021.

In her personal work, Isabel loves to cook and uses small-scale black and white illustrations to share cooking tips, recipes, and anthropomorphized food puns. She also crafts food-inspired wearable earrings which can be purchased at multiple retail locations in North Adams.

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Becky Waterhouse
Marketing + Media

Originally from Rochester, NY, Becky lived and worked in North Adams from 2013 to 2022, receiving a degree in Arts Management in 2017 from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. While in the Berkshires, Becky was a co-director of Common Folk Artist Collective and an independent illustrator and mural artist. In 2022 Becky moved back to Rochester, NY to pursue a tattoo apprenticeship and has since been working remotely for the gallery as a Marketing and Media Assistant.

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COLLECTION SERVICES

FERRIN CONTEMPORARY works with private collectors and artist archives throughout the country organizing, documenting, and appraising works in preparation for a deacquisition or placement. We use our extensive experience and relationships within the field of ceramics to position this work back in the marketplace.

We provide customized services for artists interested in legacy projects, such as but not limited to, retrospective catalogs and exhibitions, museum or institutional acquisitions, auction house sales, and long-term archival care for a collection.

TOURING PROGRAMS

Based on our curatorial and exhibition productions, Ferrin Contemporary continues to bolster museum and artist relationships with touring programs. Our expanding team collaborates with artists, institutions, galleries, and museums to build collections, provide exhibition opportunities, and provide curated show packages across the United States with our international roster of artists.

MUSEUM SERVICES

Ferrin Contemporary is committed to developing relationships with museums and cultural institutions that collect, exhibit, and engage the public about ceramics. For over 40 years, Leslie Ferrin has been a leading specialist in contemporary ceramic art, mounting exhibitions, cataloging collections, presenting scholarship, and supporting creative projects. She has placed work in the permanent collections of museums nationwide, facilitated loans for temporary exhibitions, and coordinated the tours of traveling exhibitions.

Ferrin Contemporary will collaborate with your museum in various capacities, from exhibition and programming development to providing advisory service on the acquisition and deaccession of collection objects. Contact our specialists, to discuss your project.

COLLECTION SPECIALISTS + APPRAISERS + ART PROFESSIONALS

Azariah Aker
Integral Art Solutions – Preparator + Fabricator

As founder and owner of IAS I am committed to applying my diverse skills and experience to your project. I have worked in the arts for over fifteen years, building expertise that will ensure high quality and successful results.

I find unique and challenging projects particularly interesting and am fortunate to count many large-scale projects in my work experience. I have managed commissions and collections with budgets up to one million. I have also organized and implemented countless gallery exhibitions and art fair presentations, including large-scale site-specific artworks.

Preparing spaces and artworks for exhibition is also very rewarding for me, specifically public projects that engage a diverse audience. I have had the pleasure of organizing and implementing four large thematic exhibitions with locations ranging from Newport NH to Charlotte NC. This varied and rich experience allows Integral Art Solutions to embrace many types of project and quickly realize efficient quality-focused outcomes.

Details on IAS

Elizabeth Coquillette
Archivist

Elizabeth Coquillette is the Archivist at Ferrin Contemporary. She began working with art collections in 2016 as a student researcher in the technical studies laboratory at the Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. After graduating from Yale in 2018, she went on to work with collections and conservation at the Yale University Art Gallery, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and Harvard Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Through her own artwork, she explores a variety of mediums including stone carving, floor loom weaving, needlepoint, traditional darkroom printing, and darkroom-based alternative printing processes.

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Peter Held
Appraiser

Peter is principal owner of Peter Held Art Appraisals & Associates, a national client-oriented full-service personal property firm specializing in modern and contemporary art and fine craft appraisals for insurance, estates, charitable gift donations, and current market valuations. In the course of his impressive three-decade career as a museum director and contemporary art curator, he has organized more than 200 exhibitions and authored numerous books and articles on contemporary art and craft.

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John Polak
Photographer

John Polak boasts over 20 years experience in commercial and art photography, with a specialization in photographic images for artists, craftspeople, museums, galleries and publishers.

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Rory Coyne
Preparator + Fabricator

Rory Coyne was born in the Netherlands and spent years traveling and moving around the United States before landing in North Adams, MA. He supports Ferrin Contemporary in graphic design and art handling/installation. Coyne is also an oil painter and leather designer. He earned his MFA from the University of New Mexico and his BFA from SUNY-Fredonia.

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Lauren Levato Coyne
Editorial Services

Lauren Levato Coyne is the Gallery and Communications Director at Ferrin Contemporary. Since 1997, Levato Coyne has been managing various gallery and artist communications. Her client list includes MEISSEN, The Virginia A. Groot Foundation, The Candice B. Groot Collection, SOFA, Lillstreet Art Center, and Woman Made Gallery, as well as dozens of international, award-winning artists.

Levato Coyne earned her MFA in Painting from The Cranbrook Academy of Art. She holds two undergraduate degrees from Purdue University, one in Professional Writing and another in Women’s Studies, and a third in Political Journalism from Georgetown University. Her own artwork has been exhibited at The Cranbrook Art Museum, The Chicago Cultural Center, The International Museum of Surgical Science, Abend Gallery, Hashimoto Contemporary, Roq la Rue, Wasserman Projects, and many other locations nationally. Her writing about art appears in various print and online books and magazines.

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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

“At Ferrin Contemporary, we believe in promoting and celebrating diversity in all forms. We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for artists, staff, and visitors of all backgrounds. We strive to showcase a wide range of perspectives, cultures, and identities in our exhibitions and programming. We recognize the importance of representation and actively work to amplify the voices of marginalized communities. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect and understanding, and we will continue to educate ourselves and others on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Ferrin Contemporary believes in providing equal access to all. If you encounter any difficulties accessing any part of our website, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@ferrincontemporary.com. Please include the specific issue and the relevant URL in your message, so we can work to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. We are committed to ensuring that all individuals can easily navigate and utilize our website.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“We would like to acknowledge the land on which we live. This land has been traditionally inhabited by the Pocumtuck and Mohawk peoples, and we honor the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous peoples in this region. We recognize the harm and trauma caused by ideologies of colonialism and commit to working towards reconciliation and justice for all Indigenous peoples.”

We would like to place this acknowledgment prominently on our website, as a reminder of our commitment to recognizing the indigenous peoples and their ongoing presence. We also include links and resources for those who want to learn more about the history and current issues of the Indigenous people of this region.

Links and resources to learn more about the Indigenous peoples of the region, and ways to support their communities:

The Native Land Digital: https://native-land.ca/
The National Museum of the American Indian: https://www.americanindian.si.edu/
Indian Land Tenure Foundation: https://www.iltf.org/
American Indian College Fund: https://www.collegefund.org/
The National Indian Child Welfare Association: https://www.nicwa.org/

*It is important to note that these resources are not specifically tailored to Western Massachusetts and are more general resources. It would be best to consult local resources, organizations, and leaders to learn more about the Indigenous peoples of Western Massachusetts and ways to support their communities.