He’s also not one to complain about sleepless nights, as that is when he’s most productive.
“It’s hard to sleep when there’s too much to think about. It’s easy to stay awake and work,” Weiser said during a recent phone interview with The Eagle.
Naming his latest exhibition, “Insomnia,” now on view at Ferrin Contemporary, only seemed fitting to the ceramicist, who spent the last 30 years filling sketchbooks with the black and white drawings that appear on the porcelain vessels and accompanying linoleum-cut prints in the show….”
Showcases contemporary artists who are breathing new life into the ceramic medium by reinvigorating age-old motifs, processes, and techniques. Contemporary ceramicists were invited to respond to and produce new works that reference the art, objects, and social history of the collections at The Frick Pittsburgh, 7227 Reynolds Street, Pittsburgh, PA.
photo: Mara Superior, “Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty/ A Collection” 2018.
Join us for a happy hour in The Frick Art Museum to celebrate the opening of this exhibition, Be among the first to see this unique exhibition, which features work from established and emerging artists. The evening will also feature gallery talks from exhibition curator Dawn Brean and exhibited artist Beth Lipman (pictured). Click for more.
photo: Beth Lipman working at John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Nov 12, 2017—Feb 25, 2018
Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
Ferrin Contemporary artists Sergei Isupov, Jason Walker, Kurt Weiser, and Beth Lipman are among the diverse group of fifty-seven artists interpreting the Sabbath — the day of rest — from their own unique perspectives and engaging with its contemporary relevance. All work is three-dimensional as artists explore the theme through ceramic, wood, and glass.
Please note that parking will be limited. To visit the gallery, park in town and walk over or call ahead to make an appointment for a temporary pass, 413.346.4404.
This collaborative group of potters will bring their 17-foot van to connect with the community by making and inviting visitors to create simple ceramic pots.
An evening program of visual and performing art events including exhibitions, video screenings, and site-specific installations throughout downtown North Adams and the MASS MoCA campus.
Save future DOWNSTREET dates: July 27 & August 24.
MASS MoCA’s main parking area is adjacent to
Ferrin Contemporary in Building 13. Start or end your day with us. Explore The World of MASS MoCA and Downtown North Adams for more local art, food, and beer.
Visitors and the NY press were surprised and delighted with their discovery of the contemporary ceramics at the New York Ceramics & Glass Fair and spread the word about contemporary clay throughout the worlds of art and design. Here some of the highlights, along with links to read more.
Paul Scott, “Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), American Scenery, Fracked No. 2″ 2013, inglaze decal collage, gold luster on ironstone platter (c.1860?), 8.5 x 1”.
Browsing at Metro Curates and the Ceramics and Glass Fair
by William Grimes
“A number of contemporary artists disturb the polite atmosphere of British tea sets and Chinese export pottery. Paul Scott, an English artist at Ferrin Contemporary, has updated English transferware, with its romantic evocations of American scenes, in the rudest possible way. ‘Turnpike No. 3,’ a rectangular tray showing a toll plaza on the New Jersey Turnpike, is one of a series devoted to such heartwarming sights as the Indian Point nuclear plant and a fracking derrick,” Grimes observed in his unabashed review of the oddities at two NY shows.
“Few slices of the art market have changed as radically, or, surprisingly, have been taken more seriously, in the past few years as the ever-so-sleepy ceramics and glass sector. … When it comes to contemporary ceramics, some dealers said, there’s a shift going on in terms of validity in the eyes of museums. ‘Glance back two decades only a handful of museums were incorporating such work in their holdings,’ said Massachusetts dealer Leslie Ferrin.”
In his review of our show “MADE IN CHINA, Darryl Wee observes, “Whereas traditional ‘export ware’ used to be adorned with European ideas and subjects…, Ferrin notes that this notion of cultural export has shifted somewhat in recent years due to internationally networked and cosmopolitan artists who produce their pieces at Jingdezhen Pottery Workshop while gaining exposure primarily in Western markets halfway around the world.”
Friend and blogger Andrew Baseman focused attention on contemporary ceramic “make-dos” including Paul Scott’s, Mara Superior’s, and Frances Palmer’s mended works. “It was heartening for me to see so many examples of antique and contemporary ceramics with inventive repair in such a prestigious venue. It gives me hope that beauty in imperfection is now being embraced by more artists, dealers and collectors than ever before.”
In her design blog, Byrne admitted, “I know very little about ceramics and glass. There. I have said it right up front. But I like to think I have a certain radar for the artistically innovative, and one place where I did not expect to see it was during my inaugural visit last week to the annual New York Ceramics and Glass Fair. But I was wrong. Very wrong. Talk about cool—it was there in abundance. “By far my favorite was the artists represented by Ferrin Contemporary. Leslie Ferrin had two booths at the fair and each was filled with edgy, thought-provoking pieces.”
Visitors were entertained by talks and presentations made by Ferrin Contemporary’s Paul Scott,Garth Johnson, Robert Silverman,Sing-ying Ho, and Leslie Ferrin. NCECA sponsored a day of modern lectures there for the first time. It was standing room only for Paul Scott’s lecture. Afterwards, the audience followed Scott to a book signing for the newly published Horizon: Transferware and Contemporary Ceramics.Scott’s ironic commentary on landscape drew media attention with his “American Scenery” series featured at the fair.
Visit our Press Coverage webpage for more links to fair coverage as well as articles and reviews about other curated projects with work by artists represented by Ferrin Contemporary.
Follow along as director Leslie Ferrin documents the objects, people, and experiences related to the many projects under the purview of Ferrin Contemporary. Leslie’s first-person coverage provides a subjective overview of the scene (and seen) along the path of her travels. Click on the links below to follow along: NEWS: Instagram facebook twitter tumbler instagram
For Immediate Release: Ferrin Contemporary presents Made in China: The New Export Ware at the New York Ceramics and Glass Fair, Jan. 21–25, 2015
CUMMINGTON, Mass – Ferrin Contemporary presents Made in China: The New Export Ware at the New York Ceramics and Glass Fair in New York, Jan. 22–25, 2015. Made in China is an on-going series of exhibitions and public programs, featuring international contemporary ceramic artists referencing traditional Chinese export porcelain. These artists work independently along side and in conjunction with skilled Chinese artisans to find expression for their fresh visual vocabulary to create a new breed of export ware. The featured artists hail from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China and include Julie Bartholomew, Caroline Cheng, Sam Chung, Future Retrieval (Katie Parker and Guy Michael Davis), Sin-ying Ho, Garth Johnson, Paul Mathieu, Paul Scott, Robert Silverman, and Vipoo Srivilasa.
Leslie Ferrin, director of Ferrin Contemporary and curator of Made in China, was inspired to create the show by her recent travels in China and her work with many contemporary ceramic artists who have worked, studied, and participated in some of the traditional Chinese pottery workshops. During her tour, Ferrin visited ceramic workshops in Jingdezhen and Chongqing, observing skilled Chinese artisans aiding in the production of contemporary works for western markets under the direction of visiting western artists.
“After my visit to China, it was clear that this growing movement of western artists engaging with Chinese artisans to provide works for international markets was urging a contemporary re-definition of export-ware,” says Ferrin. “It is a dynamic relationship with appropriation and collaboration occurring in both directions, and we are fortunate that we will be able to truly explore the relationship, with multiple exhibitions over the coming years.”
Made in China will be presented at the New York Ceramics and Glass Fair as a special exhibition on the third floor of Bohemian Hall, 321 East 73rd Street in New York from Jan. 21 through Jan. 25, 2015.
Public events in the Made in China booth Meet the artists in the Ferrin Contemporary Special Exhibition Booth on the 3rd Floor on Saturday, Jan. 24. 
1:30 p.m. in the Made in China booth
Book signing with Paul Scott
Paul Scott will on hand to sign and present his new book Horizon, Transferware and Contemporary Ceramics.
(This event will follow Scott’s lecture in the lecture hall.)
3 p.m. in the Made in China booth
Conversation and tour with artists and curator
Join us for a conversation about Made in China: The New Export Ware with artists Sin-ying Ho and Robert Silverman. The discussion will be moderated by Leslie Ferrin, curator of Made in China and director of Ferrin Contemporary. A tour of the exhibition with the artists and curator, will follow.
Lectures related to Made in China Artist and curator lectures related to Made in China will be presented in the lecture hall on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24.
Friday, 12 p.m. in the lecture hall Duchess, Dogs, Detroit, Dragons, Handles and Cherrypickers: Re-Animating the Transferware Archives of an Industry
with Paul Scott, artist, author and researcher and professor at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts Norway
Friday, 2 p.m. in the lecture hall Made in China: New Export-ware from Jingdezhen
with Leslie Ferrin, Director of Ferrin Contemporary Friday,
4 p.m. in the lecture hall I’m So Fancy: Young Artists Take On Historical Ceramics
with Garth Johnson, Curator of the Arizona State University Ceramics Research Center and Director-at-Large of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)
Saturday, 12 p.m. in the lecture hall The Most Dangerous Imitations: Fake Chinese Export Porcelain of the 1920s and ’30s
with Ron Fuchs II, Curator of the Reeves Collections at Washington and Lee University
For a full listing of all the lectures and other Ceramics Fair events visit newyorkceramicsandglassfair.com
For a full listing of Made in China events, exhibitions, and artists visit ferrincontemporary.com/madeinchina
Selected Works from Current Projects
In addition to the special exhibition on the 3rd floor, Ferrin Contemporary’s booth on the 4th floor will feature Selected Works from Current Projects. Included will be recent works by international and American artists: Stephen Bowers, AU; Claire Curneen, Wales; Sergei Isupov, USA and Estonia; Steven Young Lee, USA; Frances Palmer, USA; Paul Scott, UK; Bonnie Smith, USA; Vipoo Srivilasa, AU; Mara Superior, USA; and Kurt Weiser, USA.
About Ferrin Contemporary
Ferrin Contemporary specializes in ceramic art produced circa 1950 to the present, with a growing emphasis on international ceramic artists. For more than thirty years, collectors, institutions, and the media have made Ferrin Contemporary their preferred source for artwork by established and emerging artists and designers whose primary medium is clay. Visit ferrincontemporary.com to learn more.
Sin-ying Ho, left: “One World, Many Peoples No. 2″ (77 x 23.25”) and right: “Temptation – Life of Goods No. 2″ (68 x 23.5”) 2010, porcelain, cobalt pigment, underglaze, decal, glaze.
Caroline Cheng, “Prosperity V” 2007, porcelain, fabric, 71 x 71″.
Bobby Silverman, “Ponty #4″ 2014, re-fired commercial porcelain tiles, 35 x 27.5”.
Ceramic CollectaneaThis unique collection offers a special opportunity to obtain highly valued, proven work by masters in the field of ceramic art that have not been available for some time.
We are happy to bring these carefully selected pieces from private collectors and artist estatesonto the market again.
The Iconic Teapot Teapots are complex objects steeped in history, world culture, and art. For collectors, they offer a wonderful study in contrast and variety. For artists, they present endless possibilities within the context of design, decoration, and scale. The Clay Art Center, in Port Chester, NY presents “TeaTime”, a survey exhibition and a day of presentations, discussion, and tea tastings. See below. FERRIN CONTEMPORARY’S Teapot Collectanea, is an ongoing on-line collection of teapots sourced from private collections and directly from artist studios.
Tea Immersion Presentations and tea.
Saturday, March 1, 1–4pm
Clay Art Center
Port Chester, NY
• Leslie Ferrin, Author of Teapots Transformed; Exploration of an Object, will present an overview of contemporary ceramic teapots.
• Ulysses Dietz, Senior Curator at the Newark Museum will offer an historical survey of the teapot both as a functional form and as an artistic challenge.
• Michael Harney, VP of Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders, will speak about tea tastes and traditions in various tea growing lands and how that has influenced tea pots.
• Judith Schwartz, Professor of Art & Art Professions at NYU, will moderate a panel discussion after the lectures.
• Tea tastings will culminate the event poured by Harney & Sons.
This exhibition of functional and sculptural teapots explores the history of tea and its relevance in our culture. The exhibition will highlight the teapot, whose form and related ceremonies has inspired artists for centuries and continues to be a valid form of expression in studios of contemporary artists today.
FERRIN CONTEMPORARY artists participating in TeaTime:
Christa Assad
Donald Clark
Frances Palmer
Kadri Parnamets
Adam Shiverdecker
Shawn Spangler
Mara Superior
Susan Thayer
Kurt Weiser
Ferrin Contemporary presents Teapot Collectanea: an online collection of teapots sourced from private collections and directly from artist studios. Ranging functional to conceptual teapots, produced by both emerging and established artists and designers, this ongoing changing collection is curated by Leslie Ferrin, author of “Teapots Transformed: Exploration of an Object”. Ferrin’s understanding of the teapot genre assures that each of the pieces offered here makes a distinct contribution to this iconic form. Click here to view Teapot Collectanea.
to the many artists, individuals and colleagues who were part of this amazing transitional year
American Craft Magazine
APE
Archie Bray Foundation
Barry Friedman, Ltd.
Bellevue Arts Museum
Birmingham Museum of Art
Center for Wood Art
Ceramic Art and Perception
Ceramic Research Center – ASU
CFile
Clay Art Center
The Clark
The Clay Studio
Craft Emergency Relief Fund
Cross Mackenzie Gallery
Duane Reed Gallery
Erie Art Museum
Gardiner Museum
Gravers Lane Gallery
Greenwich House Pottery
Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard
Historic Deerfield
IS183 Art School
Jeffrey Spahn Gallery
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Margaret Pennington
MASS MoCA
Massachusetts College of Art
MCLA – Downstreet Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mindy Solomon Gallery
Museum of Arts and Design
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
NCECA
New Britain Museum of Art
Newark Museum of Art
New York Ceramics Fair
Palmer Art Museum
Peabody Essex Museum
Perimeter Gallery
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Racine Art Museum
Red Star Studios at Belger Crane Yards
Sheridan College
Sienna Gallery
Smith College Museum of Art
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
Watershed Center for Ceramic Art
Wexler Gallery
Winterthur
Yale University Art Gallery
Zea Mays Printmaking
The Team: Amy Bowes, John Polak, Rebecca Weinman, Lynn Zimmerman
The Move: Donald Clark, Sarah Bressem, June Ferrin, Ken Ferrin, Sergei Isupov, Wendy Gingell, Jeffrey Lipton, Jacqui Proctor, Kate Roberts, Graeme Sloan, Jazu Stine
Summer brings ART + ARTISTS from far away places around the world Adelaide, Australia, Jingdezhen, China, Seoul, Korea, to the small village in Cummington, MA, USA on the Eastern edge of the Berkshires, in the heart of the Hilltowns and just west of the Pioneer Valley.
The former mill building, on the bank of the Westfield River, became Project Art in 2007 and home base for Sergei Isupov and Leslie Ferrin. Now with Ferrin Contemporary located there, and Sergei and his wife Kadri traveling to Estonia in the summer, the studio hosts resident artists and new projects get launched. This year the sessions run July – September.
Adjacent to the group studio on the first floor, Ferrin Contemporary exhibits selections from current projects and houses the library, offices and warehouse.
Our next open house and artist salon is Tuesday, August 14, 6 – 8:00, but other days, we are open by appointment. Call 413.446.0614 or email leslie.ferrin@gmail.com
SERGEI ISUPOV at Ferrin Contemporary
Sergei Isupov, “High Heel Shoes Teapots” 2013, detail, porcelain slip, glaze, 6.5 x 9.5 x 5″
Sergei Isupov, “High Heel Shoes Teapots” 2013, detail, porcelain slip, glaze, 6.5 x 9.5 x 5″
Sergei Isupov, Women with Cats Series, 2013
Sergei Isupov, “The Hero’s Mother”, 2012, Porcelain, Glaze, Stain, 8.5 x 12 x 4″
SERGEI ISUPOV at Ferrin Contemporary
The Personal is Professional by Sarah Buttenweiser in American Craft magazine
Sergei Isupov in Nature is Right Outside My Door, by Brooke Mason, Financial Times
Summer at Project Art, Cummington, MA
Joon Park, Moon Jar Stephen Bowers, Walk the Plank
Joon Park, “Moon Jar”, 2012, clay, crate, pallet, resin, 22 x 22″ (ceramic), 58 x 24″ (complete)
Stephen Bowers, “Walk the Plank” 2013, handmade surfboard (shaped by Peter Walker from paulownia timber), painted decoration, fiber-glass, resin, 7’7” x 22″
Current Projects of Ferrin Contemporary at Project Art
Front Design, “Blow Away Vase” 2008, Royal Delft porcelain, 11 x 12 x 9″
SMALL WORKS AND CURRENT PROJECTS …
SERGEI ISUPOV – portrait plates and small sculptures featured in Small Works at Ferrin Contemporary, at Project Art, Cummington, MA, USA.
Selected works from our current projects, “Walk the Plank”, surfboard from New Blue and White by Stephen Bowers and Peter Walker and Moon Jar by Joon Park, one of the summer residents at Project Art.
giselle hicks | sergei isupov | stephen young lee | adam shiverdecker | jason walker | kurt weiser
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