February at Plinth Gallery

Shalene Valenzuela:

“Recipe for Disaster”


Opening Exhibition and Reception with the Artist.
First Friday, February 4th, 2011 6 – 9pm
Light refreshments will be served.


“Easy Mix – Balancing Act” Slipcast ceramic, cone 04, underglaze illustration, print transfer

Shalene Valenzuela’s ceramic work consists of quirky pieces reflecting a variety of issues with a thoughtful, yet humorous and ironic tone. Her inspiration is found in everyday common objects she reproduces through slipcasting, then illustrates with a variety of handpainted and screenprinted images. We welcome Shalene to Plinth Gallery for her first exhibition in Colorado.

“Blending In – Consumed” Slipcast ceramic Cone 04, underglaze illustration, print transfer


Saturday Workshop with Shalene
On Saturday, February 5th, from 9am until 5pm, Plinth Gallery will host the first of three, one-day workshops in the Gallery studio space. In this session, Shalene Valenzuela will demonstrate a variety of surface-embellishment techniques and image application. Through slide presentation, lecture and hands-on demonstration, she will share her unique process of illustrating on bisque surfaces and incorporating print aspects with her drawn images.

Shalene earned her MFA in ceramics from the California College of Arts and Crafts, and has recently taught at the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts. A former resident at the Archie Bray Foundation, she currently works at The Clay Studio of Missoula, Montana.

Cost for this workshop is $85 which includes lunch. Space is limited to 20 students and advance registration and payment will guarantee a space. Students will also receive a 10% discount on Gallery purchases the day of the workshop. Please contact Plinth Gallery for additional information and to register.

Plinth Gallery News:

Workshop Series: Shalene’s February 5th workshop will be the first in our series on Surface Decoration.

On April 2, Yoko Sekino-Bove will demonstrate decoration techniques including sgraffito, carving, stamping, and a variety of glaze painting, as well as wet clay surface techniques such as mishima and slip painting. Students will actively participate in this workshop and make a variety of clay stamps to use on their own work. A supply list will be emailed to participants in advance of the workshop. Yoko’s show, “Fragile Immortality” will be the featured exhibit at Plinth for April.
On May 7, Connie Norman will conduct a seminar on glazing techniques for terra cotta and white earthenware pottery, using masking tape and other office supplies to cut resist-style designs. Students should bring several pieces of bisque-fired work to experiment with glazing techniques demonstrated in this workshop. Connie’s show, “Snippets of Conversation” will be the May exhibition at Plinth.
Each day-long workshop begins at 9am, ends by 5pm, and includes lunch. Cost is $85 for each seminar, or register for all three sessions for $230. Space is limited to 20 students, so registration will be on a first-come, first served basis and advance payment will guarantee a space. Specific information for each workshop, including any necessary supplies, will be mailed to each student when payment is received. Cancellations will be fully refunded if made by 5pm on the Monday before the workshop. Students will also receive a 10% discount on any Gallery purchase the day of the workshop only. For additional information or to register, contact Plinth Gallery at 303-295-0717, or email [email protected].


CALL FOR ENTRY: Plinth Gallery, in collaboration with Anderson Ranch, is presenting a two-­month exhibition to celebrate ceramics in Colorado. The exhibition will showcase a diversity of contemporary ceramics, both functional and sculptural, that are exceptional in concept and execution, and completed within the last year. Jonathan Kaplan is issuing an invitation to all Colorado?based ceramic artists to participate in this unique exhibition, scheduled to open June 3, 2011. Submission information is here.
Gallery Hours: Thursday through Saturday, noon-5pm, and other times by appointment. 303-295-0717

Emerging Artists 2011 – call for entry

In May 2011, Ceramics Monthly will feature the works of emerging clay artists. Those actively pursuing a career in ceramics for less than ten years are eligible.

To be considered submit the following:
• Up to five professional-quality digital images (300 ppi resolution on CD, plus a full-size color print of each image), with complete descriptions of works.
• Full contact information including e-mail, artist’s statement and résumé.
Mail to:
Emerging Artist, Ceramics Monthly, 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210, Westerville, OH 43082.
Do not submit materials in binders or folders. Emailed submissions and submissions of more than five images will not be considered. Submitted materials will not be returned. Due to the volume of entries, no phone calls, please.
Arrival deadline: February 25, 2011
Do you know an emerging artist? Do they need a nudge? Pass this along and help them get the recognition they deserve.

Prairie Excellence: On view at the Sask Craft Council.

Brian / Dawn McArthur / Detarando
Immense Mode (maquette)

Prairie Excellence

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 » Sun, Feb 27, 2011
A 35 piece exhibition representing the finest craft from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
This travelling exhibition was juried by Helen Delacretaz, Chief Curator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Karen Schoonover, Director/Curator of the Art Gallery of Regina and Mary-Beth Laviolette, formerly a senior Curator of art at the Glenbow Museum, currently working independently.

Read a review of the show here:
Planet S Mag – This Is Becoming A Habit by by Bart Gazzola

And check out the show online here.

Spamalot and some studio shots

My apologies to anyone that is having troubles with the comments on musing today. I’m being hit pretty hard with spam for some reason today, which will hopefully clear up soon. Sorry for any inconvenience.

In the meantime here’s a few more shots from the studio of some work in progress.

Cheers.


Deborah Schwartzkopf – Workshop Demonstrations


Wednesday, February 9, 2011 | 9 am – 4 pm
Thursday, February 10, 2011 | 9 am – 4 pm

Lecture
Thursday, February 10, 2011 | 7:00 pm

All events:
Ceramics Studio University of Manitoba
School of Art
203 FitzGerald Building University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB
R3T 2N2
204.474.9367
umanitoba.ca/schools/art/

Deborah Schwartzkopf currently practices at Pottery Northwest in Seattle, Washington. She received a BA in Art at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and completed her MFA at Penn State in 2005. Since then, she has received the Lilian Fellowship from the Archie Bray Foundation, taught at Ohio University and Massachusetts College of Art and Design, was an artist-in-residence at Mudflat Studios near Boston, Massachusetts, and was a guest artist at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has worked internationally at Sanbao in Jingdezhen, China, and the Ceramics Workcentre in Berlin, Germany.

For more information, please contact Grace Nickel, [email protected] or 474-8318.
Deborah Schwartzkopf’s visit is sponsored by the Ceramics Club and the School of Art Visiting Artist Endowment Fund. There is no charge to attend the workshop or the lecture – everyone is welcome.