Ask almost anyone who's ever been a resident at the Archie Bray, and they'll tell you about the amazing summers. Having been a resident in 2007 and 2011, I was thrilled when Linda was offered a summer position this year—I was happy she'd get to share in this unique and wonderful experience—but I was also happy that I'd get to spend a month there too! Here are some images to give you a picture of what a summer at the Bray is like:
At it's heart, the Bray is about work... stunning, surprising, ambitious ceramics.
Linda made some fantastic things, and it was nice just to sit back at a distance and have the time to watch her work.
The Bray's a place where people come together around making ceramics, and sometimes around the kiln. This is the first firing of the anagama.
The facilities are world-class, and most residents take advantage of the opportunity to use some phenomenal equipment.
John Zimmerman giving the Blaauw a try.
Linda stuck to the electrics.
There's always someone in a frenzy of creation. Here's Peter Johnson, two spray guns blazing.
Some days, the frenzy is a bit more destructive. Here's Alanna DeRocchi at the shard pile, blasting away with a hammer!
Sometimes the making is a bit more delicate. This is one of Ben Carter's in process. You might know him from his podcast, "Tales of a Red Clay Rambler."
The sunsets from the porch of the summer studio stop everyone in their tracks.
Fishing? Yes, that happens a lot too.
Posing for the annual resident's photo. Every year is a different group of 20. Ten long-terms and 10 summer residents.
Elsa Sahal was among this year's group. These are her feet. I love them.
Here's a shot of Elsa's studio.
I even got my hands dirty a bit, gold lustering some bricks that were given out as gifts to retiring board members.
Shiny!
One of the great things about being at the Bray are the trades! Here's a Steve Lee tea bowl we acquired. It was just one among many new pieces we brought home this summer,
These are Jeremy Briddell's. Fantastic.
Unfortunately, Jeremy spent most of his summer trying to get this truck fixed. When he left the Bray, it was still sitting there.
Here's Linda looking at one of Giselle Hicks' pieces that was about to go into the kiln.
Simply getting to see work like this in-process is one of the great joys of spending time there.
Here's a detail of one of Peter Johnson's massive pieces.
Community mindedness is part of the spirit of the experience, and everyone is responsible to chip in somehow. Obviously, Linda loved her chore.
More fishing? Yes, please.
Have I mentioned the meals? What happens when you get 20 or more artists together? Well, they cook, and eat, and enjoy many meals together. Some of the best meals I've had have been at the Bray.
This year, it was Heesoo Lee that kept us all very, very well fed.
There isn't much to eat in Helena itself. Most meals eaten outside of the Bray were consumed here, at The Suds Hut.
Summer rains can be a welcome relief when they arrive. Storms seem to come and go in minutes, quickly cleansing the landscape before the sun comes right out again.
It always seems as if there are scores of deer roaming the grounds, but if you look a bit closer you'll find other things too. If you're Linda, you'll find mice.
And you'll make them your friend.
There are a lot of great artists working in Helena that aren't residents, but are very much part of Bray life. Richard Notkin lives just up the road.
This is Richard's mini ram press. It was so cute I had to take a picture.
Above all, the Bray is simply a good place to make work among friends.
Linda's breakthrough this summer were these shrub-like forms. They're so good they make me jealous.
And always there are new people arriving at the Bray. Just as we were leaving, Joanna Powell was getting settled into the studio for her long-term residency.
Packing up and heading home.
A little project Brian Harper has been working on... I'm sure he'd love your participation, AND you'd get to have yourself immortalized in plastic.
October 4th deadline... Everyone encourage Linda and Ken to Apply!
Garth Clark's "third act in the world of ceramics," [C]File, goes live on November 1... Keep an eye out for it, and maybe donate a few dollars to help get the ball rolling!
From Benji Schulman, SCHULMAN Projects! For those of you who know Benji, you know how sharp of an eye and intellect he has. It's exciting to see his latest endeavor unfolding—I'm certain he'll be presenting thoughtful, well curated exhibitions. The first is "inception," which includes work from former UAF faculty Mandi Salov.
The press release for inception states, "The work in the exhibition creates re-understandings of the relational context between craft and art. It represents a fundamental transformation of the conventions and stereotypes that have formulated between craft and art. It subverts by undermining and undoing our preconceived notions. The most exciting art today looks to combining genres and traditions, playing with old and new forms and showing flexibility in media."
A national juried exhibit exploring multicultural diversity. Curated by Steve Liggett.
Deadline: October 31
A review of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond exhibition. Give it a read! I'm flattered to be part of this show, and part of such a great group of artists.
We're all very excited to see what comes of Laura's exchange semester in Taiwan. She arrived just a few days ago, and has promised to keep us updated from a blog of her own. Here's an image of her space for the next few months at the Tainan National University of the Arts.
If you're ready to put your work on the road, Ceramic Arts Daily provides a pretty thorough list of juried exhibitions.
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramics-monthly/call-for-entries/
Crystal Bridges has designated a day just for college students and faculty—featuring an open jam session and music show, tableau workshop with Trike Theatre, massage-art therapy, and transformation of Walker Landing into an expression of Chaos Theory through a collaborative string-art project inspired by Marcel DuChamp’s 1942 installation, the Mile of String.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 | 3 TO 6 PMFree with online registration. | REGISTER ONLINE HERE
Getting velvety smooth Terra Sigillata easily? After your done watching this, you should check out the rest of the Objective Clay website. A good resource from some great makers!
An Exhibition that might be worth checking out...
"Back to Earth is devoted to ceramics in the fine arts. Whereas the use of ceramics was frowned upon in the world of art for many years, it has recently enjoyed a surprising renaissance. For the first time, ceramic objects by 75 internationally renowned artists will come together to form a unique panorama... Is 'Back to Earth' a symptom of our age? After abstraction, virtuality and conceptuality, are we now seeing a return to handwriting, the body, materials?"
Profile of Johan Creten.
Lisa Rundstrom.Gallery Director, WSU Shift Space
Dissociative: Pushing Against the Norm
Deadline: October 7, 2013
Fee (USD): $15.00
Juried by Jodi Throckmorton, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Ulrich Museum of Art in Wichita, KS.
MFAs and MAs, here's your chance to see how your work stands up against the graduate art students from Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico, Texas, Iowa, and of course ARKANSAS! Pretty exciting right? Plus everybody needs to enter more juried exhibitions.
Check out the prospectus and WSU's snazzy gallery here.
Keep your knuckles muddy, Good Luck!
Just in case you're into that kind of thing...
Another great Galloway resource!
Looking for an exhibition? Well, here is one among many!
Safety Data Sheets - Ceramics Materials
Safety Data Sheets - Other Materials
