JANUARY 15 – MARCH 14, 2010
Emily Galusha Gallery
Northern Clay Center presented an exhibition featuring the work of 2008 Fogelberg Fellowship recipients Rebecca Chappell and Roberta Massuch, and 2009 Red Wing Collectors Society Foundation Award recipient Peter Jadoonath. An opening reception for the artists was held on January 15, from 6 to 8 pm.
The Fogelberg Fellowship provides emerging ceramic artists an opportunity to be in residence for up to one year at Northern Clay Center. It is intended to support young artists developing their ceramic body of work while immersing themselves in a community environment that encourages an exchange of ideas and knowledge with other ceramic artists.
Rebecca Chappell received her M.F.A. from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2008 and her B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Chappell has participated in solo and group exhibitions across the US. Additionally, her work has appeared in several publications, including Ceramics Monthly, Ceramics: Art and Perception, and Clay Times. Chappell’s simple, elegant porcelain forms are highlighted by minimal marks and transparent glazes. For past years, she has been working on a series of multi-part vases, each one individually designed to hold a different, specific type of flower. She states: “I am interested in making objects that require subtle, playful interactions. I see them as objects that need attention and care from an outside force. They ask to be considered and noticed; in fact, they depend on it.”
Roberta Massuch was awarded a 2009 Jerome Ceramic Artists Project Grant. Massuch’s functional and sculptural earthenware is delightful both in form and imagery. Her work was featured in both galleries since she was a part the Fogelberg Exhibition as well as the Jerome Exhibition.
The Red Wing Fellowship is made possible by the Red Wing Collectors Society Foundation. It is presented by Northern Clay Center to a deserving individual pursuing a career in pottery or studying or researching the historical aspects of the pottery industry.
Peter Jadoonath attended Bemidji State University where he earned a B.F.A. in studio ceramics and painting in 1998. His studies at Bemidji provided the “foundation of creativity” for Jadoonath that continues to have an influence on his work process and his development of new ideas. He is currently co-owner of Toppot Clay Studio, and a member of Back Alley Gallery located in St. Paul. He exhibits work at local and national festivals as well as local galleries. Jadoonath taught at Northern Clay Center and at Fired Up, where he was a studio technician. In 2007 he received a Jerome Ceramic Artist Project Grant.
Jadoonath creates stoneware pottery that focuses on “texture, gesture, and building a sculptural presence.” The work he creates is narrative, animated, and open to suggestion and interpretation by the viewer. “I find inspiration from scientific mystery, unexplained history, small complex ideas, and large simple ideas,” says Jadoonath. “Through my craft it is important for me to honor timelessness, tradition, ancestors…. I strive for this by following my intuition, seeking self-realization, working hard, and gathering the patience to take risks.” Jadoonath’s pots are formed using the basic clay building concepts of “squeezing, paddling, throwing, pinching, coiling, folding, smashing, polishing, and carving.” The surface treatment is then built up with layers of colored slips and stains as well as layers of “pitted glazes and thin washes of glaze,” creating a skin that transforms and enhances the textured surfaces of his work.
Related Resources
Rebecca Chappell
Roberta Massuch
Peter Jadoonath