MAY 10 – JUNE 23, 2019
Emily Galusha Gallery
Curated by Lynn Lukkas
Bringing together examples from a lifetime of work, this exhibition honors the late Mary Roettger, 1956 – 2017, and pays homage to her creative contributions to the local and national clay community. Roettger earned her BFA in studio arts from the University of Minnesota in 1982 and her MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1991. She worked with clay for nearly thirty years. Her work was featured in national and international exhibitions. She was an artist-in-residence at the John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Program in Wisconsin, the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana, and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Beginning in 1986, Mary held various positions as a ceramics and 3D design instructor at universities and colleges in Minneapolis; Seoul, South Korea; New York City; and Boston.
Mary Roettger’s sculptures sprang from hidden natural forms: helixes, interlocking patterns, spirals, spines, and the skeletal and interior structures that support life itself. Her imagery was drawn from the unseen parts of the natural world, the sub-microscopic double helix of DNA, interior armatures of what could be marine or mammal life. The structures and patterns fold in on themselves; they have no beginning and no end, suggesting a sense of infinity and the completion of the form itself. This exhibition explores Roettger’s relationship and career with ceramics through offerings of her sculpture, notes, sketches, and interviews.
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Opening Reception: Friday, May 17, 6 – 8 pm