Each year the KCAI H&R Block Artspace hosts the BFA Exhibition. Ten KCAI ceramic seniors are represented in the show and will be graduating in May. The H&R Block Artspace will be hosting a closing reception on Friday, May 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, so be sure to see the show!
Shae Bishop's BFA piece being critiqued by juniors, seniors and visiting faculty Reed Anderson at the H&R Block Artspace
Linda Lighton visited the KCAI ceramics department to present a lecture for the professional practice course. She talked about her recent residency in Eskisihir, Turkey, at Anadalu University. Linda also discussed the Lighton International Artists Exchange Program, including information about past recipients and the application process. KCAI faculty members Cary Esser and George Timock, and several KCAI alumni, have been awarded L.I.A.E.P. grants. For more information about the program,click here to visit the Kansas City Artists Coalition website.
Luminous by Linda Lighton
One of the three Regina Brown undergraduate student fellowships for 2012 was awarded to KCAI senior Emily Connell. Emily will use the Regina Brown to spend a month traveling from northern to southern Italy. She is planning to visit Milan, Venice, Bolgue, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo Sicily, and Trapani Sicily. There are many specific sights that Emily is planning to see, such as the preserved body of Saint Catherine in Bolgue and the ceramic reliefs by Della Robbia in Florence. Emily is planning to end her trip in Trapini where she will watch the procession that takes place on Good Friday and lasts until Holy Saturday. It is one of the oldest processions, dating back to the 16th and 17th century. Emily will also be visiting La Meridiana, an international school of ceramics in Tuscany.
Procession in Trapini
The Kansas City Art Institute ceramics department now has a Facebook page. Please help support us by ‘liking’ our page.
New technology is having a huge impact on the art industry. KCAI has taken strides to include new technology in the teaching program.
The 3-D Modeling and Ceramic Media elective course teaches students to use Rhino, a 3-D modeling software program. Students design models that are virtual representations of their ideas.
Sasha Alexandra's rendering in Rhino
Student’s renderings are translated into physical objects through the use of the CNC mill.
CNC Mill cutting Sasha Alexandra's model out of pink foam
Students create a plaster mold from their pink foam prototype.
Sasha Alexandra's ceramic cast of a Rhino produced object
From the mold, ceramic casts are then made and fired.
Sasha Alexandra's finished piece
The McKeown Special Project Awards were created to fund special artistic and research projects in the KCAI ceramics department. Students may apply for research-based travel or materials and supplies to support the creation of an otherwise cost prohibitive artwork. The application process mimics that of a professional grant, offering students skill-building experience in writing proposals as well as the opportunity to advance their work in studio and research.
The 2012 McKeown Special Project Awards were granted to seniors Ben Harle, Hank Hafkemeyer, Will Preman, Katie Long, and Shae Bishop.
Ben Harle will purchase equipment for incorporating light and water elements into his mixed media installations.
Ben Harle
Hank Hafkemeyer will buy machineable foam and wax materials for milling digitally generated forms on the CNC mill. These will become prototypes for plaster molds, then ceramic castings. Hank will also procure hydrographic film and a chemical activator for coating his dimensional forms with digital images, which he will demonstrate during the course of the semester.
Hank Hafkemeyer
Will Preman will purchase a vinyl plotter with a pen attachment to draw and cut templates for use in developing new surface treatments for ceramic sculptures.
Will Preman
Will Preman demonstrating with the vinyl plotter
Katie Long will buy a variety of single color decal sheets. She’ll use these decal sheets to cut and collage into designs on her pottery forms.
Katie Long
Shae Bishop will draw designs to print as silk-screened decals. He’ll apply the decals to his tile and fabric clothing constructions.
Shae Bishop
The Ken Ferguson Teaching Collection is an amazing opportunity for students in the KCAI ceramics department. It is a place for students to handle and inspect work made by KCAI ceramic students, alumni, faculty, and visitors. It is also an opportunity for a work study position.
Teaching Collection Room
Jen Watson, junior, is currently the student manager for the teaching collection. Her job entails keeping the collection room and the ceramic pieces residing in it clean and organized. Jen also has the opportunity to create exhibitions for the display cases and windows. The current exhibitions focus on the new acquisitions received from Victor Babu, retired professor, last winter’s intersession glass class, and tea pots and pouring vessels. Jen is also responsible for cataloging and labeling new acquisitions and, on occasion, researching specific pieces within the collection.
Jen says that this work study position is exciting because she handles pieces by well-known ceramic artists like Richard Notkin and Kurt Weiser, but it is also stressful because she’s handling fragile ceramic objects.
Jen Watson with her favorite piece, a Keith Simpson tea pot
Brett Ginsburg with Timo Fahler cup and saucer
Shae Bishop with one of his favorite pieces, a David Price Platter
Paul Donnelly with Robert Turner's Jar
View of show from left: Brett Ginsburg, Khalil Irving, Ross Redmon
Rob Lugo
Will Preman
Shae Bishop
Maura Wright
Eli Jurardo
Sebra Debrecht
Hank Hafkemeyer
Amber Ailor
Colin Ziha
Kelsey Simon
Brett Ginsburg
Dean Roper
Ross Redmon
Emily Connell
Amber Ailor
Group picture while in Budapest on an architecture trip
Nick Missel working in studio
Maura and Shae stoking the wood kiln
Watching the wood kiln fire
Student work made while in Hungary:
Shae Bishop
Sasha Alexandra
Maura Wright
Internships are an important part of the KCAI ceramics department curriculum, offering students professional experience in the field. Each semester many students participate in a variety of internships in Kansas City and elsewhere.
KCAI’s campus is bounded by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. These museums offer ample opportunities for exciting internships.
Currently, there are three ceramics majors interning at the Nelson. Senior Ben Harle works with the exhibition lighting and design staff, designing pedestals for the upcoming, groundbreaking exhibition Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939. Ben also recently assisted lighting for the current George Ault and Romare Bearden exhibitions.
Junior Maura Wright is interning with Catherine Futter, curator of decorative arts at the Nelson, and co-curator of the World’s Fair exhibition. Maura is preparing information labels for this show, which opens in April 2012.
Senior Roberto Lugo is interning as teaching assistant for New Dimensions, an innovative educational program at the Nelson.
At the Kemper, Cydney Ross is assisting the museum educator, helping to develop and program workshops, lectures and events. Cydney also helped with artist Jeanne Quinn‘s installation at the Kemper Crossroads space and helped prep Teri Frame‘s performance, Lavatar’s Animals.
Cydney Ross helping Teri Frame
In Kansas City, there are many local artist’s studios, galleries, and other art institutions where students can intern and prepare for the real world.
Red Star Studios is lucky to have Sasha Alexandra as their intern. She is working with the gallery space, learning what it takes to run a gallery – from packaging artworks for shipping, to corresponding with exhibiting artists about upcoming shows.
Will Preman is interning with artist Andy Braymen. Will helps Andy slip cast objects and make molds. He is learning to use 3-D modeling software programs and how to trouble shoot some of the technical problems that arise with this process.
Joseph Hutchins and Nate Salvin are working with artist Rain Harris, helping create her commercial line and her fine art sculpture. They are learning what it takes to make a living as an artist.
Jordon Kern teaches art to preschool children in her internship at Children’s Song, a Lifeways Program inspired by the teaching of Rudolf Steiner.
Dean Roper is interning with artist Meredith Host. He helps apply decals for Meredith’s commercial line, foldedpigs, and decorate her Dot Dot Dash dinner ware sets.
Molly Ryan is interning with artist Misty Gamble, helping Misty prepare work for an upcoming Exhibition at the Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art gallery.
Maret Miller interns at the American Jazz Museum. She assists with curatorial tasks, records and edits video, and designs print for the museum’s promotional materials.
Our very own ceramics major Roberto Lugo won Bread KC! in May of the 2011 spring semester.
Bread KC! is a competitive opportunity for artists to present project proposals for funding. The public is invited to an event that offers a home made meal for ten dollars. After eating, three artists give formal presentations describing their project ideas. The money gathered from the purchase of dinners is awarded to one of the three artists. The winner is decided by popular vote.
People dinning at Bread
Last spring Rob participated in Bread KC! and won. He used his grant to attend a residency over the summer with potter Tom Jones.
Rob Lugo and Tom Jones
This week Richard Notkin and Jeanne Quinn have visited KCAI. The ceramics department juniors and seniors were lucky to have one-on-one critiques with these talented and intelligent artists.
Richard Notkin‘s exhibition will open on October 6th, at the Belger Arts Center and Red Star Studios, and will run till December 31st. The show includes large scale tile works, his signature teapots, and miniature, highly detailed objects.
Richard Notkin, Heart Teapot: Hostage/Metamorphosis IV - Yixing Series
Richard Notkin, The Last Syllable of Recorded Time
Jeanne Quinn: Ceramics In(ter)ventions will be on show at the Kemper at the Crossroads Gallery from this Friday through Janurary 6th 2012.
Jeanne Quinn, A Thousand Tiny Deaths
Jeanne Quinn, All That Is Still Melts Into Air
We were lucky to have Victor Babu, fabulous artist and former KCAI faculty member for over 30 years, come to speak to us at the ceramics department. Victor talked to us not only about his time teaching here, but also the lovely collection of pieces he donated to the Ferguson Teaching Collection. His donation includes works by Richard Hensley, Matthew Metz, and Molly Hatch, as well as a Romanian folk pitcher and a 19th Century Arita Japanese sake bottle.
Victor speaking to students
Victor Babu
Tuesday West examining bowl by Richard Hensley
Victor Babu
Students enjoying works after Victor's talk
Bryan Juarez looking at Matthew Metz bottle
So where are our KCAI graduates now? Here’s an update on exactly that!
2011 graduate Laura Campbell is in Normal, Illinois, studying at Illinois State as a post baccalaureate student.
Lora Campbell
Ryan Fletcher, 2010 graduate, is in Guldagergaard, Denmark attending a Network Residency at the International Ceramic Research Center.
Ryan Fletcher, Tapas Micros
2011 graduate Ariel Bowman won the Regina Brown Fellowship Award last spring. She is currently traveling to the Paris Natural History Museum, the Meissen and Dresden Porcelain Factory.
Ariel Bowman
Andrew Harting, 2011 graduate, is special status student at Colorado State in Fort Collins.
Andrew Harting
2010 graduate Hannah Blackwell is at Indiana University in Bloomington studying for her MFA.
Hanna Blackwell, I Am What I Am
Tess Stilwell, a graduate of 2010, is a resident artist at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Tess Stilwell
2010 graduate Laura Blumenburg is working as collections coordinator at the Belger Arts Center in Kansas City.
Laura Blumenberg
Calder Kamin, 2009 graduate, has come back to KCAI to work as a career services assistant.
Calder Kamin
2005 graduate Johanna Keefe is studying in the MFA program at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Johanna Keefe
Cara Long is attending the MFA program at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA.
Cara Long, translucent porcelain
Tiff Hockin is attending the MFA program for Graphic Design at Yale University.
Jessica Brandl and Jo Kamm are here in Kansas City. They were both recently awarded residencies at Red Star Studios.
Jo Kamm
Jessica Brandl, Painting
The Spring exhibition was a great success. See below photos of the show, if you didn’t get a chance to enjoy the real thing.
Sophomore wall of cups and saucers
2011 Graduate Wen Dan Lin
2011 Graduate Margeaux Claude
Juried group exhibition of sophomore and junior work
Current Senior Roberto Lugo
2011 seniors Ariel Bowman, Lora Campbell, and David Oicata
Current Senior Emily Connell
2011 Graduate Lora Campbell
Angie Rodriguez
Current junior Brett Ginsburg
Three students were awarded scholarships to attend summer sessions at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in the Colorado Rockies and Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of North Carolina. Emily Connell and Will Preman attended Sunkoo Yuh’s workshop The Narrative: realizing form at Anderson Ranch.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Sunkoo Yuh, A Bit of Roman Influence, 2010, 21 x 14 x 11 in., Porcelain
I attended Del Harrow’s workshop Modeling, Molding & Mapping Technology at Penland, where I learned to use the 3D rendering program Rhino, creating prototypes on a CNC mill.
Aerial View of Penland School of Crafts
Del Harrow, Summer 2011 work
Four recent KCAI ceramic department alumni were featured in Ceramic Monthly’s fabulous September issue!
Margeaux Claude, who graduated last May, was beautifully featured in the “2011 Undergraduate Showcase” with a photograph of her Summer Series.
Margeaux Claude, Summer Series 2011
“The Spotlight Interview: In Service of Food” presents Ryan Fletcher’s Tapas Micros project in which he collaborated with a chef to design and produce restaurant ware. Ryan graduated in December 2010.
Ryan Fletcher, image from Tapas Micros Project
Also check out Jesse Small’s work in “Exposure” and Meredith Host’s Foldedpigs commercial line in “Does Clay DIY?”
Meredith Host working on her Foldedpigs line
The old trusted World War II bread dough mixer finally bit the dust. It was cut down to pieces over the summer, and finally after much sweat, a few nicks and bruises, and no tears, the mixer was moved out, and hauled away. For good. Thanks to Tom Binger for all his hard work!
Tom Binger and Old Mixer
A truck hauling away the remains of the mixter away
Our now spacious clay mixing room has a nice new shiny blue Soldner mixer. We also have amazing new doors, and a new stack for Byrd.
The new mixer with Eli Jurado and Sasha Alexandra
Now that summer’s over, it’s time to get back to keeping everyone up to date about the KCAI ceramics department. My name is Kelsey Simon, I am a senior this year, and I will be taking over as the department blogger for Lora Campbell. We are all going to miss Lora’s giving and helpful nature, as well as her enthusiastic and happy personality. Lora went to work as a post bac student at Illinois State University, in Normal, Illinois.
And the Sun Came Up Over, Spring 2011, Wall piece, 30 inches by 24 inches, Ceramic (Cone 04)
I’ll be here to keep you up to date, and to fill you in on everything you missed over the summer, so make sure to check regularly for new updates.
Me During Pre-semester Clean Up
Ariel Bowman
This spring, NCECA awarded one of three 2011 Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowships to KCAI student Ariel Bowman. Ariel is using the award to further her research into prehistoric and current animal anatomy through traveling to the Paris Natural History Museum, the Meissen and Dresden Porcelain Factory, and the Dresden Porcelain Museum, which houses the largest collection of porcelain in the world, including the hall of Meissen animal sculptures.
The 2010 Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship was awarded to KCAI student Harmony Chapman (BFA ’10) who used it to travel and study ceramics in China.
Paris paleontology gallery
Meissen porcelain goat
Sarita Mahinay
David Oicata
Amber Ailor
Brett Hinsburg And Jen Watson
The end of semester is winding down quickly but not without commotion. Every student is finishing up their projects by throwing, slipcasting, and handbuilding their work. We all fall into a rythym of glazing and firing kilns with each other as we prepare for our end of semester show, Rare Earth, which will be on display May 6th through May 14th.
Wen Dan Lin won a competition with the A. Zahner Company, an acclaimed Kansas City-based firm that produces art and architectural elements in metal. Dan’s work is being created by Zahner Company to be sold at the KCAI Auction this summer; the auction is a benefit for student scholarships.
Here is the progress of the work, photographed recently with Dan in the Zahner shop:
Roberto Lugo
Ryan Fletcher
Tess Stilwell
Hannah Blackwell
The 2011 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Tampa, Florida showed six KCAI students in the National Student Juried Exhibition (NJSE). The exhibition was juried by Neil Forrest and Ayumi Horie and was on display from March 21 through April 2, 2011. Hannah Blackwell (’10), Margeaux Claude (’11), Ryan Fletcher (’10), Lea Griggs (’11), Roberto Lugo (’12), and Tess Stilwell (’10) sent their chosen works to Florida. Of the 6, Lea Griggs won the third place NCECA Undergraduate Student Award and Tess Stilwell won the Studio Potter Undergraduate Award. Congratulations!
Mariko Brown ('10) Blue Floral Tumblers, 5 in. (13 cm) in height, wheel-thrown porcelain, fired to cone 6
Mariko Brown ('10) Mary Jane, 10½ in. (27 cm) in height, wheel-thrown porcelain, fired to cone 6.
Eric Wolever ('10), Irreverence, black walnut pedestal with maple inlay, slip-cast porcelain,
Eric Wolever ('10), Irreverence, black walnut pedestal with maple inlay, slip-cast porcelain,
Ceramics Monthly September 2010 issue contained two KCAI ceramics students in the Undergraduate Showcase - Mariko Brown (’10) and Eric Wolever (’10).
The magazine opened this undergraduate showcase opportunity to the entire nation, we were proud that two KCAI students were represented in this competition.
To read Mariko Brown’s showcase click here.
To read Eric Wolever’s showcase click here.
Harmony Chapman, senior
Ariel Bowman, senior
Lora Campbell, senior
Shae Bishop, junior
Jacob Oftedahl, sophomore
Jen Watson, sophomore
The fall 2010-11 semester flew by and everyone worked hard for the end of semester show. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors all had been planning and imagining how their own work would be on display since the beginning of the semester. Finally seeing all our plans and drawings of our plans come together for a noteworthy show rewarded all involved. We said goodbye to Hannah Blackwell, Mariko Brown, Harmony Chapman, Courtney Cox, Ryan Fletcher, and Tess Stilwell, who were our six graduating seniors.
The exhibition name, (Re)Action, was inspired by the H&R Block Artspace’s (Re)Form, a showcase of KCAI’s ceramic alumni. Displayed at overlapping dates, the two exhibitions enhanced the other through the dialogue created between past and current students.
Kurt Weiser '72
Jesse Small '97 (foreground) and Bobby Silverman '80
Terri Frame '06
Terri Frame '06
As the Fall semester wound down, (Re)Form, at the H&R Block Artspace, exhibited current work by KCAI ceramics alumni; what a testament to the 125th anniversary of Kansas City Art Institute and the ceramics department! The following excerpt is from H&R Block Artspace:
“(Re)Form explored recent work by graduates of the KCAI ceramics program from the late 1960s to the present.
Curated by Catherine L. Futter, the Helen Jane and R. Hugh “Pat” Uhlmann Curator of Decorative Arts at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the exhibition included pieces primarily in ceramics that have been completed in the last two years and display a wide range of perspectives.
The artists invited to participate in the exhibition include well-known, mid-career and emerging artists who offer a variety of viewpoints — from the vessel and functional work to sculptures, installations and performance art.
(Re)Form demonstrates the diversity of artistic expression in KCAI’s vibrant ceramics program.”
George Timock, Hungarian Herend Porcelain, Vessel FFF 2009 8.75"x 8"
Cary Esser, Topo 1, glazed fritware 7.75" x 23.25"x 21"
Paul Donnelly, Vase & Bowl, 2010, Oxidation fired porcelain, wheel thrown
Cary Esser, George Timock, and Paul Donnelly showed current work in Lay of the Land, September 3 through October 30, 2010 at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art. Misty Gamble and Victor Babu each exhibited one piece for our visual pleasure. It was a joy to see the work by KCAI faculty, past and present, in the same gallery space. The exhibition was quite a fine way to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Kansas City Art Institute.
For more information about Lay of the Land at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, click here.
To read Glen Brown’s review in the February 2011 issue of Ceramics Monthly magazine, click here.
To recap some exciting events of last year I am going to include the last, unpublished post by Laura Blumenberg.
“Quite a few of our students were honored by the ceramics community. Ariel Bowman (junior), Ryan Fletcher (senior) and Eric Wolever (senior) were selected to participate in the NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition. Eric won the NCECA Undergraduate First Place Award for Student Excellence, and Ariel was awarded the Muddy Elbow Soldner Mixer Award for Student Excellence. Additionally, Harmony Chapman (senior) was awarded the Regina Brown Fellowship through NCECA.
Eric is also featured in the exhibition “10 Years: The Brand Boeshaar Scholarship Program” at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa.
Lora Campbell (junior) has received the Brooks Scholarship Award to fund her residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo.
Eric Wolever will be attending the graduate program at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz while Keith Simpson will be heading to the graduate program at The Ohio State University in Columbus.
Meanwhile, alum Jo Kamm (2007) won an NCECA graduate fellowship award, which includes a cash prize of $2,000. Jo will travel this summer to Poland where he will work with artist Marek Cecula to set up an artist residency center. He has also been selected as an artist in residence artist for European Ceramic Context 2010, a biennial symposium on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark. The six week residency will take place this Fall.
Congratulations everyone!”
Lora Campbell, I Can't Move Mountains
Hello faithful followers! My name is Lora Campbell, a senior in ceramics and art history, I have big shoes to fill of Laura Blumenberg, who has graduated and moved on to be gallery assistant at Red Star Studios. Before writing about what’s happening this semester, I will be catching you all up to speed on great happenings that took place during the busy, past semester.
