This weekend my show at Red Star Gallery opened – as did Chris Gustin’s show at Sherry Leedy Gallery, right here in Kansas City! It was a beautiful spring evening (never mind the tornado warnings and screaming sirens the night before) and the First Friday turn-out was great, complete with guest stars, Victor Babu, and my colleagues Cary Esser and George TImock. My beloved friends and students came out to see what I’ve been hiding in my studio all this time.
It was exciting to see the culmination of my efforts to keep up the studio practice during this intense year of teaching at the Kansas City Art Institute – there were definitely moments when I wondered if I would, in fact,have a new body of work ready in time for the opening.
The new glazes I’ve been working with this year include a yummy satin pink, electric orange, and powder blue, along with a testy crystalline glaze that either fired out gorgeous…or dunted!
Saturday I taught a workshop at Red Star – great crowd, delicious Bison burger at Bluebird café for lunch! – and was most impressed by how sparking-clean my tools were after Nathan got his hands on them! Nathan and Andrew kept the show running all day Saturday, and afterwards I wondered why I didn’t hang out with these guys more this year!
Oh! I forgot to mention that I had the pleasure of hanging out with the legendary Val Cushing a few weeks ago during his visit to KCAI. Val is undeniably one of the kindest Ceramic Superstars I’ve ever met, and one of the easiest to engage in conversation. I took him to my favorite local coffee shop, The Filling Station, and was very amused by his reaction to this sophisticated “hipster” café: he LOVED it, maybe as much as I do! I learned a lot about Mr. Cushing that week – like how he was an athlete in school, as well as a musician (both things we have in common), and that Bauhaus potter Marguerite Wildenhain was an early and significant influence. The stories he told about Marguerite were fantastic…and to top it all off, Val gave a most memorable throwing demonstration of his new-improved apple-core drop-lid technique! Amazing!
Dude, Really Handsome Show!
Comment by Ira Crazy — May 5, 2008 @ 6:22 am
super photos!
The show looks great… Bummer it’s so far from “the garden state”.
Comment by Judi Tavill — May 6, 2008 @ 4:20 am
hey christa sorry this is so late my website now has its resume and artist statement, i didnt get your message until after 6 tonight. soo sorry,
chy chy
anne helped me she says my computer sucks
Comment by johnchy — May 18, 2008 @ 3:00 am
Hi Christa and thank you for the wonderful day at Red Star. I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to acknowledge your fine workshop. I learned a great deal from your demos and I found you to have a unique spirit that should take you far in the field of ceramic education. It is too bad and a loss for the KCAI not to sign you for a longer stay. I wish you well on your return to California and I hope to see you again one day.
Sincerely,
Terry
Comment by Terry Ensor — May 25, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
christa, i was working on up dating my resume, and i was wondering where exactly I should put being a student representive for the school at nceca on it. any advice? also my education section do you think it’s okay for me to have my high school on it, or should i edit that out? Let me know! I hope cali is fun!
Comment by annespeelman — June 2, 2008 @ 7:26 am