My second workshop / demo of the year already – whew! Thanks to Kathy Kearns for inviting me out – hope to see some of my California friends for this local event:
January 19, 2011
January 12, 2011
Utah Clay Arts Workshop this Weekend!
calling anyone near Salt Lake City! can’t wait to come back to the freezing climes…oh yeah!
September 8, 2010
FERRIN GALLERY solo show: Vestigial Tales
FERRIN GALLERY EXHIBITION, RECEPTION AND RELATED EVENTS
Location: Ferrin Gallery www.FerrinGallery.com
437 North Street info@FerrinGallery.com
Pittsfield, MA 01201 413-442-1622
CHRISTA ASSAD: Vestigial Tales
Solo show of sculptural objects
DATES:
Exhibition: September 16 – October 16
Reception: Saturday, September 25 from 4-6pm
Meet the Artist and Preview: 3rd Thursday, September 16, 6-8:00
SOFA CHICAGO: SOLO November 5 – 8, 2010
HOURS:
11 – 5:00 Wednesday – Saturday and by appointment
FERRIN GALLERY, Pittsfield, MA – Christa Assad’s solo exhibition, Vestigial Tales, opens at Ferrin Gallery with preview on Thursday, September 16 and public reception on Saturday, September 25th.
Vestigial Tales, a series of sculptural forms based on objects and architecture is Assad’s first solo at the gallery. Designed and produced in her San Francisco studio, Assad’s work pays homage to American industry in transition. Assad explains, “Whether architectural, biological, or mechanical in origin, vestigial objects and their history of use both perplex and attract me.”
The origin of this show began when Assad visited Pittsfield, MA during the summer of 2009. Inspired by the rapidly changing city, she sought out a single object to interpret for her upcoming solo show. Her search produced image from the Smithsonian’s archives of a transformer manufactured by General Electric in Pittsfield. Seeking additional information, she discovered how it symbolized the transitions taking place in the region and by extension, the world. The image of the large transformer from the 50′s became became the starting point for her show of sculptural forms based on vestigial buildings and objects.
For Assad, an artist whose first career aspirations were aerospace engineering, the “transformer” is symbolic of the transition taking place from creativity in industry to creative industries. The electrical transformer was invented in Pittsfield by William Stanley and produced by General Electric. These objects literally “transformed” high voltage current to low voltage thus delivering useable electricity. Except for the plastics division which is owned by SABIC, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, the GE plant is now closed and in the process of being disassembled. The city and the region are still recovering from the loss of GE, other manufacturing companies and the aftereffects of their closing on local employment and the environment. With Pittsfield and the Berkshires transitioning into a broader based economy – specifically, the creative economy, the concept for Assad’s show also represents a transformation in her own career. Starting her studies in aerospace engineering, she soon realized her capacity for three-dimensional design was coupled with an equal interest in building and transitioned into the more physical realm of making art. She has spent the last 20 years working in the studio primarily as a utilitarian potter; her solo show, Vestigial Tales is the first to explore conceptually based ceramic sculpture.
Assad’s original Transformer Teapot, produced in spring 2010 and exhibited by Ferrin Gallery in “ReObjectification” was acquired by The Kamm Teapot Foundation.
A resident of San Francisco, California, Assad is a teacher, traveler and full-time ceramicist. With a MFA from Indiana University, Assad’s work is in the permanent collections of The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Ceramic Research Center at Arizona State University Museum, and The Penn State Fulbright Scholar Collection, and numerous private collections.
In conjunction with Assad’s show at Ferrin Gallery, her visit includes a full schedule of research, talks, workshops and demonstrations taking place at Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA; IS183 Art School, Stockbridge, MA; Simon’s Rock College, Great Barrington, MA and the Harvard Ceramics, Allston, MA.
September 16, Thursday, 6-8:00 p.m.
Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA
Meet the Artist, Preview “Vestigial Tales” 3rd Thursday
www.FerrinGallery.com
September 18 – 19 Saturday – Sunday, Weekend Workshop
Ceramics Program, Office of the Arts at Harvard, Allston, MA
Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, 6:30 pm slide presentation
Sunday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Contact: 617-495-8680; panepint@fas.harvard.edu
www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu/ceramics
September 22 , Wednesday
Slide Presentation: 6:00 pm
Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA
Clark Auditorium, Fisher Science and Academic Center
Info: Ceramic Department, Ben Krupka, 413-528-7413; benkrupka@gmail.com
September 24 – 25; Friday – Saturday
IS183 Art School, Stockbridge, MA
Featured Artist: LOCALLY THROWN/LOCALLY GROWN:
Dinner: Friday, September 24, 7:00 pm
Demo: Saturday, September 25, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
at IS183 Art School, Stockbridge, MA
RSVP: 413.298.5252; www.is183.org
September 25; Saturday
Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA
Vestigial Tales: Solo Show
Reception: 4 – 6:00 pm
Photo Caption: (left) Wood Burner Teapot (Vancouver, British Columbia), 2010, 8 x 10 x 8”; (right)Woodburner Teapot II (Nubieber, California), 2010, 9.5 x 9 x 7”; stoneware, oxides, glaze
Photo: Tom Story
Photo Caption: Lemon Grenade, 2010, 9.5 x 8.5 x 6”, stoneware, oxides, glaze.
Photo: Tom Story
Photo Caption: Transformer Teapot, 2010, 14 x 11.5 x 4.25”, stoneware, oxides, glaze.
Photo: Tom Story
Portrait: Christa Assad
Photo: Robert Schlatter
August 19, 2010
Summer 2010 Highlights
Just got back from my eight and a half week ceramic world tour – yes, I’m still in reverse-culture-shock, and no, I’m not ready to come back to reality! Here are just a few photo-journal highlights of my travels…boy, it was hard to pick just a few photos out of the HUNDREDS i took. Big thanks to everyone I met along the way who made this summer the best one of my life!
Travis, me & Anna cuddle up to the ancient Lion of Kea (Greece)
some amazing Greek pots!
"Linen", 1913, by Russian artist Natalya Goncharova
Jurassic Coast, Southern England
20 year best friends from the Leeds Uni days!
cactus love!
Tel Aviv, Israel!
amazing BFA piece at Bezalel Academy of Art & Design
the ceramic work of Varda Yatom
can you find my teabowl here? we saw this show in Israel and boy was i surprised...
ancient ruins and modern power, Caesaria, Israel
i threw black clay at Givat-Haviva -- WOWZA!
our gang: Avner, Dirk, Ami, Sana, Ori & Mihal...
amazing pots by Hannah Zuntz (Mihal's mother!), a contemporary of Lucie Rie and Hans Coper
Jerusalem...simply awesome
the grand finale was my birthday party at Haystack- thanks to my fabulous class!
June 14, 2010
From Arrowmont to Kea, Greece!
This Wednesday, Travis and I head off to Greece for my workshop in Kea, which we’ve combined with a wonderful cooking workshop led by Aglaia Kremezi. I am so excited – have all my clothes rolled up and a brand-new backpack, for after Greece I continue on to England, Israel (thanks to AIDAShed!), and then straight to Boston to hop a 6-hour bus up to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts! Eight straight weeks on the road, in the air, in the sea, ocean, and best of all, clay studios all over the world. Groovin’ with texture!
Speaking of groovin’ with texture…that was the theme of my workshop last week with Josh Copus and the Arrowmont gang. I met Josh last year at Art of the Pot, in Austin, and knew immediately that he and I would jive in the workshop setting. He just has that je ne sais quoi – that contagious enthusiasm about clay…and karaoke…and dancing and life in general. Our class was bonded by tuesday – they get a quick start out of the blocks there at Arrowmont, with a brief but useful introductory class Sunday night from 7:30 – 9:30 pm, after dinner and a welcome speech by Bill Griffith, one of the nicest guys out there…
So – our class was a mixed bag of never-touched-clayers to a workshop veteran, Hannah (in her 80′s?) from Brazil. All women – except for Josh, of course – and all ages. Gatlinburg is an amusing place, if you’ve never been there…here’s the girls, Kirstin and Kathryn, sporting the shirts they had made after Josh and I showed up the last day of class wearing the exact same airbrushed design! AWESOME!!!
May 21, 2010
first up to bat: Arrowmont
In just two weeks I head off to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts to teach a week-long, hands-on workshop, Cut and Construct Intensive. We can still squeeze a couple more of you in, if you want to join in the fun. And OH, I have a special guest star assistant, the famous Josh Copus. Check out his work if you’re not familiar…I met Josh at Art of the Pot in Austin, TX, last year and somehow convinced him to join us at Arrowmont this summer – heck, it wasn’t all that difficult – Arrowmont is one sweet place! And you can get all the salt water taffy and airbrushed tees you heart desires in downtown Gatlinburg. See you there!
May 14, 2010
Getting My Greece On
I’m starting to get really excited for my upcoming trips – starting with Arrowmont and ending with Haystack…with stops in Greece, England, and Israel along the way! I was just cruising through my photos and found these two from last year’s visit to Athens’ brand-new Museum of the Acropolis. Can’t wait to go back for more this year!
April 7, 2010
Preconference for NCECA 2010, Philadelphia
What could be better than NCECA, you ask? How ’bout NCECA and a fabulous pre-conference…hosted this year by Michael Connelly and Alleghany Meadows at Montgomery County Community College, just outside of Philadelphia. The 2-day warm-up to our national conference was just what I needed to get in the mood…Making Through Living, Living Through Making brought together an intimate group of about 100 or more clay enthusiasts — primarily working potters — to generate and discuss ideas about sustaining our creative process in a changing economy. I had an excellent time working alongside clay super-stars Ron Meyers, Ellen Shankin, and Andy Brayman — here’s a little peek at us doing our thing – wish you were here!
p.s. you can see up-close shots of each of us, plus the panel discussions and other activities, at the super-slick web page of Dave Thomas — thanks, Dave!
February 2, 2010
Thank you, Craft Guild of Dallas!
It’s been a week or so now since I’ve been back from my trip to Dallas…and I just have to tell you all what a FABULOUS time I had there! My new friends at the Craft Guild of Dallas were one of the most fun groups I can ever remember working with. They also were one hard-working gang of gals (yes, all ladies – men, you missed out!). Special thanks to Jan for inviting me, and Louise & David for hosting me…and Carla for assisting me with all of my technical needs. Also, my stomach wants to thank Kelly for all of the AMAZING breakfasts she cooked for all of us (can you say sausage + grits casserole??? YUM!) AND my neck thanks her for working out those nasty cricks and pains. A fantastic cook and masseuse, to boot – impressive.
I was sad to leave – after all, I haven’t eaten that well since my mom cooked my meals. But back to Berkeley with me, and thanks to the Guild (they even put up a show of my work), with enough cash in hand to buy that new computer I absolutely can’t live without (this one is borrowed, in case you were wondering)!
THANK YOU, Craft Guild of Dallas!!
