Opening Reception
Friday, September 18, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the openings of Ann Morton: What Happened Today?/ The Collective Cover Project and Wendy Maruyama: The wildLIFE Project, as well as open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

This fall, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents Artifice of Nature, a modern-day Garden of Earthly Delights. Susan Beiner’s ceramic installation of hybrid plant forms comes together with the imaginary anatomies of Brian Fleetwood’s jewelry to create new species out of synthetic and organic materials. Artifice of Nature explores the way in which nature is reconstructed, presented, and dissected for human consumption. Acting as naturalists, Susan Beiner and Brian Fleetwood observe and recreate interactions between nature and humanity. In each of their works, they utilize craft-based media to educate others about lived environments.

In Artificial Dissemination, Fleetwood mimics biological communities through systems made up of jewelry and their human hosts, thereby illustrating epistemology—the theory and organization of knowledge. Fleetwood identifies the human body as a habitat through his jewelry pieces that seemingly grow from their wearers like colorful lichens. As part of his ongoing project, Fleetwood will debut a few new pieces inspired by his visit to Houston and the people that he meets along the way. As an artist, he is most interested in the way in which jewelry moves from person to person, and the potential that jewelry has to spread ideas.

Contemporary culture values scientific research and practices that mimic and modify nature, believing that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Often, in opposition to nature and in favor of human need and desire, artifice is the making of something by technical skill, artistry, and ingenuity. Through artifice, scientists and engineers work to improve upon what is found in nature for human pleasure and use.

These improvements are often seen as progress and, yet, in her installation, Synthetic Reality, Susan Beiner questions the ramifications of genetic modification and the production of synthetic materials. The saturated hues of Beiner’s wild and unruly composition distinguish the plants as more than strict representations of naturally occurring plant life. HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall states, “Not ignoring the benefits that genetically modified plants and synthetics provide us, Beiner’s work challenges us to question the long-term effects of exploitation and modification of our natural resources. The luscious assemblage of briery, mutant plant life found in Synthetic Reality is captivating. Though some of the flowers are familiar, having been derived from natural plant species, Beiner’s manipulation of these forms takes us into unknown territories. ”

About the Artists

Ceramicist Susan Beiner is Associate Professor at the Hergberger School of Design and the Arts at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. In 1993, she received her MFA in Ceramics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and, in 1985, her BFA from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She has exhibited her work in Austria, China, Korea, and the Netherlands in addition to having multiple solo exhibitions in the United States. Beiner has received numerous awards and has participated in residency programs across the globe, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, and China.

Brian Fleetwood is Assistant Professor of Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Art Foundations at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He received his MFA in Craft and Material Studies in 2014 from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BFA with a focus in jewelry from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2012. Brian has received multiple fellowships and scholastic accolades, including the 2012 Windgate Fellowship. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Artifice of Nature was curated by HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall.

Above: (1) Susan Beiner, “Synthetic Reality” (detail), 2008. Porcelain, foam, wood panels. Photo by Susan Beiner. (2) Susan Beiner, “Synthetic Reality” (detail), 2008. Porcelain, foam, wood panels. Photo by Susan Beiner. (3) Susan Beiner, “Synthetic Reality,” 2008. Porcelain, foam, wood panels. Photo by Susan Beiner. (4) Brian Fleetwood, Selection from “Artificial Dissemination.” Raw silk, cotton, polyester, wood, rubber, steel, PLA, graphite, ink. Photo by Brian Fleetwood. (5) Brian Fleetwood, Selection from “Artificial Dissemination.” Raw silk, cotton, polyester, wood, rubber, steel, PLA, graphite, ink. Photo by Brian Fleetwood. (6) Brian Fleetwood, Selection from “Artificial Dissemination.” Raw silk, cotton, polyester, wood, rubber, steel, PLA, graphite, ink. Photo by Brian Fleetwood. (7) Brian Fleetwood, Selection from “Artificial Dissemination.” Raw silk, cotton, polyester, wood, rubber, steel, PLA, graphite, ink. Photo by Brian Fleetwood.

Opening Reception
Friday, May 29, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the opening of Course of Action: 50 Years of Jewelry and Enamel at the Glassell School of Art in the Artist Hall, and open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

Craft Garden Reception
Saturday, June 27, 2:00 PM

Over two semesters, students in the MFAH Glassell School of Art’s “Special Topics: Ceramics in the Environment” course investigated the concepts of installation, time-based works, and site specificity, while working in clay media. Topics ranged from how a sculpture can change depending on its spatial relationship and locale–whether in a natural or manmade environment–to areas of professional development, including instructions on how to create a proposal for various uses such as an exhibition or public art project. The students worked within the parameters of HCCC’s Craft Garden for the creation of their own site-specific installations, taking into consideration the changing landscape of the garden over the course of the summer and the relationship of clay to the natural environment. The project culminated in this outdoor exhibition at HCCC. Featured artists include Mary Aldrich, Loes Berendschot, Nell Gottlieb, Renee LeBlanc, Michelle Matthews, Kim Millspaugh, Polly Ruhlman, Anne Steacy, and Wouter Van Der Tol.

The “Ceramics in the Environment” course was created in partnership with Jeff Forster, Ceramics Chair at the MFAH Glassell School of Art, and HCCC Curator Elizabeth Kozlowski.

Above: (1 – 7) Exhibition view of “Ceramics in the Environment.” Photos by Kim Coffman. (8 – 15) Photos courtesy of students in the Glassell School of Art, “Ceramics in the Environment” class.

Opening Reception
Friday, May 29, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the opening of Ceramics in the Environment in the Craft Garden, and open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to present Course of Action: 50 Years of Jewelry and Enamel at the Glassell School of Art, an exhibition that celebrates the outstanding Jewelry and Enamel program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s (MFAH) Glassell School of Art. For five decades, the program has provided a place for students of all skill levels and backgrounds to flourish, and it now offers a full curriculum of classes in metalsmithing, enameling, and digital technology. Curated by Glassell faculty members, Nathan Dube, Jan Harrell, and Sandie Zilker, the show chronicles the history of the program, acknowledging former instructors, Mary Lorena Brown, William Steffy, and Mary Ann Papanek-Miller, as well as others who have been influential in its development. Displaying jewelry objects and enamel works by current students, former and current faculty, and alumni, the collection showcases an exceptional level of talent.

The Glassell School of Art includes the Junior School for young people ages 3 – 18; the Studio School for adults; and the Core Program, which offers postgraduate residencies. Since 1965, the Jewelry and Enamel program has evolved with the school, taking up residence in several different buildings. Formerly known as the Museum School, the Glassell School’s first jewelry course was held inside the basement of the MFAH. In 1971, the program moved to the former Jett’s Grocery site and then to a former insurance building on Garrott Street in 1973. Six years later, the program migrated to the Studio School’s current building, at 5101 Montrose Boulevard, and the school adopted its present name, the Glassell School of Art.

After 36 years, the Studio School will say goodbye to its current glass-block building. In the fall of 2015, it will temporarily relocate to the former Nabisco building near the Texas Medical Center and, in late 2017, will return to the MFAH campus in a building designed by Stephen Holl Architects.

The new space, with its updated and expanded facilities, will give the Glassell School of Art a dynamic presence in Houston’s art community, allowing the Jewelry and Enamel program to continue to thrive.

For more information on the MFAH Glassell School of Art, visit https://www.mfah.org/visit/glassell-school/.

About the Curators

Nathan Dube is a metalsmith whose work explores his interest in childhood and play by exploring the relationships among humor, aggression, and masculinity and how contemporary adult-male identity is constructed in American culture. Originally from Austin, Texas, Dube grew up outside of Houston. He holds a MFA from Kent State University and a BFA from the University of Texas, Austin. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including a solo show at the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. He currently teaches at the MFAH Glassell School of Art and at Houston Community College.

Jan Arthur Harrell has been working with enamel for over 35 years. She received her BFA in jewelry and enamel from Texas Tech University. After raising her family, she resumed her studies at the University of Houston, where she received her MFA in sculpture in 2007. For the last 25 years, she has been the enameling instructor at the MFAH Glassell School of Art. Harrell exhibits jewelry and small-object work nationally and internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her work is included in several books on enameling and metalsmithing.

With 41 years of experience teaching at the MFAH Glassell School of Art, Sandie Zilker is currently head of the Jewelry and Enamel Department and the Three-Dimensional Design Department. She also serves as the Glassell School’s coordinator of student events and exhibitions. Zilker holds a BFA in design and metalsmithing from the University of Houston and an MFA in metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, published in numerous books, and is included in national and international collections. She has served on the Board of The Society of North American Goldsmiths twice, co-chairing the annual conference in 2010. In 2014, she received the Texas Master award from Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

Above: (1) View of the Glassell School of Art from the MFAH Sculpture Garden. Image courtesy the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (2) Melanie Hoo, “Diffuser,” 2007. Sterling silver, teak wood. Photo by Ralph Smith. (3) Barbara Kile, “Necklace,” 2001. Felt, sterling silver. Photo by Jack Zilker. (4) William Luft, “Islands in the Sun.” Enamel on copper, mounted on textured painted wood. Photo by Larry Larrinaga. (5) Silvia Otaola, “Nichi (La luce che m’illumina),” 2008. Sterling silver. Photo by Jack Zilker. (6) Jo M. Preston, “G H²,” 2013. Sterling silver. Photo by Teresa Rubino. (7) Mariana Sammartino, “Brooch.” Stainless-steel mesh, 18k gold, sterling silver. Photo by the artist. (8) Debbie Wetmore, “Butterfly Necklace,” 2005. Sterling silver, enamel, found materials. Photo by Robert Diamonte.

Opening Reception
Friday, September 18, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the openings of Ann Morton: What Happened Today?/ The Collective Cover Project and Artifice of Nature, as well as open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

Related Programming
Artist Talk by Wendy Maruyama
Saturday, November 21, 2:00 PM

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to present Wendy Maruyama:  The wildLIFE Project, an exhibition that serves to illustrate the plight of elephants and the illegal ivory trade. Through a moving installation of life-sized objects made from exotic woods and string and shrine-like forms made from steel and glass, the show makes a compelling case for the preservation of animals in the wild.

Furniture maker, artist and educator Wendy Maruyama has been making innovative work for 40 years.  While her early work combined ideologies of feminism and traditional craft objects, her newer work moves beyond the boundaries of traditional studio craft and into the realm of social practice. The wildLIFE Project focuses on the endangerment of elephants, a cause that is very personal to the artist. She recently took a sojourn to Kenya and met with wildlife advocates to investigate the dangers of the continued poaching of these magnificent animals. The trip served as a source of inspiration for the artist to create a new body of work and incorporate a strong societal message.

The elephant is memorialized in monumental form in The wildLIFE Project. The heads range from eight to 12 feet in height and are constructed from panels of wood, tied together with string. Their surfaces are finished in various earth tones, from grey to brick red.  Maruyama adapts the Buddhist ritual of honoring the dead and examines the meanings of different components of the Buddhist altar or obutsudan. In this context, the central object of reverence or worship (Gohonzon) is the elephant—tortured, killed and driven, almost to extinction, by man. Flowers are used to represent the impermanence of this gentle and majestic animal. A candle is placed on an altar to symbolize unchanging truth. Incense is burned as an offering in an attempt to capture the spiritual state in the present moment. A wooden reliquary is made to house large hand-blown glass tusks, symbolizing the preciousness of both the elephant and the ivory for which it is sourced. (Maruyama was an artist-in-residence at Pilchuck Glass School in May, 2013, and worked with professional glass blowers for these pieces.)

In recent years, Maruyama’s work has taken a narrative direction—integrating images and text into shrine-like cabinet forms—which adds an additional layer of sensory experience for the viewer.  Her “shrines” are constructed from various woods, steel and glass–raw materials that transfer emotion. Steel is immovable, permanent, and heavy; glass is fragile and opaque when stacked together. The installation further engages the viewer’s senses through the use of video, incense and a bronze bell set to ring throughout the day.  All of these components help make the viewer feel like a participant in a sacred ritual.

Former HCCC Curator Elizabeth Kozlowski has been following Maruyama’s work for many years.  She says that the artist views this body of work not only as an art project but as an advocacy tool—one that brings communities together for a common purpose. “The social-practice component of her artwork is successful in combining art, advocacy, education and community.  Her work manages to pull you in with stirring visuals and keep you engaged with multiple layers of content. ”

Following its premiere at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, The wildLIFE Project will travel to five venues through 2017:

The Center for Art in Wood | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 5 – April 23, 2016

Penland School of Crafts | Penland, North Carolina
July 12 – September 4, 2016

Chrysler Museum of Art | Norfolk, Virginia
September 23, 2016 – January 15, 2017

Museum of Craft and Design | San Francisco, California
February 11 – June 4, 2017

Oceanside Museum of Art | Oceanside, California
October 7, 2017 – February 11, 2018

The wildLIFE Project is made possible by generous support from the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

About the Artist

Wendy Maruyama has been a professor of woodworking and furniture design for over 30 years. She is one of the first two women to graduate with a Masters in furniture making from Rochester Institute of Technology. Maruyama has exhibited her work nationally for over four decades, with solo shows in New York City, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Indianapolis, Savannah, and Easthampton. She has exhibited internationally in Tokyo, Seoul and London. Maruyama’s work can also be found in both national and international permanent museum collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas; Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Australia; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Museum of Art and Design, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton; Mingei International Museum, San Diego; and the Oakland Museum of California.

Maruyama is a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the California Civil Liberties Public Education Grant, 2010; several National Endowment for the Arts Grants for Visual Artists; the Japan/US Fellowship; and a Fulbright Research Grant to work in the UK.

Discuss
Join us in becoming a wildLIFE advocate. Educate yourself and others about ways to help protect these endangered species. Engage with the exhibition online by using the hashtag #wildlifeproject and follow us on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram @CraftHouston to find out ways to participate in the conversation.

Above: (1) Wendy Maruyama “Cenotaph,” 2015. Wood, steel, glass, video component. Photo by David Harrison. (2 – 4) Wendy Maruyama, “Bell Shrine,” 2015, wood, ink, bronze. Photo by David Harrison. (5) Wendy Maruyama, “Tusks” (detail), 2014. Blown glass. Photo courtesy the artist. (6) Wendy Maruyama, “Maasai Night” and “Sonje,” 2014. Wood, string, paint. Photo courtesy the artist. (7) Wendy Maruyama, “Orkanyawoi,” 2014. Wood, string, paint. Photo courtesy the artist. (8) Wendy Maruyama, “Satao” (front view), 2014. Wood, string, paint. Photo courtesy the artist. (9) Wendy Maruyama, “Ghost,” 2014. Wood, string, paint. Photo courtesy the artist.

Opening Reception
Friday, September 18, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the openings of Wendy Maruyama: The wildLIFE Project and Artifice of Nature, as well as open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

Related Programming
Artist Talk by Ann Morton, Saturday, September 19, 2:00 PM

This fall, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to present What Happened Today?, an exhibition of newly created works by Arizona-based fiber artist, Ann Morton. Through a large-scale installation, Morton highlights the relevance of printed news and hand-crafted objects and their combined ability to communicate parallels among the voices of the individual, the greater Houston community, and the world-news stage. The exhibition also includes Morton’s award-winning work, The Collective Cover Project. This installation utilizes randomly found objects to explore ideas of place, time and memories of events, as well as their effects on individuals and on social, cultural, and political aspects of society.

What Happened Today? is comprised of two community-based components. One involves commentary from the lives of Houston residents as they interact with their local newspaper by responding to a question about their day, and the other includes the collection of local and national events deemed worthy of the Houston Chronicle’s news cycle.

During the spring and summer of 2015, Houstonians responded to an ad in the Houston Chronicle by answering the question “What happened today?” on a 3-x-3-inch note and mailing it to HCCC. Individuals from all walks of life responded, from prisoners in Harris County jails and senior citizens to kids of all ages and immigrants starting to learn English. Responses were also collected from visitors to HCCC and from drop boxes in several locations throughout the community. Many of the responses are very moving, such as a man who “came out by kissing a dude” and a prisoner who missed his three kids. Through their anonymous notes, participants revealed the deepest, darkest and also happiest moments they experienced on any given day. For the exhibition, Morton created a large hand-sewn quilt, comprised of all the notes collected throughout this period of time.

For the second part of the project, HCCC and Morton worked with a number of local community groups, university students, arts educators, senior centers, and service organizations to make hooked-rug squares made from newsprint strips of Houston Chronicle news events. Groups like Neighborhood Centers, Inc., and ARTreach came together to create the rug modules and share stories. Nearly 20 groups participated over a sixth-month period. Visitors to HCCC also participated in the rug-making activity at various events, including Museum Experience Day and HANDS-ON HOUSTON. Morton created a floor installation from all of the collected squares by hand weaving strips of the Houston Chronicle into the rug.

The two project components combine to constitute what Morton considers “events, large and small”—the things that make people who they are and shape the lives they lead. While the rug installation acts as a visual condensation of newsworthy events, the quilt captures individual contemplation and commonalities. Former HCCC Curator Elizabeth Kozlowski worked closely with Morton for more than a year to help carry out the artist’s vision. She is thrilled with the results of the project: “Ann’s practice of engaging the community in the art-making process through traditional fiber techniques provides an opportunity for the collective voice of our community to share in the creation of an exhibition and to realize the physical and mental benefits of making.”

What Happened Today? is made possible by generous support from the Houston Chronicle.

What Happened Today? Community Partners

• ARTreach
• Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans
• Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston
• ClayHouston
• The Gateway Academy
• Golden Age Hobby House
• High school for the Performing and Visual Arts
• Marnie George Community Center
• MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dept. of Scientific Publication
• Needsville ISD
• Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
• Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees
• SEARCH Homeless Group
• St. Peter’s United Methodist Church
• Surface Design Association
• Turner College and Career High School
• University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work
• Wesley AME Church

The Collective Cover Project

The social components of What Happened Today? are based upon the initial concepts of The Collective Cover Project. At the beginning of 2009, Morton acquiesced to a fascination with lost items she would see on routine drives between home and any number of familiar destinations. She began specifically collecting soft, fabric-based objects that, to her, seemed uncomfortably out of place in the harsh asphalt and concrete environment of roads and highways. Morton hoped to capture numerous reflections of the collective culture of the times through the accumulation of these discarded objects.

The artist created a “constructed archive” by processing, numbering and photographing a total of 60 found objects and imbuing them with current events from the day they were found. These objects, or Members, as Morton refers to them, were then fitted with a white canvas shroud and a woven QR code that, when scanned with a smart-phone device, connects each object in cyberspace with its constructed history. The shroud fully encases each Member, denying visual access to the full details of the object, unless the viewer chooses to investigate further, through the QR-code tags or through the Collective Cover website. If visitors without a smart phone feel unentitled, it is with full intention, in support of the myriad messages evoked by the installation. Although the Members are embedded with knowledge, they silently portray the physical manifestation of a completely homogenized society.

About Ann Morton

“My work exploits traditional fiber techniques as conceptual tools for aesthetic, social communication. Driven by a desire to make right, the work I do reflects my own handwork, but also orchestrates social interventions that seek to engage the hands of many to create a larger whole.” – Ann Morton

After a 35+ year professional career as a graphic/environmental graphic designer, Ann Morton completed her MFA in 2012 from Arizona State University. Currently, she is a practicing artist and educator at Arizona State University and Paradise Valley Community College in metropolitan Phoenix.

Morton’s work has been shown and recognized nationally and internationally. Highlights include The Collective Cover Project, which was one of the juror’s top five in the 3D category at ArtPrize 2012 and was awarded the OxBow Residency; Street Gems, an ongoing social enterprise initiated in 2012, which engages individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness to make jewelry and flowers from discarded plastic; and Ground Cover, a socially engaged public art project that was selected by the Americans for the Arts, Public Arts in Review for 2014, and received the Arizona Forward Crescordia award in 2014. 

Above: (1) Ad published in the “Houston Chronicle” for “What Happened Today?” Photo courtesy HCCC. (2) Ann Morton, Hooked square rugs (components for rug installation), 2015. Newsprint. Photo by Kim Coffman. (3 – 5) Ann Morton, “What Happened Today?” (detail of rug installation). Newsprint, mixed media. 2015. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (6) Ann Morton, “What Happened Today?” (quilt detail, back). Paper, mixed media. 2015. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (7 – 11) Ann Morton, “What Happened Today?” (quilt detail, front). Paper, mixed media. 2015. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (12 – 21) Notes from the community, 2015. Photos courtesy Ann Morton. (22) Artist Ann Morton, and HCCC Exhibitions Intern, Madeleine Sanchez. Photo by Kim Coffman. (23 – 25) “What Happened Today?” community workshop, 2015. Photo by Madeleine Sanchez. (26) Ann Morton, “The Collective Cover Project” (sweater). Fiber. 2012. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (27) Ann Morton, “The Collective Cover Project” (pants). Fiber. 2012. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (28) Ann Morton, “The Collective Cover Project” (suitcase). Fiber. 2012. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (29) Ann Morton, “The Collective Cover Project” (shirt). Fiber. 2012. Photo courtesy Ann Morton. (30) Ann Morton, “The Collective Cover Project” (rug). Fiber. 2012. Photo courtesy Ann Morton.

Opening Reception:
Friday, February 6, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The opening will also feature Dining and Discourse:  A Discussion in Three Courses in the Main Gallery and Nourish in the Artist Hall. Current resident artists’ studios will be open to the public.

Talks by Kelly O’Briant and Dan Hammett
Saturday, February 7, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Freed Auditorium, Glassell School of Art

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to host one day, late in the afternoon…, an installation by contemporary ceramic artist, Kelly O’Briant.  Reminiscent of the traditional still life from art history, the installation captures a moment of intimacy between utilitarian objects and their users. Things, such as a favorite mug, heirloom silverware, or a holiday tablecloth, are as integral to people’s lives as the conversations that take place around them. O’Briant recreates these everyday objects in order to elevate them to a position of aesthetic and emotional value.

Using a minimal color palette to emphasize physical form, the artist also manipulates atmosphere, emotion and memory through her use of light and shadow. Her process of coiling and pinching the clay lends humanity to the surfaces of the objects, which, in ordinary life, would remain inert.

O’Briant arranges her porcelain objects in groupings that are intentionally ambiguous in their relationships to each other and their surroundings.  For instance, in one grouping, she arranges a bucket of eggshells, a spigot, and a garden hose on a wooden deck-like surface.  In another, she fills kitchen-like cabinets with various objects resembling bric-a-brac accumulated over time.  These objects are meant to stand in for the intangible relationships that transpire around things and the information transfer that occurs when people gather around the kitchen table for a cup of coffee or wash dishes at the sink after a communal dinner. O’Briant captures these shared moments through the creation of a still life composed of outwardly recognizable objects. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that the artist has altered the objects by removing some elements of the familiar—leaving the viewer feeling somewhat perplexed and disconnected.

HCCC Curator, Elizabeth Kozlowski, comments, “This exhibition asks open-ended questions about what we share when we come together at the most intimate of meeting places. There is a combination of both positive and negative feelings that occurs when the viewer places herself in one of these scenarios, which are familiar and yet not at all what they seem. O’Briant brilliantly creates this ambivalent mood to reflect the ups and downs we experience throughout our lives.”

one day, late in the afternoon was originally exhibited in the spring of 2014 at Harry Wood Gallery, Arizona State University, for Kelly O’Briant’s Masters of Fine Arts thesis.

About the Artist

Kelly O’Briant’s work in ceramics has made an expansive journey of form and material alongside her own travels through North Carolina and abroad. A native of Julian, North Carolina, O’Briant earned a BFA (2000) in design, with a second major in cultural anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While pursuing her Bachelor’s degree, O’Briant studied at the University of Oulu, Finland, where she participated in archaeological field work. In 2001, O’Briant was awarded a two-year Core Student Fellowship at Penland School of Crafts. While at Penland, she concentrated on clay and metals, also taking courses in books, wood and fibers. She gained expertise in a variety of ceramic techniques, including high-temperature wood, salt and soda firings, porcelain, stoneware, low-fire methods, earthenware, majolica and china painting.

O’Briant returned to the Piedmont of North Carolina in June, 2005, to set up her own ceramics studio, which she ran until 2010. Her focus was in high-fired functional porcelain work, which she appreciated for its clean lines and artistic accessibility.  During that time, she regularly participated in retail shows, including the American Craft Council’s show, and sold her work from galleries across the country. Her work has been featured in a number of exhibitions, including Refraction and Flux: 8 Rising Young Potters at JC Self Research Institute, Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC; A Process of Becoming at GPSA Gallery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; and Art of the Cup at Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Center for Craft and Design, New Orleans.

In 2014, O’Briant graduated with an MFA from Arizona State University and was named a “2015 Emerging Artist” by the National Council for Education on the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).  The organization’s Emerging Artists program recognizes and cultivates exceptional early career artists by highlighting them during its annual conference and presenting them with opportunities for increased exposure.  She currently resides with her partner, Matthew Thomason, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as the artist-in-residence at the University of North Dakota.

Above Images:  (1) Kelly O’Briant, “Cabinets for Important Things” (detail: “Cabinet for Small Offerings”), 2014, 4’ x 8’, Porcelain, wood, paint, nails, glass, thread. (2) Kelly O’Briant, “Cabinets for Important Things” (open view), 2014, 4’ x 8’, Porcelain, wood, paint, nails, glass, thread. (3) Kelly O’Briant, “Cabinets for Important Things” (side view), 4’ x 8’, 2014, Porcelain,wood, paint, nails, glass, thread. (4) Kelly O’Briant, “Joy Bath,” 2014, 33” x 33” x 8’, porcelain, wood, resin, paint, fiber optic fibers. (5) Kelly O’Briant, “Joy Bath” (detail), 2014, 33” x 33” x 8’, porcelain, wood, resin, paint, fiber optic fibers. (6) Kelly O’Briant, “Juicer and Squeezer,” 2014, juicer 5” x 5”, squeezer 8” x 4”, drawings 10” x 10”, chalk pastel, paper, porcelain, wood. (7) Kelly O’Briant, “Recurring Dream,” 2014, 60” x 60”, porcelain, metal. (8) Kelly O’Briant, “Recurring Dream” (detail), 2014, 60” x 60”, porcelain, metal. (9) Kelly O’Briant, “Two Dozen Each,” 2014, 30” x 30” x 40”, porcelain, wood, metal, eggshells. (10) Kelly O’Briant, “Two Dozen Each” (detail 1), 2014, 30” x 30” x 40”, porcelain, wood, metal, eggshells. (11) Kelly O’Briant, “Two Dozen Each” (detail 2), 2014, 30” x 30” x 40”,  porcelain, wood, metal, eggshells. (12) Kelly O’Briant, “Used Up,” 2013, 34” x 22”, chalk pastel, paper. All photos by Peter Bugg.

Opening Reception:
Friday, February 6, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the opening of Dining and Discourse in the Main Gallery and one day, late in the afternoon. . . in the Front Gallery. Current resident artists’ studios will be open to the public.

Talks by Kelly O’Briant and Dan Hammett
Saturday, February 7, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Freed Auditorium, Glassell School of Art

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents Nourish: ClayHouston Membership Exhibition, a juried group exhibition and exploration of the concept of nourishment through the medium of clay.

The word nourish implies an act of caring, promoting or fostering life, growth, health, ideas and much more. Nourishment can represent a variety of concepts and ideas—anything that acts as food for the soul. But at its core, an act of nourishment depends on a connection between one being and another. This connection and symbiotic relationship can be played out in many different ways, yielding a diverse range of outcomes.

The 13 artists featured in the exhibition express what the concept of nourishment means to them through a variety of processes and forms. They employ hand building, wheel-thrown techniques and slip casting to construct both functional and sculptural objects.  Surface treatments range from raku to wood firing, terra sigilatta, mason stains and vitreous glazes. Whether utilizing an installation-based format or creating a decorative vessel, each artist uniquely expresses his or her personal interpretation of the concept through the endless possibilities of clay.

Nourish: ClayHouston Membership Exhibition was juried by Dan Hammett, Chair and Professor of Ceramic Art at the University of Dallas.

Featured Artists
Mary Aldrich
Andy Bally
Virginia Bally
Caroline Carey
Elizabeth DeLyria
Marcia Erickson
Judith Freeman
Joyce Joe
Lisa Kelley
Michelle Matthews
Tom Perry
Anne Steacy
Jo Zider

Founded in 2004, ClayHouston is a dynamic organization of ceramic artists:  potters, sculptors, educators, students and people who simply love working with clay. ClayHouston members work to cultivate interest in the ceramic arts in the Houston metropolitan area and the southeast region of Texas. The organization plays an active role in the Houston community by creating exhibits, symposia, festivals, sales and educational experiences that showcase ceramic arts and ceramic artists.  For more information, visit www.clayhouston.org.

Dan Hammett has been at the University of Dallas, Irving, since 1974, where he is currently a full professor and chair of the Ceramic Art Department. He has produced architectural ceramic-shell lighting, large-scale monolithic ceramic sculpture, as well as functional ceramics; participated in national and international exhibits and workshops; conducted field studies to museums in the U.S., Italy, Greece, Crete and China; received grants, awards and commissions; and developed and served as consultant/project manager for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ award-winning PBS-style film series.  Hammett received a BA in education from Northeastern State University of Oklahoma, a BFA from The University of Kansas, and an MFA in ceramic art from The State University of New York College of Ceramics at Alfred.

Above Images: (1) Mary Aldrich, “untitled 3”, 2013. Stoneware, coil construction, pit fired. Photo by Mary Aldrich. (2) Virginia Bally, “Coming Winter”, 2014. Stoneware, underglazes. Photo by Andre Bally. (3) Andre Bally, “Raven Catching the Moon”, 2014. Porcelain and black glaze. Photo by Andre Bally. (4) Caroline Carey, “From Earth To Sky,” 2014. Clay, metallic thread, glass, shell, beads. Photo by Ken Beeney. (5) Elizabeth DeLyria, “Snow Drift,” 2014. Porcelain, stoneware, terra sigilatta, mason stains. Photo by Elizabeth DeLyria. (6) Marcia Erikson, “MLOUDS”, 2012. Stoneware, slip, salt fumed. Photo by Marcia Erikson. (7) Marcia Erikson, “MLOUDS” (detail), 2012. Stoneware, slip, salt fumed. Photo by Marcia Erikson. (8) Judith Freedman, “A Walk in the Grass”, 2014. Handbuilt clay figure: pulled clay “grass”. Photo by Clifford Ando. (9) Judith Freedman, “A Walk in the Grass” (detail), 2014. Handbuilt clay figure: pulled clay “grass”. Photo by Clifford Ando. (10) Joyce Joe, “Sound of Falling Spring”, 2014. Porcelain, crepe myrtle branches, glass beads, fishing wire. Photo by Iman Saqr. (11) Joyce Joe, “Sound of Falling Spring” (detail), 2014. Porcelain, crepe myrtle branches, glass beads, fishing wire. Photo by Iman Saqr. (12) Lisa Kelley, “Growth”, 2013. Raku, digital print, acrylic, steel wire. Photo by Lisa Kelley. (13) Michelle Mathews, “Aerie”, 2014. Woodfired stoneware. Photo by Michelle Mathews. (14) Tom Perry, “Guardian Urn: Harvest”, 2012. Stoneware, copper patina glaze. Photo by Rick Wells. (15) Anne Steacy, “Body, Mind & Soul”, 2014. Raku clay, metal. Photo by Anne Steacy. (16) Jo Zider, “Focus Strength”, 2014. Stoneware, Raku, copper oxide. Photo by Jo Zider.

Opening Reception
Friday, February 6, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the opening of one day, late in the afternoon. . . in the Front Gallery and Nourish in the Artist Hall. Current resident artists’ studios will be open to the public.

Related Programming for Dining and Discourse
Join HCCC for a series of three events designed to spark discussion surrounding craft, food, and the dining experience. All events take place at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and are free and open to the public.

HANDS-ON HOUSTON
The Art of the Cup: Origami & Tea Sampling
Saturday March 7, 11:00 – 3:00 PM

Panel Discussion
Featuring Corey Ackelmire, Clark Kellogg,
Robbie Lobell, and Studio WAC
Wednesday, March 25, 6:30 PM

Opulence and Excess Lecture 
by Christine Gervais, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and
Rienzi at the Museum of Fines Arts, Houston
Thursday, April 9, 6:30 PM

Dining and Discourse aims to generate discussion about the historical and contemporary relationships between craft and dining. Visitors are welcome to participate in the discussion through related programming and by visiting the exhibition’s Tumblr blog.

With the demand for locally sourced goods and handmade products on the rise, terms like handcrafted, craftsmanship, and artisanal are household words in the food industry and marketplace. Art-and-food-fusion events are increasingly prevalent, while craft, in this arena, denotes customized products and services. In response to these trends and recent scholarship, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents Dining and Discourse: A Discussion in Three Courses, an exhibition that looks critically at the intrinsic relationship between craft and dining.  The exhibition features 26 emerging and mid-career artists working in wood, glass, ceramics, fiber, metal, and mixed media. Curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, Kathryn Hall, the show challenges contemporary notions of functionality, status, and aesthetics by moving beyond the presentation of the beautifully set dinner table to spark discussion about the past, present and future of craft. Organized into three dining-room vignettes—Role Play, Hunter-Gatherer, and Opulence and Excess—Dining and Discourse reveals new flavors within the age-old partnership of craft and food, as contemporary makers find inspiration in the dining experience.

Role Play addresses the formal concerns of dining-room furniture, utensils, and wares through material, line, color, and form.  The artists in this vignette bring a new sense of purpose and identity to the dinner table, calling attention to the social and practical aspects of sharing a meal. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s modern design principles, Studio WAC’s Obus Lofts’ Dining Table presents a creative solution to hosting a small dinner party. Designed for five people, the layout of the table breaks up formal seating arrangements to promote conversation and social interaction.  With two corners of the top bending towards the floor, the piece’s asymmetrical design confronts the functional boundaries of dining-room furniture.

Hunter-Gatherer recognizes the growing presence in popular culture of the self-sufficient, resourceful, and environmentally conscious mindset—a modern adaptation of the survivalist. Through the lens of contemporary craft media, this vignette considers the topic of sustainability in craft and food, as well as the traditional display of man’s dominion over nature. For instance, with a handle made from pig bone and copper, Seth Gould’s Non Si Butta Via Niente meat cleaver is a stunning embodiment of the environmental mantra, “Do not throw anything away.”

In contrast to the first two vignettes, Opulence and Excess exhibits a playful explosion of color, ornamentation, and material exploration. Historically, commissioned wares and dining-room furniture asserted the power, status, and personal beliefs of their patrons through the use of precious materials, embellishment, and technical execution. However, as tastes have evolved, old aristocratic styles that were once revered—like the Baroque—have become kitsch in mainstream culture. Borrowing from the history of decorative arts patronage, the artists in this vignette have restored value to period styles by adapting them to a contemporary context. For instance, Nanda Soderberg showcases his highbrow-meets-lowbrow style with handmade glassware. The artist transforms recycled beer bottles into Venetian-style goblets and tumblers, adorned with a touch of gold leaf.

Above all, Dining and Discourse aims to generate discussion about the historical and contemporary relationships between craft and dining. Visitors are welcome to participate in the discussion through related programming and by visiting the exhibition’s Tumblr blog.

Dining and Discourse Featured Artists

Role Play
Corey Ackelmire
Nicholas Bivins
Sam Chung
Susan Dwyer
Haand
Danny Kamerath
Studio WAC
Grace Zuniga

Hunter-Gatherer
Jessica Broad
Chris Campbell
Margaret Dorfman
Seth Gould
Clark Kellogg
Robbie Lobell
Adrien Segal
Smith Shop

Opulence and Excess
Margaret Bohls
Blair Clemo
Shari Mendelson
Sarah Rebekah Byrd Mizer
Jaydan Moore
Susan O’Brien
Lisa Orr
Ellie Richards
Tom Shields
Nanda Soderberg

Above Images:  (1) Corey Ackelmire, “Cocktail Set,” 2013. Sterling silver. Photo by Abe Shaw. (2) Sam Chung, “Place/Setting, Centerpiece,” 2011. Porcelain, China paint. Photo by the artist. (3) Sam Chung, Place/Setting, Centerpiece” (detail), 2011. Porcelain, China paint. Photo by the artist. (4) Danny Kamerath, “Evelyn 3,” 2012. Cherry. Photo by the artist. (5) Studio WAC, “Obus Lofts’ Dining Table (OLDT-AP-1),” 2011. Laminated birch plywood, pigmented conversion varnish, powder-coated steel. Photo by Scott Cartwright. (6) “Studio WAC, “Obus Lofts’ Dining Table (OLDT-AP-1)” (view 2), 2011. Laminated birch plywood, pigmented conversion varnish, powder-coated steel. Photo by Scott Cartwright. (7) Seth Gould, “Non Si Butta Via Niente,” 2012. Iron, tool steel, fine silver, brass, copper, pig bone. Photo by the artist. (8) Seth Gould, “Non Si Butta Via Niente” (detail), 2012. Iron, tool steel, fine silver, brass, copper, pig bone. Photo by the artist. (9) Robbie Lobell, “Oval Roasters,” 2014. High fire flameware. Photo by the artist. (10) Robbie Lobell, “Paella on the Grill,” 2010. High fire flameware. Photo by Gina Burrill. (11) Adrien Segal, “Trends in Water Use,” 2011. Plywood, steel. Photo by Daniel Lorenze. (12) Adrien Segal, “Trends in Water Use” (detail), 2011. Plywood, steel. Photo by Daniel Lorenze. (13) Smith Shop, “Serving Spoon Set,” 2014. Steel, copper. Photo by Smith Shop. (14) Shari Mendelson, “Green Vessel with Long Neck,” 2012. Plastic, hot glue, acrylic polymer. Photo by the artist. (15) Nanda Soderberg, “Gold Leaf Beer Bottle Tumblers,” 2012. Recycled bottle, gold leaf. Photo by the artist.

RELATED EVENTS

Opening Reception
Friday, July 10, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
4848 Main St. Houston, TX 77002
The evening will feature ceramic artist Del Harrow and open studios by HCCC’s current resident artists.

Free Workshop and Lecture by Ceramic Artist Del Harrow
“Clay and Digital Fabrication: Labor, Authorship, Aesthetics, and the Post-Human”

• Harrow Workshop
  Friday July 10, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  Ceramics Studio at the Glassell School of Art
  5101 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006
  To register, contact Jeff Forster at jeff@jeffforster.com by July 8, 2015
• Harrow Lecture
  Saturday July 11, 2:00 PM
  Freed Auditorium at the Glassell School of Art
  5101 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006
  

Lecture by Betsy Greer, Author of
Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism
Saturday, August 29, 2:00 PM at HCCC

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to host Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft, an exhibition organized by the Arizona State University (ASU) Art Museum and Ceramics Research Center in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Highlighting the Museum’s extensive holdings in craft objects made from wood, ceramic and fiber, the exhibition provides a national and international perspective on modern and contemporary craft and the current level of innovation and experimentation in material studies.

HCCC Curator, Elizabeth Kozlowski, was an assistant curator of the exhibition when she worked as the Windgate Curatorial Fellow at ASU Art Museum in 2013.  Kozlowski says that Crafting a Continuum presents the work of pioneering artists of the studio-craft movement—a group that was pivotal in building and maintaining craft programs in higher education institutions around the country—and those generations of artists that have followed.  Both of these groups are the driving force behind the model of “rethinking craft.”  “The newer artists have built upon the knowledge of their predecessors but have a different approach to craft and care little about how their work is classified.  They are pushing boundaries of materials and experimenting with technology, yet remain utterly convinced by the power of the handmade object.”

Pioneering artists in the exhibition include Dorothy Gill Barnes, Ed Moulthrop, and Peter Voulkos.  Coiled Banyan (1988) is a representation of Dorothy Gill Barnes’ signature style and approach to basketry and sculptural forms. This wide-mouthed basket, woven with bark and branches from a banyan tree, is formal in approach, and, yet, its materials are pushed to the limit through an expanded scale. While her forms may vary, Barnes’ relationship to nature remains steadfast.  With a career that spans six decades, the artist marries art and nature by harvesting materials from her local environment and using forms inspired by nature that retain a sense of place.  Peter Voulkos’ Ceramic Pot (Steel Pot) (1968) is a work that hints at what is to come many years later in the field of contemporary ceramic art.  With slashes in the clay body dancing across the surface, the stacked form is on the verge of being torn apart and ripped away from any recognizable attributes of functionality.  Voulkos was adept at translating the ideals of abstract expressionism into the language of ceramics, and his work continues to influence myriad ceramic artists today.

Contemporary artists represented in the exhibition include Sonya Clark, Mark Newport, Matthias Pliessnig, Anders Ruhwald, and Alison Elizabeth Taylor.  Inspired by many of the earlier artists mentioned, this group routinely pushes the boundaries of their work through materials or content by commenting on social issues, integrating technology into their processes and experimenting with trans-disciplinary work.  Artist and educator Sonya Clark explores race, culture, class and identity in Thread Wrapped in Blue and Brown, a work from her Comb series, made in 2008. Black plastic combs and metallic thread form the shadow of African cloth, or the remnants of the American flag, in order to comment on the complexities of being black in the 21st century.  Matthias Pliessnig implements computer technology, craftsmanship and design into his sculptural furniture. He uses traditional steam-bent wood to transform his digital models into physical reality. His piece Brace (2012) is constructed using white oak and hand-formed copper rivets, which cover the surface of his curvaceous and inviting take on formal seating.

Works by international artists add another dimension to the show by demonstrating current trends, including a playful irreverence used by many European artists.  Danish female collaborative Claydies (Karin Kjældgård-Larsen and Tine Broksø) apply both a sense of humor and an element of seriousness to their practice. In True Feelings (2011), the artists blindfolded themselves to create a hand-built ceramic tea set, a formal dining element loaded with historical references to class and status. Swedish ceramic artist Karin Karinson Nilsson, a student of “sloppy craft,” utilizes numerous firings in an effort to capture a sense of motion and chaos. Her ceramic glazes and glass components flow across the surface of This Was Not a Sneak Attack (2012), a colorful piece that combines various kitschy ceramic objects.

Crafting a Continuum was curated by ASU’s Associate Director and Senior Curator Heather Sealy Lineberry and its former Curator of Ceramics, Peter Held, with assistance from former Windgate Curatorial Fellow Elizabeth Kozlowski (now Curator at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft).  The exhibition was made possible with generous support from the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

The full-color catalog that accompanies the show is approximately 192 pages, with a series of essays and brief perspectives dedicated to the existence of craft within a critical context, a comprehensive bibliography, artists’ biographies, and an index.  The catalog will be sold in HCCC’s Asher Gallery.

Above: (1) Dorothy Gill Barnes, “Coiled Banyan,”1988. Wood. 7x25in. Diane and Sandy Besser Collection. (2) Margarita Cabrera, “Space In Between (Nopal # 3),” 2012. Fabric (border patrol uniform), thread, copper, terra cotta pot. 41 x 59 x 34 in. (3) Andy Casto, “Assemblage 44,” 2012. Glazed ceramic, gold luster, paint, wood, metal. 71 ¾ x 66 x 31 in. (4) Sonya Clark, “Thread Wrapped in Blue and Brown,” 2008. Combs, thread. 45 x 1 x 60 in. (5) Claydies: Karen Kjældgård-Larsen and Tine Broksø, “True Feelings,” 2011. Glazed porcelain. Dimensions variable. (6) Carol Eckert, “And a Wolf Shall Devour the Sun,” 2012. Black waxed linen thread, wire. 14 x 65 x 3 in. (7) Future Retrieval:Guy Michael Davis and Katie Parker, “Hye-Que Monkey in Captivity,” 2011. Glazed porcelain, screenprint, wood. 54 x 24 x 7 in. (8) Mia Görranson, “Squares of Nature,” 2012. Glazed porcelain. 36 x 36 x 3 in. (9) Katie Hudnall, “Bolt Reliquary,” 2011. Recycled wood, mixed media. 62 x 40 x 15 in. (10) Steen Ipsen, “Tied Up #62,” 2010. Glazed stoneware, cord. 12 x 17 ½ x 10 ½ in. (11) Mark Newport, “W Man,” 2009. Hand-knit acrylic, buttons. 80 x 23 x 6 in. (12) Karin Karinson Nilsson, “This Was Not a Sneak Attack,” 2012. Glazed porcelain, glass, mixed media. 13 x 13 ½ x 10 ½ in. (13) GustafNordenskiöld, “Mure,” 2011. Colored porcelain, climbing rope. 12 x 17 ½ x 10 ½ in. (14) Matthias Pliessnig, “Brace,” 2012. White oak, copper. 17 x 88 x 39 in. (15) Marc Ricourt, “Lime Wood Sculpture,” 2011. Lime wood, oxide. 7 ¼ x 13 ½ x 12 in. (16) Anders Ruhwald, “Form and Function,” #2, 2006. Glazed earthenware, painted steel, piping, rubber caps. 30 x 40 x 28 in. (17) Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s)- A Willow for Ai Weiwei, Wen Tao, Liu Zhenggang, ZhangJinsong, HuMingfen,” 2011. Glazed ceramic (c. 1840), decals. 8 11/16 x 10 ⅝ x 1 3/16 in. (18) Linda Sormin, “Wanli,” 2010. Glazed white and red earthenware, found objects, (metal ship, porcelain shards from dish by SanamEmami). 20 x 22 x 23 in. (19) Per B. Sundberg, “The Gathering,” 2011. Glazed porcelain, found objects. 11 x 9 x 9 in. (20) Alison Elizabeth Taylor, “Chainlink,” 2008. Wood, veneer, shellac. 34 x 46 x 1 in. (21) Yoshimasa Tsuchiya, “Carnival,” 2005. Hinoki (Japanese cypress), paint, crystals. 6 x 11 x 8 in. (22) Peter Voulkos, “Ceramic Pot (Steel Pot),” 1968. Stoneware (thrown & shaped). 32 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. Purchased with funds provided by the American Art Heritage Fund.