Centering: Clay and Community
January 19—March 16, 2024
JAC Ceramics Artist in Residency Program
Curated by Jonathan Baylor and Melinda Katherine Frederick
"It is not the pots we are forming, but ourselves."
M.C. Richards, Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person
EXHIBITING ARTISTS:
David Beretta
Ellen Bulger
Rosemary Burns
Michael Cole
Karen Dolmanisth
Joanna Grocott
Samira Hakki
Andrew Hunter
Shannon Kennelly
Susan Mailloux
Kelly McDermott
Becky Olien
Tory Reiff
Nicholas Shapin
Diane Terry
Michele Umbenhauer
Alexi Sarah Widoff
Image: Rosemary Burns, Sisters, 2023.
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW:
Centering is a verb. It describes the process of moving clay to the center of the wheel to throw a piece of pottery. It also refers to the emotional balance that can be achieved within oneself, to the aesthetic symmetry of form within a work of art or architecture, and to the physical process of the gathering of a group around a central point.
Since its inception in the fall of 2022, the Jamestown Art Center’s Ceramic Artist Residency Program (CARP) has been centering. Responding to the needs of the community, it has afforded participating makers the opportunity to explore the depths of their own artistic enquiry as they work side by side in a communal space. The relationship between clay and community is strong. Very few artistic mediums require the trust, acceptance, generosity, and cooperation as that of the ceramic making process. Bonds are formed within the studio, not only between the fired clay and glazes, but also between the people who are working within the group.
This exhibition highlights a selection of work by several of the artists who have participated in the CARP since it began. Created at the JAC, each piece reverberates with the unique expression of the artist during their residencies, even as it adds to the conversation within the exhibition as a whole. Through their participation, and the work they created, these artists have achieved a centering, both individually and collectively, that provides a balanced foundation on which many more artists may build.
ABOUT CARP:
Ceramic Artist Residency Program (CARP) is intended to foster meaningful and intentional art making among participants while providing a supportive environment in which they can learn, evolve, and grow as makers. It includes optional participation in specialized workshops, community gatherings to share and discuss works in progress, and potential exhibition opportunities. Our goal is to provide access to the JAC Ceramics Studio by more members of our artist community while elevating the enrichment, engagement, and educational experiences of all.