July 2011

Central Carolina Community College in Siler City, NC, Features Faculty Exhibition and Works by Joseph Sand

Central Carolina Community College in Siler City, NC, is presenting the Annual Faculty Exhibition in the CCCC Student Art Gallery, on view through July 12, 2011, and an exhibit of works by Randleman, NC, pottery Joseph Sand, on view from July 15 through Aug. 12, 2011. A reception will be held on July 15, from 6-9pm.

Faculty in the Professional Arts and Crafts: Sculpture program show examples of their work while the students are out for the summer. This eclectic showing of works of art ranges from functional pottery to contemporary sculpture.

Faculty members participating in this show include: Phillip Ashe, Joyce Bryan, Rich Goldberg, Emma Skurnick, Jennifer Siegel, Darlene Brady, Raymond Edwards,

Phillip Ashe has a BFA in sculpture, a BFA in Art Education from East Carolina University, and an MFA in sculpture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been a sculptor for 20 years working primarily in stone, cast metals, clay, and plastic. Besides sculpture he makes sculptural hand-built vessels which are being displayed in the current faculty show. These lidded vessels have stamped surfaces accented by underglaze, then it is Raku fired.

“I am interested in simplicity of form and visual impact over function,” says Ashe.

Joyce Bryan has a BS in Art Education from Moore Institute of Art, Philadelphia, PA, and has also studied at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT, and Peter’s Valley in New Jersey. She has done numerous workshops up and down the East coast. Her work is held in public and private collections worldwide.

Bryan is a functional potter for preparation, cooking, and serving of food and also produces the occasional sculpture. Her high-fired stoneware has a distinctive palette of colors. She works with a sense of humor and enjoys teaching and sharing 40 years of gathered information, and greatly enjoys the stimulation from her students.

Rich Goldberg, MFA in studio arts, University of North Carolina, Greenville, is preparing an exhibit in the ICFF in New York next May with an LED designer. He is currently working on a synthesis of his light screens adapted for flat screen monitors using hand build and CNC processes with an eye towards light production.

Goldberg says, “I attempt to connect the dots between sculpture and craft with my body of work. I enjoy crafting design/craft/sculpture with an eye towards reductive design, meaning it has few moving parts and is understated. My inspiration from other artists of renown would be Brancusi, Noguchi, and Wharton Esherick, to throw in a woodworker, and process inspiration would be boatbuilding and the associated forms. ”

Emma Skurnick, BFA, is a scientific illustrator and instructor in design, a full-time artist as well as a teacher of the Art Marketing class at CCCC. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally and published internationally. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Art from Binghamton University in New York, and her graduate certification in Science Illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz. With illustrations appearing in publications such as American Scientist Magazine, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 21st Century Gardening series, and paintings commissioned by the North Carolina Aquarium and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, Skurnick’s work is widely viewed.

With paintings in watercolor and acrylic that focus on plants and animals native to North Carolina, Skurnick comments, “I try to introduce a note of humor - or humanity - into my paintings. I hope that this might inspire a moment of rapport and understanding between the viewer and the subject. By making modest animals large - by painting a toad or a songbird three feet tall - perhaps I can startle people into appreciating the world we tread under hurrying footsteps.”

Jennifer Siegel, AAS, Professional Arts and Crafts: Sculpture from Central Carolina Community College, also studied at Anderson University in South Carolina. A developing talent, she lives for her next sketch. Siegel is constantly inspired by the open flame of life. She teaches in both the CCCC degree program and in continuing education, as well as the Cary Arts Center. Siegel played a major role in the publication of her mentor’s first book, Introducing Ceramics: The Complete Guide, by Daniel Rhode.

Siegel has taught multiple classes including Glaze Formulation, Wheel-throwing, salt firing, large pots, and hand building. She serves as secretary of the Moncure Museum of Art where she enjoys working in cast metals.

Siegel’s work includes mostly functional pots that are substantial, graceful, and bold. While influenced by mostly Asian forms, with a Germanic tradition of salt-fired ware, Siegel has evolved her own contemporary style. Her commission work is personalized to the customer.

Siegel says, “I enjoy making things that honor someone specifically, such as memorial pieces, plaques, urns - even for cherished family pets.”

Darlene Brady, a Chatham County native, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. A retired high school art teacher from Chatham Central High School, she has also taught K-8. She is a ceramist and instructor in continuing education.

“As a child growing up in rural North Carolina, I remember the thrill of sculpting little clay blocks from the red clay found in a ditch after a big rain,” says Brady. “It was fascinating that the clay would hold the shape that I had given it with my tiny hands. As an adult, with the aid of a potter’s wheel and a few simple tools, I am reliving the fascination of modeling clay. As an adult I create functional and decorative pieces, to which I often add three-dimensional designs. My designs are inspired by North Carolina nature and landscapes. On clay vases, I add grapes, pinecones, or dogwoods. On jugs, I create a scene with a log cabin nestled in the woods or I create a coastal landscape with a lighthouse or seashells. These are memorable scenes of from my childhood.”

“To complete the surface, I accent the decorative areas with a matte earthy brown stain,” adds Brady. “Then, I contrast the stain by applying a shiny color to the rest of the piece. The two textures complement one another and bring out the natural characteristics of the clay. The finished piece is rustic and quiet. It will blend with its environment, creating a comfortable beauty, just like nature.”

Raymond Edwards is an experienced, traditional potter currently enrolled in the CCCC sculpture AAS degree program. He is an instructor in continuing education. He also has a two-year certification from Randolph Community College.

Edwards has studied with Sid Luck of Seagrove, NC, and has taught numerous classes and workshops. He resides in a community of potters. He does functional and decorative pottery and is now the new proprietor of Old Gilliam Mill Pottery in Carbonton, NC.

Once a year we invite a guest artist from the surrounding community to show in our gallery in order to expose students to varied styles and media, which helps fulfill the mission of the gallery. Beginning on July 15, our visiting artist will be potter, Joseph Sand.

Sand, from Austin, MN, trained as a sculptor at the University of Minnesota, received a BFA in 2006. During his undergraduate courses, he studied for one year in Italy, followed by another year in England, after receiving a very competitive, college-wide scholarship. While in England, he worked alongside many prolific potters, including Svend Bayer and Clive Bowen, which heavily influenced his direction as an artist, taking up functional pottery as a means of personal expression.

Sand completed a three-year apprenticeship with Mark Hewitt in 2009. While finishing his apprenticeship at Hewitt Pottery, he was featured in Craft in America. He now resides in Randleman, NC. His work combines the styles of traditional, Southern alkaline glazeware and East Asian design, among others. Using a wood-fired kiln, both salt- and ash-glazed wares are produced.

“I aspire to create items that will adorn people’s homes that they can enjoy, whether they use it or just appreciate it as a piece of art,” says Sand. “Bringing people happiness through my work plays a central role in my artistic endeavor. Currently, I am focusing my efforts on making utilitarian ware along with larger, decorative items. I select local clay that I know will react well and glazes that will be enhanced by slips to create beautiful patterns in a salt-fired atmosphere. Special attention is paid to the placement of pieces throughout the kiln to achieve the desired results. By carrying on a tradition created by Bernard Leach, passed down to Michael Cardew, and then to Mark Hewitt, who has shared it with me, I am looking at the past, adding all the skills and ideas I’ve been taught, creating something new and interesting, of beauty and vibrancy.”

“Currently, I am working on a series of new glazes showing an array of colors and texture that will enhance the pottery forms that I make,” adds Sand. “Utilizing my newly created test glaze kiln, which was partly funded using a grant that I received from the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, I have tested numerous glazes in search of those select few that really make my pots exemplary.”

Joseph Sand Pottery located near Randleman is now up and running, and Sand is making functional and sculptural pottery full-time. Most recently, he was a recipient of the Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist Award through the Durham Arts Council, which provided funding towards the construction of his kiln. Kiln opening sales are held three times each year, typically in April, August, and December. Otherwise, the pottery is open by appointment only.

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919/742-4156 or visit (http://www.cccc.edu/sculpture/).

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