The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) announces the opening of “Georgia Clayworkers,” an exhibition of 50 ceramic works by 25 Georgia ceramicists, curated by Rick Berman. The exhibition runs through March 31 with an opening reception with the artists on Fri., Jan. 6, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. During the run of the exhibition, there will be a Ceramics Marketplace and Fundraiser with a ticketed reception on Fri., Feb. 17, from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., and a Public Day on Sat., Feb. 18, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.. The artwork for sale will feature Georgia clayworkers and will include several of the exhibition artists.
GA Clayworkers The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
ABOUT THE “GEORGIA CLAYWORKERS” EXHIBITION
“Georgia has an amazing history of clayworkers dating back five thousand years with our Native Americans, to the 18th- and 19th-century pioneer potters. The first of those was Andrew Duche, a French Huguenot from Philadelphia, who migrated to Savannah and made lead-glazed earthenware from 1738 through 1741. Because of the rich deposits of kaolin, clay, feldspars, talc and much more, pottery centers or “Jugtowns” sprung up near the clay deposits and prospered. The demand for pottery was directly linked to the necessities of the agrarian society (i.e. pots for storing, pickling, milking, sorghum, tableware and so on.) After World War ll, thousands of service people returned home and were given the opportunity of using the G.I. Bill to enter college. Art departments were thriving, and a resurgence of interest in the arts in general was abundant. One could say that this era was the beginning of the American Craft Movement. A rich and dynamic history of studio potters began and is thriving today due in a very large part to these early pioneers from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Today, there are Georgia clayworkers involved in almost every possible facet of the field. From wheel work, handbuilding techniques, sculptural work, functional work, woodfiring, gas firing, electric firing, raku, salt glazing, soda firing, sawdust firing, Salku and everything in between. There is claywork being done in colleges, craft schools, art schools, and individual and group studios all over Georgia. This exhibition is made up of beautifully made objects that utilize many of these making and firing techniques and come from all types of working environments,” Curator Rick Berman said.
MOCA GA Director Annette Cone-Skelton added, “The ‘Georgia Clayworkers’ exhibition highlights the strength and variety of ceramic art in our state. We are excited about the breadth of work represented in this group; the 50 works demonstrate a range that viewers will find significant.”
EXHIBITION ARTISTS
The 25 artists are: A.J. Argentina, Rick Berman, Jennifer Ashcraft Berman, Jorie Berman, Sandy Culp, Glenn Dair, Tom Egan, Mary Engel, Roger Jamison, Lauren Gallaspy, Chris Kelly, Diane Kempler, Mark Knott, Ron Meyers, Andy Nassise, Marcia O’Brien, Margaret Patterson, Donald Penny, John Roberts, Lora Rust, T. Saupe, Vernon Smith, Tim Sullivan, Sunkoo Yuh and Tom Zwierlein.
Photos requests can be made by emailing MOCA GA at [email protected].
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF GEORGIA (MOCA GA)
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) collects and archives significant contemporary works by artists in the state of Georgia. To place its artists in a broader context, MOCA GA’s exhibitions also include artists from around the world. MOCA GA’s programs promote the visual arts by creating a forum for active interchange between artists and the community. MOCA GA is located at 75 Bennett Street in the TULA Art Center. Admission is free to members & USA Military with ID, $5 for non-members and $1 for students. For more information, please call 404-367-8700, visit www.mocaga.org or email [email protected]. Hours are Tues. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Sun. and Mon.