THE CUP, THE MUG 2019 a national juried exhibition of drinking vessels
About the Exhibition Our fourth annual The Cup, The Mug exhibition, juried by ceramic artists Kelly B. Justice and Jeremy Randall, is a national juried exhibition of 80 drinking vessels in ceramic and wood by 44 artists from 19 states, plus work from both jurors.
Juror Kelly B. Justice received her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. She currently works as the ceramic studio manager at the Flower City Arts Center (formerly known as Genesee Center for Arts and Education) in Rochester, NY, where she maintains an active studio practice.
Juror Jeremy Randall received his BFA from Syracuse University and his MFA from the University of Florida. He has been making his hand-built pottery professionally since 2005. He currently lives in Tully, NY, where he owns and operates his home studio. Jeremy is a visiting instructor of art at Cazenovia College in Cazenovia NY, and an adjunct professor of art at Syracuse University.
Artists included: Hadi Abbas (Orlando, FL) Wade MacDonald (Birmingham, AL) Virginia Bacheler (Rochester, NY) Philip Matthews (Troy, OH) Jill Bell (Brooklyn, NY) Dominique Mediak-Pirigyi (Buffalo, NY) Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair (Chicago, IL) Ray Morales (Miami, FL) Horacio Casillas (San Angelo, TX) Zoey Murphy Houser (Newark, NY) Sam Chumley (Yorktown, IN) Heather Ossandon (Philadelphia, PA) Indigo Cristol (Williamsburg, VA) Helen Otterson (Morehead, KY) Jarrod Dahl (Ashland, WI) Ian Park (Baton Rouge, LA) Denise Desmond (Pavilion, NY) Gretchen Quinn (Raleigh, NC) Becca Dilldine (Cookeville, TN) Tyler Quintin (Bloomington, IN) Keith Ekstam (Springfield, MO) Billy Ritter (Gates Mills, OH) Betsy Foster (West Henrietta, NY) Randy Schutt (St. Paul, MN) Bobby Free (Capistrano, CA) Talon Smith (Pittsburgh, PA) Angela Gleeson (Charlottesville, VA) Debra Stern (Bellingham, WA) Bryan Hiveley (Miami, FL) Andrea Stocker (Woodstock, GA) Kate Hochbrueckner (Rochester, NY) Heidi Tarver (Berkeley, CA) Jotham Hung (San Marino, CA) Sara Truman (Gainesville, FL) Nasrin Iravani (Tuscaloosa, AL) Mark Vander Heide (Pittsburgh, PA) Devan Jimenez (Coconut Creek, FL) Lauren Visokay (Ruckersville, VA) Yeonsoo Kim (Athens, GA) Sarah-Anne Winchester (Milton, GA) Deidra Krois (Ridgway, CO) Cole Worden (Farmville, VA) Jennifer Lee (Bay Village, OH) Levi Yastrow (Chicago, IL) Hadi Abbas (Orlando, FL)
“My passion for working with clay, and imparting knowledge to others is grounded in historical influence. Clay is more than throwing and glazing. It possesses a mysterious energy that puts us in touch with our past. Clay is a natural material that exists around us. Clay reflects the maker’s attitudes.”
Hadi Abbas was born in Karbala, Iraq. His first contact with clay and glaze occurred when he was a boy visiting a factory that made tiles for mosques. As a child he would watch the potters in the market district make simple and elaborate vessels well into the night.
Virginia Bacheler (Rochester, NY)
“I create functional coffee mugs (and bowls) which hopefully inspire a conversation with those who use them. Nature is one source of inspiration as are fictional shapes and details. No matter how whimsical my work, it is always food safe, dishwasher safe and meant to be used in everyday life.”
After 30-plus years of teaching broadcast journalism and writing at The College at Brockport, Virginia Bacheler retired and immediately returned to throwing pottery — an activity she had put on hold while she raised my daughter and pursued scholarship. Her functional ceramic work is decorated to bring a smile to the user.
Jill Bell (Brooklyn, NY)
“I am drawn to the inherent humor that exists amid life’s hardships. Life is often simultaneously laughable and heart wrenching. For me, the fascination lies in the contrasting emotions that exist together in the same moment. My work deals with the tension, irony and vulnerability that result from these conflicts.”
Ceramic artist of over 20 years living and working in Brooklyn.
Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair (Chicago, IL)
“The parrot mug collection treads the line of finely detailed painting and a rougher more playful treatment of the medium, which is intended to show the tactile and responsive nature of clay. The subject matter deals with themes of sharing and friendship, depicted in joyful, punchy splashes of glaze.”
Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair received her BA in Fine Art from SUNY Geneseo, NY. Originally a painter, her pottery practice blossomed when she began merging ceramics with detailed painting and embellishment. She currently lives in Chicago, IL where she has been creating nature and animal inspired pieces in ceramic since 2015.
www.twinettepoterie.com
Horacio Casillas (San Angelo, TX)
“My work comes from a place of nostalgia. The dark grays and oranges from the atmospheric firings reference the facades of the places I grew up in and the playfulness of color reflect my memories as a boy.”
Horacio Casillas was born in Chandler, Arizona and raised in Jalisco, Mexico until the age of 5. His family then moved back to the US to San Angelo, TX. In 2013 he received his BFA in from Angelo State University and in 2018 his MFA form University of North Texas.
www.horaciocasillas.com
Sam Chumley (Yorktown, IN)
“Through touch, vision, and use, handmade pottery allows for an intimate connection between the object and user. This is pivotal to the vessels I make. My pots allow the user a brief respite from the factory mass produced objects that inundate our lives.”
Sam currently resides in central Indiana and is pursuing his MFA in ceramics at Ball State University. www.samchumley.com
Indigo Cristol (Williamsburg, VA)
“I strive to capture the overwhelming magnificence of the world around me. I create functional pottery, using intricate textures and vibrant colors to encourage physical interaction with my pieces. I balance fluid, natural shapes with clean, geometric patterns, establishing a connection between extraordinary nature and everyday life.”
Indigo Cristol is currently an artist in residence at the Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project in California. Indigo is originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, where she received her BA from The College of William and Mary. Her work is inspired by the balance of nature and geometry. indigocristolceramics.com
Jarrod Dahl (Ashland, WI)
“In earlier times woodenware was used by people around the world. In fact, woodenware in Northern Europe predates pottery. These cups are inspired by Viking York and by Japan where wooden lacquered tableware is used today. Wooden cups are warm, light, and quiet. Reconnect to trees by taking a sip!”
Jarrod Dahl is a craftsperson, teacher, and writer. He designs and makes woodenware specializing in turning green wood into handled cups, bowls, and plates with both foot-powered and Japanese-style electric lathes. He carves spoons, teaches internationally, and writes about handcraft. www.woodspirithandcraft.com
Denise Desmond (Pavilion, NY)
“I use clay to fulfill my continuous need to create. Over 10 years of working in this medium, I feel I am always the student, ever learning and exploring the infinite possibilities.”
Denise Desmond has studied pottery at the Flower City Arts Center in Rochester NY, and has traveled to many workshops, to further her education since 2008. She considers herself a forever student of the medium, and endeavors to let the clay continue her evolution as an artist.
Becca Dilldine (Cookeville, TN)
“I create utilitarian vessels for everyday use. My forms are thrown on the potter’s wheel and then altered and pinched to leave my own touch. I paint expressive imagery, inspired by my perception of environments I’ve encountered in my life. I carve through my imagery to reveal the terracotta underneath.”
Becca graduated from the Appalachian Center for Craft with a BFA in Ceramics. She is currently the Gallery Manager at the Craft Center and is a full-time studio potter. She resides in Cookeville, Tennessee with her husband and their two cats and two rabbits. beccadilldineceramics.com Keith Ekstam (Springfield, MO)
“As a ceramic sculptor, I do not consider myself a potter in the traditional sense. When making tea bowls, I try to bring a sculptural sensibility to bear on them, excessively working the material, drawing, altering, paddling, etc. I see ceramics as a difficult, humbling and fascinating adventure indeed.”
Keith Ekstam is Professor of Art and Design at Missouri State University where he remains an active ceramic artist and art educator. His MFA is from The University of Michigan and his BFA from Minnesota State University-Mankato. He is a 2017 recipient of the NCECA Excellence in Teaching Award.
keithekstamceramics.com
Betsy Foster (West Henrietta, NY)
“A contemplation and awareness is present while using handmade objects everyday — when feeling the warmth of drinking coffee/tea every morning or the tactility in washing and stacking dishes in the cupboard. There is a sensitivity in using anything handmade.”
Betsy Foster is an artist from West Henrietta, NY. She received her MFA from The Ohio State University in 2019, and BFA from Alfred University in 2011. She has held positions at The Clay Studio, Wellsville Creative Arts Center, and Elsewhere Studios. Betsy Foster currently resides in Rochester, NY.
betsy-foster.com
Bobby Free (Capistrano, CA)
“I have deep admiration for Asian and North American historical ceramics. I look to the past for inspiration and echo certain elements through my contemporary designs.”
Bobby earned a BFA from Utah State University. He has been an Artist in Residence at the Clay Studio of Missoula, Redlodge Clay Center, MT, and Sonoma Community Center, CA . He currently works as the Senior Laboratory Technician of the Fine Arts Department at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.
www.bobbyfree.com
Angela Gleeson (Charlottesville, VA)
“The combination of form, function, and complex glaze palate and surface is meant to influence the users’ emotions, focusing on personal self-care and engagement with one’s community as a means to wellness.”
Angela Gleeson received her BFA from Alfred University and her MFA from Hood College. Living in Charlottesville, VA she has worked out of her home studio and has taught ceramic art at the high school level since 2005.
angelagleeson.com Bryan Hiveley (Miami, FL)
“My work uses zoological imagery to manifest and convey personal narratives. The use of abstraction and economy distorts and morphs classic depictions of common animals, blurring identification. The defining qualities of the animals are stylized and threatening, presenting ambiguous predator and prey struggles.”
Bryan Hiveley lives in Miami, Florida and teaches visual arts courses at the Miami International University of Art and Design. Bryan Hiveley received his MFA from the University of South Carolina and his BFA from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. www.bhiveley.com
Kate Hochbrueckner (Rochester, NY)
“My work as of late, focuses on the natural beauty of the raw clay with exposed slip designs. My inspiration comes from nature and my work draws attention to the material and the balance between craft and fluidity of the nature inspired designs.”
Kate Hochbrueckner is a Rochester artist. In 2017 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the College at Brockport. Her ceramic work is mainly functional slip cast or thrown ware made for the home. She also works as the Village Potter for GCVM making historical reproductions. www.kateehoch.com
Zoey Murphy Houser (Newark, NY)
“My work mimics life in that it takes on new forms and themes as I discover new elements and inspirations.” I play with imagery, styles, designs, techniques, colors, glazes… the list continues to grow. Themes threaded throughout my work include: animals, mimbres, mountains, clouds, space, fabric, and circles.”
Zoey Murphy Houser is an artist living and working in the Finger Lakes region of Western New York. In 2015 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, along with a Minor in Art History. zoeymurphyhouser.com
Jotham Hung (San Marino, CA)
“My work is an ongoing exploration of functional forms and objects as a canvas that relates to natural occurrences in the world with a specificity in opposition and tension.”
Having a drawing and painting background has influenced Jotham Hung to create three-dimensional objects that have a strong specification of examining lines in space. Specifically, his current work is a blend of familial history, life experiences, and environment, which draws direct influence from my Taiwanese-American heritage. www.jothamhungceramics.com Nasrin Iravani (Tuscaloosa, AL)
“My work, with symbols and signs of traditional Iranian art, is attempting to showcase some of the history and culture of my country that gives me a sense of identity, tranquility, and confidence.”
Nasrin Iravani is a MFA candidate in Ceramic at the University of Alabama and serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Her educational background including BA and MA in Handicrafts from the Tehran University of Art, has provided her with variety of visual inspirations and knowledge of Iranian art and history.
www.nasriniravani.com
Devan Jimenez (Coconut Creek, FL)
“My work explores the conversation between humans and nature through the use of familiar natural textures that call for a meditation on the natural world and our place in it. Being aware of our own relationship with nature is crucial to understanding and finding a balance between the two.”
Devan Jimenez is a ceramic artist from Fort Lauderdale, with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Central Florida. She currently lives and works out of Ft. Lauderdale.
www.CypressCeramics.com
Yeonsoo Kim (Athens, GA)
“My desire is to find and develop my aesthetic sense by focusing on the relationship of the old and the new. I tasked myself daily with the job of creating a new hand-built vessel or mask.”
Yeonsoo Kim was born in Haenam, South Korea. He is a long-term resident artist at Morean Center for Clay. Kim earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics at Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia in Athens, GA.
Deidra Krois (Ridgway, CO)
“II adventure and create in Ridgway, Colorado, in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. My 3 children teach me to walk through life with wonder and an open heart which influences my work in many ways. I aspire to inspire the world one pot at a time.”
Deidra is a full time artist, mother and adventurer, creating and loving life in Southwest Colorado. She also owns the Mountain Girl Gallery in Ridgway, Colorado. Her work is inspired by her mountain lifestyle and her love of poetry.
www.wishingstarpottery.com
Jennifer Lee (Bay Village, OH)
“From traditional materials to found objects, everything has the potential to become art. The organic shape and color of my pottery are taken from the beauty of nature. My preferred medium is ceramics but I love to incorporate driftwood, wire, beads and other items to produce artistic yet functional pieces.”
Jennifer Lee is a graphic design graduate of Kent State who has worked for corporations and non-profits for many years. Her jobs have required creativity but several years ago she decided it was time to revisit pottery to produce her own unique line of ceramics.
jenniferleestudios.net Wade MacDonald (Birmingham, AL)
“The bridge between ceramics and architecture is multifaceted and synergetic. Both address social dilemmas throughtheir aestheticism and utilitarianism. Clay acts as a conduit between past and present notions of material innovation, challenging our concepts of new architectural paradigms as well as questioning our responsibility in the global twenty-first century.”
Wade was born in Nashville, Tennessee to parents who were opera singers. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe to conduct research. Wade obtained an MFA in Studio Art from Michigan State University and has attended Banff Centre, Anderson Ranch Art Center, and Red Lodge Clay Center. www.wfmceramics.com
Philip Matthews (Troy, OH)
“My passion is to create functional ceramics that invite and encourage interaction. Each piece is precisely carved and incised lines with original patterns inspired by Art Deco and cathedral windows.”
Philip Matthews is a high school art teacher of 10 years, teaching classes in ceramics, sculpture, and the digital arts.
Dominique Mediak-Pirigyi (Buffalo, NY)
“This series has its origins in vintage ceramic molds. I began experimenting with the predetermined forms through division, repetition and combination, all the while maintaining functional objects. How one interacts with the form must change with the unexpected placement of its features.”
Dominique Mediak-Pirigyi graduated from Alfred University in 1996 where she studied ceramics and photography, eventually settling on photography. She currently teaches high school art at Sweet Home. As a sculpture teacher, she has revisited ceramic work with renewed intensity. She primarily works with slipcasting, but also create handbuilt and wheelthrown works.
Ray Morales (Miami, FL)
“My intention is to create pottery that’s unique, inviting and elegant. I am interested in familiar forms and the challenge of transforming them into art. I hope to create a dialog about my life and the pottery I make with the people who use them.”
Ray Morales is a Miami based potter and professor at Miami Dade College. He exhibits at a variety of shows through the US and actively works with companies and designers to produce unique pieces. Ray earned a BFA from the University of Central Florida and an MFA from the University of Miami. rmpottery.com
Heather Ossandon (Philadelphia, PA)
“Experiences help to cultivate insight into the process and the product. The object is an intermediary, an integral part of the process. Utilitarian objects inscribe the ritual of the everyday, in life. My work uses functional ceramics as a vehicle in the conversation on art and its social applications.”
Through traveling the globe and observing the techniques and traditions of classically functioning ceramic communities, Heather Ossandon has created a collection of ceramic wares that reflect her distinct background. Focusing on functional pottery, she spotlights traditional practices through creating every-day objects. www.heosceramics.com Helen Otterson (Morehead, KY)
“I create work that merges imagery from biology and the succulents of my native California landscape. These combinations of botanical forms and biologic imagery reflect the cohesive integration of form and function found in the natural world.”
Helen Otterson received a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute and a MFA from the University of Miami. Exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, her work has been published in American Craft Magazine and Ceramic Monthly. Currently, Helen teaches sculpture and ceramics at Morehead State University. www.helenotterson
Ian Park (Baton Rouge, LA)
“My current creations are a process of working through the portrayal of abhorrent children in horror cinema and creating my own characters. This art is about me finding a deeper meaning in that trope and discovering how these children relate to camp, queer culture, and myself.”
Ian Park holds a BA in studio art and art education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. They’ve worked as a grade school art teacher and did ceramics residency at the Flower City Arts Center in Rochester, New York. Ian is currently an MFA candidate at LSU. ianparkart.com
Gretchen Quinn (Raleigh, NC)
“I make functional ceramics with a clean modern feel. My pieces are handmade in a beautiful dark brown stoneware and glazed in glossy white. My mugs are decorated with a variety of mix and match hand-carved patterns and durably designed for daily use.”
Gretchen makes functional ceramics that reflect her love for simple luxuries. She combines hand carved patterns and clean modern shapes to crafts wares that are a pleasure to use and admire. Gretchen Quinn Pottery is all handmade in her Raleigh, NC studio and durably designed for everyday use. www.gretchenquinn.com
Tyler Quintin (Bloomington, IN)
“I am exploring cloud patterns in relation to my cultural heritage. I either directly draw the clouds using mishima, or attempt to create a sense of absence of pattern using scaffolding-like structures. I want my pots to evoke ideas of my physical Asian features against my missing Asian culture.”
Tyler earned a BFA from Washburn university in 2016. Currently a working studio artist in Bloomington IN, Quintin has exhibited work in numerous National and International exhibitions. Quintin’s work is in the permanent collections of the Mulvane Art Museum and the San Angelo Museum of Art. tylerquintin.com Billy Ritter (Gates Mills, OH)
“I seek the beautiful moments in the journey of process. My work is not concerned with outcomes or expectations. My heart is as pure as I can hope for each day. Through this, the love and honesty becomes the beauty in the work.”
Billy Ritter is a potter from Cleveland, Ohio. Atmospheric firing, process, and materiality are the focus of his work. His limited editions of functional tablewares and vessels are utilized by chefs, home cooks, photo studios, and collectors both nationally and internationally. billyritter77.com
Randy Schutt (St. Paul, MN)
“My work explores the physical and metaphorical structures of transformation through the intersection of meditation and ceramics. A door presents a question, mystery, and a call to journey inward. Behind the door is a place to pause, commune, seek answers to questions, bathe in the mystery, and find peace.”
Randy Shcutt has been an artist and art educator for over 20 years. He has always been interested in puzzles, architecture, and spirituality. Clay allows him to express my ideas and view of the world in a tactile and interactive way. Thank you for taking the time to view my work. www.randyschutt.com
Talon Smith (Pittsburgh, PA)
“I create work inspired by my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. The color palette I use is reminiscent of the decaying bridges and dilapidated buildings that pepper the green hills of western Pennsylvania.”
Talon Smith was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. They studied ceramics at Carlow University and is a teaching artist at Manchester Craftmen’s Guild as well as a studio potter. They currently work out of studio in the Polish Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh. talonsmithceramics.com
Debra Stern (Bellingham, WA)
“This process of combining images unto my clay vessels using various techniques has been an exploratory path for me. Using wax resist and under glazes along with various tools to define the patterns has been an evolving process.”
Debra Stern has been an artist for as long as she can remember. Hands always busy, she found herself in working in clay over two decades ago. She continuously tries to find new ways to combine her drawings and image making onto and into her clay canvases.
Andrea Stocker (Woodstock, GA)
“The beauty of nature has always found its way into my work whether it’s a simple texture, or what seems like an entire coral reef. Nature is incredibly inspiring, and has always drawn my attention. My work primarily consists of human error or destruction, paired with a delicate, natural being.
Andrea Stocker is a sculptor and ceramicist residing in Atlanta who focuses mainly on environmental topics and concerns. She completed her BFA at Kennesaw State University with a concentration in Sculpture. Her pottery is almost exclusively soda fired, and it dances the line between functional and sculptural.
www.andrealynnpottery.com
Heidi Tarver (Berkeley, CA)
“My work over many decades explores geometric design in the creation of two and three dimensional objects, investigating in various media the structure, scope and limits of ancient as well as contemporary geometric patterns. My current work in ceramics continues this inquiry as applied to functional vessels.”
Heidi Tarver is an artist and garden designer residing in Berkeley and Mendocino, California. Her current work is in both paper and ceramics, with an emphasis on geometric patterns.
heiditarver.com
Sara Truman (Gainesville, FL)
“My investigations in clay are a direct relation to my own daily rituals. A mug for coffee in the morning, a tumbler for water throughout the day, and a tea bowl for evening tea. As maker these utilitarian objects keep me excitedly making my next favorite one in a series.”
Sara Beth Truman is a ceramic artist and educator from Gainesville, Florida. She holds an MFA from the University of Mississippi, and a BFA from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She is currently the Department Chair and Ceramics Instructor at Gainesville High School.
www.saratruman.com
Mark Vander Heide (Pittsburgh, PA)
“I love making vessels of all sorts and draw inspiration from various moments and memories but especially the lived experiences of abundance, excess, and corpulence.”
Mark Vander Heide is an arts and early childhood educator. He originally hails from Holland, a small town on the shore of Lake Michigan, but is currently residing in Pittsburgh, PA. Lauren Visokay (Ruckersville, VA)
“I am interested in intersections between handmade ceramics and geology. Clays are sourced directly from the earth, thus they reflect many dynamic earth processes. My work is an accelerated, abstracted recreation of natural processes that have been cycling for incomprehensible amounts of time and will surely continue to cycle indefinitely.”
Lauren Visokay, from Charlottesville, Virginia, creates ceramic work influenced by her fascination with rocks and minerals as a child, her time receiving a Bachelor of Science in Geology from The College of William & Mary, and her 9-month wood firing residency at the Cub Creek Foundation.
laurenvisokay.wixsite.com/lvisokayceramics
Sarah-Anne Winchester (Milton, GA)
“I cover my pieces with simple, delicate paintings and carvings to mince the ordered chaos of nature. I hope these vessels provide a mediative place as they are used everyday. I also want to share an intimacy of emotions with the user, while allowing they attach their own stories.”
Sarah-Anne Winchester started working with clay in 2012 earning a BFA from Union University. She has been a studio intern at Baltimore Clayworks as well as a artist in residence at Brydcliffe and Natchez Pottery Studio. She is currently the Chili Bowl intern at the Women’s Studio Workshop.
www.sawpottery.com
Cole Worden (Farmville, VA)
“The underlying motivation for my work is that through creation, I am able to process the world in which we live, examine where I fit into it, and ask what effect our actions have on ourselves and each other, while simultaneously providing a high quality product and experience.”
Cole Worden is a ceramic artist from Findlay, Ohio, currently living and working in Farmville, Virginia. Cole received a B.F.A. in Studio Arts from Bowling Green State University, and is currently a resident artist at Longwood University.
coleworden.com
Levi Yastrow (Chicago, IL)
“Each object captures my presence over time, first when I form it, then when I’ve applied decoration and glaze, put it to fire, and hold it, finished, in my hand. The arc of my story will be told by a body of work, that changes with me as I change.”
Levi Yastrow is a Chicago-based potter and teacher who earned his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012. He is currently a soda monitor and teacher at Lillstreet Art Center, and an instructor at Penguin Foot Pottery.