So much of the art pieces that we are accustomed to seeing in museums are hundreds of years old. We stand in awe and marvel as their beauty permeates through the earthy qualities of time -- dust, pollution and the ravages of light.
This summer, you have the rare opportunity to visit a brand new collection of art at The Best of 2015, Annual Juried Member’s Exhibition by Ohio Designer Craftsman.
Immediately, you will be drawn into the room, as the colors seem to bounce around the room; the materials almost glitter, revealing their delicacy and intrinsic beauty - the seeds of a masterpiece.
This year’s exhibition, the 32nd, received more than 300 applications, with 61 artist selected to represent the 90 selections. The pieces were judged and selected by juror Beth Ann Gerstein, executive director of the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California. Fourteen pieces were selected for awards for excellence. The pieces represented in the show “were chosen for their use in using craft materials, processes, or attitudes to create both art and design,” says Betty Talbott, Director of the Ohio Craft Museum.
Craft is our contemporaneous antidote to our cookie-cutter, mass produced household items. “The art of craft has its roots in utilitarian function, and richly grounded in Ohio's early culture...Ohio is the birthplace of studio glass, has a rich history in ceramics, and a heritage in quilting," says Talbot. "Craft is an art form that brings art together in form, function and meaning into tangible objects and industrial folk practices."
The exhibit represents works in clay, glass, metal, wood, fiber and mixed media, and is currently on display at the Ohio Craft Museum, in Columbus until June 21. From there, the exhibition will travel to the Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth, where it will be on view July 18–September 5, then on to the Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, where it will be shown September 20–October 25.
Some of the pieces in the exhibit have already sold, but will continue to be on display through the show’s end. The show also aims to develop a young artist, and presents a $1000 award to an emerging artist. "Sometimes you can see an instructor's piece right next to their student's." Talbott adds, "The process of entering the show also helps develop young artists, serving as a stepping stone to teach them how to enter a piece, and show your work in a museum."
The Ohio Craft Museum is located at 1665 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43212. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 1–4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Telephone (614) 486-4402
Recent Comments