Lisa York

Bio:

Working primarily with forms finished in the soda kiln, Lisa York creates ceramics for special occasion and daily use. The varied surfaces, line, and circle patterns on the work are inspired from travel and time out doors. Her ceramic studio is located along the Mississippi River in Savanna, Illinois.York studied art at University of North Dakota, Hood College, Houghton College, and apprenticed with Kevin Crowe at Tye River Pottery. She was an artist-in-residence at the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in Jingdezhen, China, the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary, and the Residency for Ceramics, Berlin, Germany. In Tanzania, she started a ceramics program at of Neema Crafts, an organization that trains people with disabilities to become skilled artisans. Likewise, she worked with a similar program in Chichi, Guatemala for a short-term project. Her functional ceramics, have been exhibited nationally and internationally. 

Statement:

When we share a meal around a particular table, start off the morning with a specific mug, or serve our favorite food on a special platter—each object evokes memories of previous meals. As a maker, I observe how ceramic vessels and dining room furniture bring us together—how the mere sight of them informs us that a celebration, or specific event, is forthcoming. I design utilitarian pieces that not only promote social gathering, but are also meant to become cherished objects.

My organic pottery and furniture invites you to touch and partake in the work, to feel the materials. I am driven by my own curiosity about materials and by the challenge of working with surface, form, and function. From the malleability of clay, to the rigidity of wood, these materials contrast and complement each other, both in their material characteristics and our interactions with the finished pieces. With bold line and circle designs, the varied surface of the ceramic vessels invites the viewer to enjoy the cup, the bowl, or the plate from every angle.

The utilitarian objects that I design transcend function, becoming symbolic vehicles in the social act of eating or gathering. My work may be used to delight all the senses and to enhance social experiences with handmade ceramics and furniture. I aim to nurture and strengthen relationships, and foster memories that become attached to my useful objects.

Shar Coulson

Bio:

Embracing the essence of Organic Expressionism, Shar Coulson's work reflects her love of nature and the human figure. Working from visual memory, Shar explores the idea of perception vs. reality within the allusive figuration, gestural line work and organic forms found in her paintings. She was formally trained in classical figurative realism, yet finds her passion runs deepest in the world of abstraction. Her sensibility is also deeply informed by a successful career as a designer and executive creative director. Shar is a founding member of the Chicago Art Salon and has exhibited internationally. She lives in the Near West Side Market District of Chicago, IL.

Statment:

I am influenced by the interconnection between humanity and nature. The organic qualities of my work stem from my love and respect for nature and its mysterious repetition of line and form. Working from my visual memory, the figuration appears and disappears within the shapes and gestural movements... it's perception vs. reality that intrigues me.

“Each free-flowing exploration is only complete when the abstract touches the familiar...that point when something definite has been created, but its mystery is still intact. My hope is that when someone views my work, they are drawn in and connected on an emotional level to something fundamentally human.”

Mandy Cano Villalobos

Bio:

Mandy Cano Villalobos is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses installation, performance, and object/textile-based work. Her versatile projects center upon notions of life’s ephemerality and identity shaped by location and culture. Cano Villalobos’ work has been featured in numerous venues including Van Der Plas Gallery (New York, NY), the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum (Clinton, NY), Maryland Institute College of Art (Baltimore, MD), the Ukranian Institute of Modern Art, (Chicago), The Museum of New Art (Detroit, MI), Hillyer Art Space (Washington, DC) and La Casa Pauly (Puerto Montt, Chile). Cano Villalobos has been an artist in residence at Vermont Studio Center, Post Contemporary, Wassaic Project, Ragdale, and ACRE. She has also received grants from multiple organizations including the Puffin, Frey and ISE NY Cultural Foundations. Her work has been reviewed in The Washington Post, Sculpture Magazine, Hyperallergic, Culture hall, Performa Magazine and Bad-at-Sports, among others. Cano Villalobos received her MGA from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. and currently resides in Grand Rapids, MI.