Clay Art Center is pleased to present Figure It Out, a national invitational exhibition featuring a magnificent display of functional works inspired by the human form by over 70 clay artists. The exhibit, curated by Leigh Taylor Mickelson, will run from February 18 – March 31, 2012 with an opening reception on Saturday, February 18, from 6-8pm.   Admission is free. 

 

For the past five years in February, Clay Art Center has hosted theme-based national invitational exhibitions with great success.  Its first was in 2007 with Cups Coming Together: Clay Art Center Celebrates 50 Years, featuring 160 cups by 160 artists. Since then, we’ve organized themed exhibits of pouring pots, lidded containers, Shino works and last year we had Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, featuring  plates and platters. This year we will host Figure It Out,  functional works inspired by the figure by 70 artists.

The works on display for Figure It Out will be mostly functionally-based or vessel-oriented, suggestive of or inspired by the human form.  The artists were challenged to interpret the theme in a way that best suited their own voice.  For instance, the artists could have surface or glaze decoration that incorporates the figure or parts of the body in some way, or they might exaggerate a pot’s  “human” parts, such as the “foot”, “neck”  “shoulder” and “body.”    The gallery will be filled with functional work that is all over the spectrum – cups and mugs, plates, platters, bowls, vases, candlesticks, teapots, salt & peppers, vessels, etc.; some will have subtle reference to the human form, others more obvious.   This exhibit will show the breadth of the field with this singular idea and to give viewers the opportunity to view (and take home) works that have the ability to enhance our in-home dining and living experiences. 
 
The participating artists range from emerging to established in their careers and include:   Lynn Ainsworth, Sally Aldrich, Wesley Anderegg, Mary Barringer, Tom Bartel, Deborah Bedwell, Cory  Brown, Jim Budde, Julie Buyon, Jeanne Carreau, Jennifer Cherpock, Fong Choo, Mary Cloonan, Jane Cohen, Cynthia Consentino, Paula Cook, Andrew Coombs, Bruce Dehnert, Melody Ellis, Susan Filley, Shanna Fliegel, Silvie Granatelli, Chris Gustin, Susan Halls, Robin Henschel, Debra Holiber,  Heather Houston, Mike Jabbur, Nick Joerling, Natalie Kase, Beth Kendall, Kathy King, Sarah  Koster, Kazuko Lee, Jenny  Mendes, Bob Miranti, Rimmie Mosley, Rene Murray, Catie Newman, Sally Ng, Gloria Nixon-Crouch, Brooke Noble, Richard Notkin, Mari Ogihara, Ariel Plantz, Brenda Quinn,  Jeff  Schwarz, Yoko  Sekino-Bove, Nancy Selvin, Roberta Shapiro, Kevin Snipes, Florence Suerig, Priya Tambe, Georgia Tenore, Daniel Teran, James Tisdale, Kyla  Toomey, Novie Trump, Rimas VisGirda, Ginny Waters, Geoffrey Wheeler, Tara Wilson, Lana Wilson, Susan Wortman and Arnie Zimmerman.