Atkinson Gallery, in conjunction with the Archie Bray Foundation, is pleased to exhibit a cross-section of contemporary ceramics produced by Archie Bray Residents. These artists worked together at the Archie Bray during the Summer/Fall of 2005. The artists in this exhibition were selected as Residents for one full year, which is an honor given the heavy competition for one of these year round studios.
The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is located near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Helena, Montana, on the grounds of what was once Western Clay Manufacturing Co., a brick manufacturer. Archie Bray, an avid patron of the arts, envisioned an art center and built the Pottery in the spring of 1951, the first step in his dream to "make available for all who are seriously interested in the ceramic arts, a fine place to work."
Legendary ceramic artists Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos were the first Resident managers and set the “gold” standard at the Bray. The following fifty-five years have been a rich history with a who’s who of ceramists working at the Bray. Many of these artists have profoundly affected the international ceramic community. Since its inception, the Bray has drawn more than 200 ceramic artists from around the world to work, including such well-known ceramists as Tre Arenz, Val Cushing, John and Andrea Gill, Wayne Higby, Clary Illian, Jun Kaneko, Eva Kwong, Jim and Nan McKinnell, Ron Meyers, Robert Sperry, Chris Staley, Akio Takamori, and Arnie Zimmerman.
The Santa Barbara City College Art Department has its own decades long history of teaching and exhibiting ceramics. The head of SBCC Ceramics, Professor Christopher Bates, has been a recent Archie Bray resident artist. It was his concept and energy that made this exhibition a reality. FRESH CLAY is a collaboration of two creative institutional forces, SBCC’sAtkinson Gallery and the Archie Bray Foundation, for the continuing support and exhibition of contemporary ceramic art. Atkinson Gallery is grateful to all involved for the presentation of this exhibition, which demonstrates the diverse use of clay as an expressive medium.
Two of the artists, Deborah Schwartzkopf and Tara Wilson, will be at the opening reception.
The next day they will begin a ceramic workshop. It will be held on Saturday and Sunday, February 24th and 25th, 10am – 4pm. Please contact Christopher Bates for more information: bates@sbcc.edu.
