Artist's Statement
I am a professional artist, living and working in Philadelphia PA. I spent almost my entire career in the field of ceramic art–teaching, creating and exhibiting. In 1994 I joined the development staff at The Clay Studio in Old City Philadelphia. I knew the organization well, having been one of its early resident artists and instructors and later a member of the Board of Directors and Board Chair. In 2001 I became its Executive Director and, during my ten years of leadership, doubled its organizational capacity and increased its financial strength. I left the staff in 2011 to refocus on my family and my personal artistic expression. Still, it is one of the great joys of my life to see The Clay Studio poised to open its brand new, state of the art facility in 2022.
I have always been drawn to the use of natural materials in my artistic practice. While quarantining at my family's cabin in the mountains of western Maine in 2020, without access to clay and kilns, I began a new phase of artistic exploration.
My new works are collages created with birch bark found on our property and on walks in the idyllic Maine woods. The quality of birch bark has always intrigued me, with its myriad peelable layers unveiling a hidden array of colors, textures and patterns. I collect the bark (from the ground, not from live trees) and prepare it through a lengthy process of soaking, peeling into layers, flattening, and cutting. This new body of work builds on my earlier clay work, inspired by the splendor of the natural world. The bark of the birch tree enables me to create collages of mystical and enchanting beauty, capturing the spirit of the ever-changing landscape.
Recently, I have expanded the scope of this work into more abstract compositions. These new works play with depth and space, color and texture. They are environments to explore, passageways to enter, mazes to lose oneself in.
Professional Experience
Professional Artist, 1975 - Present
2019 - 2021
Black Hound Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Studio Artist
2019
International Artists Residency Exchange, Saint Raphael, France
Guest Artist
2014 - 2019
CedarWorks Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Studio Artist
1983 - 1991
American Craft Council Craft Shows, Baltimore and West Springfield
Exhibiting Artist
1986, 1988
Smithsonian Craft Show
Exhibiting Artist
1983, 1986
Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show
Exhibiting Artist
1975 - 1983
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Resident Artist
Non-Profit Management
2009 - 2011
President & CEO, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2001 - 2009
Executive Director, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
1994 - 2001
Development Director, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Education
1978
Penland School of Crafts, NC
Ceramics Intensive with Robert Turner
1975
Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Studio Art
1973
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts
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