December 11 – January 17
Opening Reception:  Friday, December 11, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
with a gallery talk by Peter Jadoonath at 6:00 p.m.
 
Gallery One
“I am interested in the transformation of things – both the concept of changing or having a new purpose and the physical change from one thing to another… My hope in creating and exhibiting this work is to influence the viewer to consider personal actions that either create or reduce impacts on their individual spheres of influence as well as the larger environment as a whole.” – Heather M. Cole (St. Paul)
 
Gallery Two
“I am a saver and collector of found objects, papers, and plastic. Along with my original design paste papers, these become the basis and inspiration for hand bound books and sculptural pieces.” – Theresa Harsma (Owatonna, Minn.)
 
“Each landscape has its own narrative arc. I sense when a landscape might be in a state of transition and I return to that place, often drawn to the same spot, not only to observe seasonal cycles and the effects of disturbance, but to also understand how the landscape itself works – its ecological processes.” – Regina M. Flanagan (St. Paul)
 
Gallery Three
“I explore the human search for a path, for instruction, for inspiration that might lead to personal alchemical transformation. I reference guides, seers, shamans, texts in need of translation. I seek to understand the careful process of excavating layers of meaning to reveal clarity and understanding.” – Kristin Hoelscher-Schacker (Lake Elmo)
 
Overlook Gallery

“I see my work as a bridge between the ceramic medium and place-based experiential art making, and I am especially interested in how art can be a vehicle for social change. My work reframes our understanding of land, water and agriculture, creating opportunities to better understand these relationships.” – Anna Metcalfe (Minneapolis)

 
Atrium Gallery

Earth and Water:  Ceramic Art in the St. Croix Valley

The Phipps Center for the Arts in partnership with Northern Clay Center presents Peter Jadoonath

Northern Clay Center (NCC) and The Phipps join forces on an ongoing partnership aimed at increasing the profile of ceramic artists living and working throughout the lower St. Croix River Valley watershed. This cross-state collaboration features two to three ceramic artists annually in the Atrium Gallery.  Peter Jadoonath is the second artist to participate during this third year of our partnership.

Jadoonath writes, “I stumbled onto pottery at Bemidji State University in 1996, without any thoughts that this many years later I would still be pushing clay around. I suppose most people who end up having a practice for a lifetime do not look that far ahead in the very beginning. The joy of the practice is being in the present and enjoying the immediate response. I find that the processes of making pots reveal more to me than I can think of on my own. Currently my family and I live in Shafer, Minnesota, and I make pots in the barn next to our home. I regularly sell pots thru regional studio tours, an annual fall home sale, galleries and art fairs.

“I focus on making functional stoneware pottery. I pay close attention to texture, gesture, and balance. Most of the pots start out wheel thrown, and most of them get pushed around. I use techniques such as bending, carving, smashing, and cutting to alter the shapes and surfaces of the pots.

“I glaze the pots with iron rich clay slips, and creamy curdling glazes. It is important that the glaze skin and the pottery forms bond to make a unified three-dimensional object. All of the pots I make are fired to 2,350 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very important that the pots are sturdy, dependable, and provoke a sense of curiosity.”

Meet Peter Jadoonath and learn more about his work at a free gallery talk on Friday, December 11, at 6:00 p.m., followed by a galleries reception from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.