Grants / Fellowships

• 2008, Miami University, Graduate Student Achievement Award

• 2008, Miami University, Sinisa Lenac, Graduate Studio Award

• 2007 – 2009, Miami University, Graduate Assistantship

• 2007 – 2009, Miami University, Academic  Achievement Award      

• 1996 – 2000, Columbus College of Art and Design, Scholarship

• 1999, Columbus College of Art and Design, Ceramics Scholarship

• 1996, Columbus College of Art and Design, Foundation Scholarship

Solo Exhibitions

• 2009, Side Effects May Include – North Gallery, Oxford Ohio

• 2008, Layers – East Gallery, Oxford, Ohio

• 2007, Decay - East Gallery, Oxford, Ohio

• 2006, Motion - Pink Ink Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio

• 2000, Exploration – Canzani Center Gallery, Columbus, Ohio

Juried Group Exhibitions

2010, “OSF Show” – Cox Arts Building, Columbus, Ohio, Jurors: Annegreth T. Nill, Independent Curator of Contemporary Art and Tim Rietenbach, Artist and Professor.  Jurors Choice Award.

2010 “Emerging Artist: Ohio Connections” -  Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, Ohio, Juror: Betty Talbot Director of the Ohio Craft Museum  

2010, 4th International Small Teapot Competition -  Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, Juror Guangzhen Zhou professional artist and writer

2009, OSF Show – Cox Arts Building, Columbus, Ohio, Jurors: Iduna Bohning, Gallery Manager and Rosemarie Fiore, Professional Artist.  2^nd Best of Show and Viewer’s Choice Award winner.

2008, OSF Show – Cox Arts Building, Columbus, Ohio, Jurors:  Michael Ferris Jr. Professional artist and Tim Portlock, film professor at Hunter College

2008, Best of, Ohio Designer Craftsman -  Ohio Designer Craftsman Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, Juror: Brion Clinkingbeard Curator of the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft

2008, 3^rd International Small Teapot Competition -  Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, Juror Guangzhen Zhou professional artist and writer

2007, NCECA Regional Juried Show -  Pittsburg Center for the Arts, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Jurors: Kristen Kieffer, instructor at the Worcester Center for Crafts and Alleghany Meadows, professional artist and gallery owner

Group Exhibitions

• 2008, Undecided – North Gallery, Oxford, Ohio

• 2008, Oxford to Oxford –  Power House Community Arts Center, Oxford, Mississippi

• 1999, Future Tense – Canzani Center Gallery, Columbus, Ohio

• 1998, Clay and Glass Guild – Student Center Gallery Columbus College of Art and Design Student Center, Columbus, Ohio

• 1996 – 2000, Exceptional Works – Canzani Center Gallery, Featuring the best student works at the end of each year, Columbus, Ohio

Bibliography

• Columbus Dispatch – “Shared Spaces” CCAD Faculty Show Review (September 19^th 2010, Arts Section)

• The Other Paper – Emerging Artists: “Ohio Connections”  review with image (July 29^th, 2010, Arts Section) http://theotherpaper.com/articles/2010/07/29/arts/doc4c50b8caae466144269034.txt

• Columbus Dispatch – “Emerging Artists: Ohio Connections”  review (July 25^th,  2010, Arts Section)

• “4th International Small Teapot Competition” -  Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, Virtual Show (2010) http://gallery.saddleback.edu/shows/11FEB10/virtualshow/index.htm

• Columbus Dispatch – OSF show review (August 2, 2009, Arts Section)

• “3rd International Small Teapot Competition” -  Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, Virtual Show (2008) http://gallery.saddleback.edu/shows/25FEB08/virtualshow/

• OC Weekly – 3^rd International Small Teapot Competition Article (March 2008) http://www.ocweekly.com/2008-03-20/culture/little-teapots-short-and-stout/

• NCECA  Website -  2008 Regional Student Juried Exhibition image (November2007) http://www.nceca.net/app/exhibitions/results/rjse

• The Miami Student – exhibition announcement (September17, 2008, pg. 5)

• Oxford Town – exhibition announcement with photograph (September 4 – 17, 2008, pg. 8)

• Columbus Dispatch – OSF show review (August 3, 2008, Arts and Leisure Section)  

• Ohio Designer Craftsman – exhibition announcement for Best Of (August 2008)

• Effusions Magazine – selected works (November, 2007, vol. 15 issue 1, pg. 7)

Collections

Sonny Kamm Foundation, 2010, “Tea Machine 3”

Sonny Kamm Foundation, 2010, “Tea for R Mutt”

Sonny Kamm, 2008, “Tea Machine 1”

Bill Hunt, 2002, “Untitled”

Artist Statement

  The conceptual inspiration for my ceramic and mixed media work is derived from my reactions to contemporary events and political decision making.  The work is my visual interpretation of events such as war, energy consumption, outsourcing, imports, environmental concerns, and recession through a combination of associated objects and iconography.  This approach allows me to make an immediate statement about a specific event or situation, while at the same time remaining somewhat ambiguous as to which side of the fence I stand.   The intent of the work is to evoke conflicting emotional responses within the viewer and perhaps make them question their own views regarding these events.

  The work is an infusion of traditional ceramic tile and mosaic techniques, with a more contemporary use of mixed media, found objects, and assemblage to create reliefs and sculptures.  The use of ceramics allows me to refine, manipulate, and mass produce objects through the slip casting process.  Mass production and consumerism are themes throughout the work that are conceptually heightened by infusing my own mass produced ceramic objects.  The mixed media component allows me to achieve details, scales, shapes, and textures that are impossible or far too time consuming to create through the ceramic process.  Actual objects also bring with them a sense of familiarity or nostalgia that can act as a bridge into the work, and heighten the believability of the ceramic components.

  The work examines historical ceramics and explores traditional and contemporary techniques.  In the piece Made in China Too I have constructed the United States flag out of actual children’s toys that may contain lead paint.  The piece also contains ceramic casts of children’s toys that are lead glazed.  Historically lead was used in ceramic utilitarian ware and its caustic affects were unknown.  Referencing this historical use of lead in ceramics to address the contemporary issue of lead painted children’s toys further enriches the content.          

  Although the work is based on serious contemporary world events, I incorporate slightly humorous elements through the use of lights, sound, toys, and occasionally with the titles.  Fusing seriousness and humor creates an emotional conflict within the viewer that causes them to question their own position on these events.  The element of humor also keeps the work from becoming too politically charged, which could narrow the audience.   Ultimately the work is serious, yet at the same time a sarcastic and satirical response to the events and political situations that are defining contemporary America.