jtwalthier

Asheville Art Museum

The Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, North Carolina, has a wonderful collection exhibiting fine craftsmanship in various media from the Southeastern U.S. The collection is diverse yet striking. The exhibition space is pristine. The scale is not overwhelming. It is an altogether worthwhile museum. Here are a few images of items that I particularly enjoyed.Continue reading “Asheville Art Museum”

Rose Frederick – Art Consultant

I recently enrolled in a professional development course entitled “Harness the Power of Your Online Presence,” offered by Rose Frederick. Rose is a marketing consultant who for many years (over 2 1/2 decades) curated the major international Coors Western Art Exhibit, plus numerous other art exhibitions. Rose’s consulting practice spans both advising artists on howContinue reading “Rose Frederick – Art Consultant”

Michelle Erickson – Artist Profile

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco recently held an exhibition of the work of Michelle Erickson, a Virginia-based ceramic artist & scholar whose work “combines colonial-era American ceramic techniques with contemporary social, political and environmental themes.” (Note: the Museum acquired Michelle’s piece called “Transangel” from the show, adding to the important museums around theContinue reading “Michelle Erickson – Artist Profile”

Swiss Ceramic Stove at the Biltmore Mansion

One of my most popular posts has been on Swiss ceramic stoves. Today while visiting the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, I saw another Swiss ceramic stove. The Biltmore refers to the piece as a “fireplace-over-mantel” and a “Tyrolese chimney.” The Biltmore website has a post about this piece and it’s restoration in 2009.Continue reading “Swiss Ceramic Stove at the Biltmore Mansion”

Creativity Interview with Helen Walthier

I recently completed an interview with my sister, Helen, about my creative life, sources that sustain my creative activities, and plans for creativity in my future. Helen conducts similar interviews with people from around the country, spanning a wide array of human endeavor, from artists, designers, healthcare professionals and software developers. These interviews are greatContinue reading “Creativity Interview with Helen Walthier”

Terracotta by Gian Cristoforo Romano

I encountered a magnificent terracotta portrait bust at the Kimbell Art Museum last month. It possibly represents Isabella d’Este, Marchioness of Mantua, a celebrated art patron of her day. It is attributed to Gian Cristoforo Romano, an Italian sculptor and medalist who lived in the late 15th / early 16th century (ca. 1465-1512). The attributionContinue reading “Terracotta by Gian Cristoforo Romano”

Linking Social Connections Through Ceramics

Archaeologists are using data about ceramics, such as dates and locations of ceramic production, to study social networks around the ancient American Southwest. This is technical work involving statistical analysis and GIS (global information system) programming. Apart from the technical details, these studies generally serve to remind us that ceramics are a permanent reflection ofContinue reading “Linking Social Connections Through Ceramics”

Tullio Mazzotti’s Futurist Ceramics

Futurism was born in 1909 with the publication of the first “Futurist Manifesto” in the French newspaper Le Figaro. This 1909 Manifesto promoted ideas of motion, speed and mechanization in art, born out of rapid advances in technology, communications, transportation and mass-production at onset of the 20th Century. Sparked by this Manifesto, the Futurist movementContinue reading “Tullio Mazzotti’s Futurist Ceramics”

Nok and Ife African Sculpture

I recently travelled to Fort Worth, Texas, for a family get-together on my wife’s side. We took a morning to visit the Kimbell Art Museum. I was impressed with two African ceramic pieces in the collection, one from the Nok culture and the second from the Ife culture. The Nok culture in what is nowContinue reading “Nok and Ife African Sculpture”

Beth Cavener – Artist Profile

“Primitive animal instincts lurk in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment. The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and articulated through animal and human forms.” Thus begins Beth Cavenar’s own description of inspirations underlying her work. Beth’s trained at the Charles H.Continue reading “Beth Cavener – Artist Profile”