Though many of the pieces are sculptural, there is a rich tribute to the tradition of vessel making in the work of the three artists. Takaezu, Beamer and Troy all have ties to the pottery center at Shigaraki, one of the ancient kiln sites in Japan. Centuries of tradition are embodied in work from this region and these artists have all dipped into this stream of Japanese tradition.
Toshiko Takaezu, one of America's most important ceramicists, is a teacher and an artist who has been designated a Living Treasure by the state of Hawaii. Takaezu is known for her closed forms with expressive glazes that have evolved from functional pottery into abstract sculptural forms ranging in size from palm-sized to over 5' tall. The work echoes the beauty of the earth with its ridges and valleys. Takaezu holds an honorary Doctorate from Princeton University, as well as several other prestigious schools. She has won recognition from the National Endowment in the Arts and the American Craft Council. Among the museums that have collected her work are The Smithsonian Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Karl Beamer has taught at Bloomsburg University for over 25 years as a Professor of Sculpture and Ceramics. He has been featured in prestigious journals, such as Ceramics Monthly and School Arts. He has served as a cultural ambassador to Japan developing close ties with Shiho Kanzaki at Shigaraki. He is widely known for his anagama firings.
Jack Troy, teacher, potter, and writer, recently retired from Juniata College, where he taught for 39 years. He has led over 185 workshops at colleges, universities, and art centers in the U. S. and abroad. His career has taken him to 13 countries, and his work is in many private and public collections.
His first book, Salt Glazed Ceramics, was published in 1977. In 1978 he built Pennsylvania's first anagama-style kiln at Juniata College, and in 1995 published Wood-fired Stoneware and Porcelain. His collection of poems, Calling the Planet Home, was published in 2003 and he has published more than 60 articles, book reviews, and exhibition catalogue essays, in major periodicals in his field. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts awarded him two Craft Fellowships for his work in ceramics, and a Fellowship in Literature for his poetry. He was selected by the Council to make the awards for the 2005 Governor's Awards for the Arts.
The Rose Lehrman Art Gallery receives funding through Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), a local decision-making program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). The PCA is a state agency in the Governor's office, created by the Legislature in 1966 to encourage and promote the arts. Funding comes from the citizens of Pennsylvania through an annual state appropriation by the Legislature, and from a federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. PPA is administered locally by Jump Street. This exhibit and workshop are generously supported by the HACC Foundation.
All gallery exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public, for more information call 717-780-2435. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 11am-3pm and Tuesday and Thursday 5-7pm, or by arrangement with gallery curator.