Emma Skurnick, "Heirloom Series No. 3"
Central Carolina Community College Student Art Gallery in downtown Siler City, North Carolina presents its annual faculty show June 17 through July 12 at 138 North Chatham Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina. Faculty in the Professional Arts and Crafts: Sculpture program show examples of their work while the students are out for the summer. This eclectic showing of works of art ranges from functional pottery to contemporary sculpture.
Faculty members participating in this show are:
Phillip Ashe has a BFA in sculpture, a BFA in Art Education from East Carolina University, and an MFA in sculpture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been a sculptor for 20 years working primarily in stone, cast metals, clay, and plastic. Besides sculpture he makes sculptural hand-built vessels which are being displayed in the current faculty show. These lidded vessels have stamped surfaces accented by underglaze, then it is Raku fired. “I am interested in simplicity of form and visual impact over function.”
Joyce Bryan has a BS in Art Education from Moore Institute of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has also studied at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana and Peter’s Valley in New Jersey. She has done numerous workshops up and down the East coast. Her work is held in public and private collections worldwide. She is a functional potter for preparation, cooking, and serving of food and also produces the occasional sculpture. Her high-fired stoneware has a distinctive palette of colors. She works with at sense of humor and enjoys teaching and sharing 40 years of gathered information, and greatly enjoys the stimulation from her students.
Rich Goldberg, MFA in studio arts, University of North Carolina, Greenville, is preparing an exhibit in the ICFF in New York next May with an LED designer. Rich is currently working on a synthesis of his light screens adapted for flat screen monitors using hand build and CNC processes with an eye towards light production. “I attempt to connect the dots between sculpture and craft with my body of work. I enjoy crafting design/craft/sculpture with an eye towards reductive design, meaning it as few moving parts and is understated. My inspiration from other artists of renown would be Brancusi, Noguchi, and Wharton Esherick, to throw in a woodworker, and process inspiration would be boatbuilding and the associated forms. ”
Emma Skurnick, BFA, is a scientific illustrator and instructor in design, a full-time artist as well as a teacher of the Art Marketing class at CCCC. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally and published internationally. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Art from Binghamton University in New York, and her graduate certification in Science Illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz. With illustrations appearing in publications such as American Scientist Magazine, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 21st Century Gardening series, and paintings commissioned by the North Carolina Aquarium and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, her work is widely viewed.
With paintings in watercolor and acrylic that focus on plants and animals native to North Carolina, she comments, “I try to introduce a note of humor - or humanity - into my paintings. I hope that this might inspire a moment of rapport and understanding between the viewer and the subject. By making modest animals large - by painting a toad or a songbird three feet tall - perhaps I can startle people into appreciating the world we tread under hurrying footsteps.”
Jennifer Siegel, AAS, Professional Arts and Crafts: Sculpture from Central Carolina Community College, also studied at Anderson University in South Carolina. A developing talent, Jennifer lives for her next sketch. She is constantly inspired by the open flame of life. She teaches in both the CCCC degree program and in continuing education, as well as the Cary Arts Center. Jennifer played a major role in the publication of her mentor’s first book, Introducing Ceramics: The Complete Guide, by Daniel Rhode.
She has taught multiple classes including Glaze Formulation, Wheel-throwing, salt firing, large pots, and hand building. Jennifer serves as secretary of the Moncure Museum of Art where she enjoys working in cast metals.
Her work includes mostly functional pots that are substantial, graceful, and bold. While influenced by mostly Asian forms, with a Germanic tradition of salt-fired ware, Jennifer has evolved her own contemporary style. Her commission work is personalized to the customer. “I enjoy making things that honor someone specifically, such as memorial pieces, plaques, urns—even for cherished family pets.”
Darlene Brady, a Chatham County native, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. A retired high school art teacher from Chatham Central High School, she has also taught K-8. She is a ceramist and instructor in continuing education.
“As a child growing up in rural North Carolina, I remember the thrill of sculpting little clay blocks from the red clay found in a ditch after a big rain. It was fascinating that the clay would hold the shape that I had given it with my tiny hands. As an adult, with the aid of a potter’s wheel and a few simple tools, I am reliving the fascination of modeling clay. As an adult I create functional and decorative pieces, to which I often add three-dimensional designs. My designs are inspired by North Carolina nature and landscapes. On clay vases, I add grapes, pine cones, or dogwoods. On jugs, I create a scene with a log cabin nestled in the woods or I create a coastal landscape with a lighthouse or seashells. These are memorable scenes of from my childhood.
“To complete the surface, I accent the decorative areas with a matte earthy brown stain. Then, I contrast the stain by applying a shiny color to the rest of the piece. The two textures complement one another and bring out the natural characteristics of the clay. The finished piece is rustic and quiet. It will blend with its environment, creating a comfortable beauty, just like nature.”
Raymond Edwards is an experienced, traditional potter currently enrolled in the CCCC sculpture AAS degree program. He is an instructor in continuing education. He also has a two-year certification from Randolph Community College. He has studied with Sid Luck of Seagrove, North Carolina and has taught numerous classes and workshops. He resides in a community of potters. He does functional and decorative pottery and is now the new proprietor of Old Gilliam Mill Pottery in Carbonton, North Carolina.
