Visiting Artist Joseph Sand

Once a year we invite a guest artist from the surrounding community to show in our gallery in order to expose students to varied styles and media, which helps fulfill the mission of the gallery. Beginning on July 15 (Downtown Art Walk, 6:00 to 9:00pm) our visiting artist will be potter, Joseph Sand.

Joseph (b. 1982, Austin, MN) trained as a sculptor at the University of Minnesota, received a B.F.A. in 2006. During his undergraduate courses, he studied for one year in Italy, followed by another year in England, after receiving a very competitive, college-wide scholarship. While in England, he worked alongside many prolific potters, including Svend Bayer and Clive Bowen, which heavily influenced his direction as an artist, taking up functional pottery as a means of personal expression. He completed a three-year apprenticeship with Mark Hewitt in 2009. While finishing his apprenticeship at Hewitt Pottery, Joseph was featured in Craft in America. He now resides in Randleman, North Carolina. His work combines the styles of traditional, Southern alkaline glazeware and East Asian design, among others. Using a wood-fired kiln, both salt- and ash-glazed wares are produced.

“I aspire to create items that will adorn people’s homes that they can enjoy, whether they use it or just appreciate it as a piece of art. Bringing people happiness through my work plays a central role in my artistic endeavor. Currently, I am focusing my efforts on making utilitarian ware along with larger, decorative items. I select local clay that I know will react well and glazes that will be enhanced by slips to create beautiful patterns in a salt-fired atmosphere. Special attention is paid to the placement of pieces throughout the kiln to achieve the desired results. By carrying on a tradition created by Bernard Leach, passed down to Michael Cardew, and then to Mark Hewitt, who has shared it with me, I am looking at the past, adding all the skills and ideas I’ve been taught, creating something new and interesting, of beauty and vibrancy.

“Currently, I am working on a series of new glazes showing an array of colors and texture that will enhance the pottery forms that I make. Utilizing my newly created test glaze kiln, which was partly funded using a grant that I received from the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, I have tested numerous glazes in search of those select few that really make my pots exemplary.”

Joseph Sand Pottery property near Randleman, North Carolina is now up and running, and Joseph is making functional and sculptural pottery full-time. Most recently, Joseph was a recipient of the Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist Award through the Durham Arts Council, which provided funding towards the construction of his kiln. Kiln opening sales are held three times each year, typically in April, August, and December. Otherwise, the pottery is open by appointment only.

The CCCC student gallery is open for the Third Friday Art Walk in conjunction with the North Carolina Arts Incubator from 6:00 to 9:00pm—other times: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9:30am to 4:00 pm. 138 North Chatham Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344