Crafts National at Mulvane Art Museum

Today is the first day of the Crafts National exhibition at the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, Kansas. I am pleased to be one of the 87 geographically diverse artists included in this excellent show juried by independent curator Gail M. Brown. The exhibition ultimately chosen by every juror is as unique as their vision. It is always of great interest to have the opportunity to get a peek into their thoughts on juroring a particular show. Below are some thoughts from Ms. Brown from the exhibition catalog.


"“What Is Memorable?”
A national juried exhibition holds the promise of an abundance of meaningful choices. Within the context of the unknown and the tantalizing anticipation of the new, “possibilities” can be dizzying, including those of familiar vocabulary exploring fresh directions. This new exhibition opportunity as well as exuberant expectations from a constant viewer, was fed sumptuously by a diverse applicant pool. My desire to be introduced to works by artists I had yet to know as well as to recent works by those I recognize, and some of whom I have been watching extensively, was met and exceeded.
I seek to discover the exquisite object, the presence of the hand, the mastery of craft materials and processes. I relish anticipating and acknowledging media specific works of focused and accomplished exploration. I marvel over works which exceed preconceived media limitations and offer daring risks and expanded possibilities. And mainly, I seek ideas- explicit or enigmatic- to mull over and to return to. I was not disappointed. Be it in concept, narrative, imagination, scale, investigation, mastery et al, the applicants and those forms chosen challenged and captivated me. Many works acknowledge the makers’ absorption in repetitive, sequential steps, obsessive actions and multiple elements directed toward the singular completion of a sometimes provocative, challenging, exceptional idea. In their diversity, they each enhance and celebrate the continuum of the memorable handmade object.
I was “gifted” by works of unique vocabulary, the unexpected, undreamt of and the radically new, the enticing use of technology and/or the ever-seductive, timeless, functionally referenced, domestic form. I delighted in the originality, personal stories, experimentation and technical prowess, diverse ideas and execution, mastery and promise and, most of all, the abundance of “joy.” All of the above contributed to the memorable nature of this opportunity. Thank you all!"

Crafts National runs from May 5-August 19, 2012

image: Vessel 26
Encaustic, Cheesecloth
10” x 11” x 7”