South Texas College gears up for its annual Ceramics Conference with two artists from Alpine, TX
South Texas College begins its 11th annual ceramics exhibition and workshop, “More than Coincidence: Continuations in Clay” to the Rio Grande Valley with an opening reception on June 22 at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery.
The exhibit will be on view from June 22 to August 11, 2017, at the Library Art Gallery and at the Art Building B Gallery, located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. The event includes a full display of ceramic work by distinguished Texas ceramicists Gregory Tegarden and Amanda Calhoun as well as ceramic work from 12 universities and community colleges across the U.S.
“It should be really interesting on several levels once again,” said Chris Leonard, STC ceramics instructor and exhibit/conference organizer. “This year we are blessed to have a pair of artists making their way in and outside of clay with interesting backgrounds and shared histories. This should be an educational and entertainingly relevant event in terms of process, product, content, and use.”
South Texas College exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.
The three-day South Texas Ceramic Showdown will begin with an opening reception on June 22 at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery and the Art Building B Gallery from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The conference will continue with Ceramic Demonstrations on June 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
One more demonstration will take place on Saturday, June 24 at 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building (Bldg. B) Ceramics Lab. Art talks will be held on that day from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the same location. All activities are free and open to the public.
Participating institutions in the collaborative ceramic constructions include: Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Mesa Community College, NW Vista from the Alamo District Colleges, Ouachita Baptist University, Southeast Missouri State University, Texas A&M University – Kingsville, The University of North Texas, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, The University of Texas San Antonio, Washington University, and Wichita State University.
About the artists:
Gregory J. Tegarden is an Assistant Professor of Art at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. He received a Master of Fine Arts with a focus in Ceramics from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and a Bachelor’s of Science in Botany from Sul Ross State University. He is trained in the traditional Thai method of coil building or turning large ceramic vessels. His studio work consists functional ceramics that are influenced by the desert southwest and the austere environment found inside a kiln.
Amanda Calhoun embraces kitsch and her work is greatly influenced by classic films and television shows. Having worked for a handmade ceramic tile studio for fourteen years, she developed a love and a skill set for making tile. In this exhibition, she honors the women in her life with freeform tile portraits adorned with a headdresses of personal imagery.
For more information contact Gina Otvos at (956) 872-3488, or via email at gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag.
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