Good Year

I bragged about my clay students in my last post, but I've had a great year too.

At School
I've had a great year in my teaching career. At the YVCC graduation ceremony in June I will be receiving the Sherrie and Daryl Parker Faculty Award. Award winners are nominated by students. My clay students (the one's I just bragged about) nominated me this year.

The Distinguished Service Award goes to the Larson Gallery Guild of which I am a board member.

I was also nominated for ASYVCC (Associated Students of Yakima Valley Community College) Teacher of the Year. Both full time art instructors and three Humanities instructors were nominated this year.

And finally, I was awarded a sabbatical for next fall. I will be working in my home studio, preparing work for an exhibition in January at Columbia Basin College, exploring the problem of integrating non-ceramic materials into my clay sculpture, and preparing an article about my research.

Top half of "SRAM Gears" currently on show at the DoVA Exhibition at Larson Gallery

bottom half of "SRAM Gears" recently shown at Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton, WA

In My Work

It has also been a good year for my sculpture. At the end of summer I completed a small set of work incorporating bike parts. I am pleased with the direction of this work and have shown the results in New York City, Bremerton, Ellensburg and Yakima. 

"SRAM Supported Botany" donated to World Bicycle Relief as part of the pART Project fundraiser

"Big SRAM", recently show at Central Washington University and the Tour of Artist's Homes; soon to be on exhibit at the Larson Gallery Membership Exhibition

I have also had success with other work in national and local shows. This year I have shown work in Texas, Illinois, Washington state (of course), and I have work currently en route to New Hampshire for a show called "Human/Nature." I was so busy with Tour of Artists' Homes and my students' events or other local events, that I completely neglected to even mention the "Women's Works" show in Woodstock, Illinois or the "Human/Nature" show in Manchester, New Hampshire before this. The New Hampshire show runs June 15-August 1 and I know at least two people who will be able to see the work in person.

"Zebra Mussels" on its way to New Hampshire for "Human/Nature."

It appears I will also have work making its way from its temporary home in my parent's basement in Wisconsin to St Croix, Wisconsin for a continuation of a Climate Change exhibition that traveled Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota from 2006-2009. 

"Taka Kozonanka" is in Texas for the "Texas National" exhibition.

Coming Up
Locally, my work is currently on display at Allied Arts of Yakima for the exhibition, "In Case You Were Wondering..." and I have work in the Larson Gallery through the end of this week for the DoVA Student and Faculty Exhibition. Next Friday the Membership Show opens at Larson Gallery and I plan to have work there as well.

Allied Arts Exhibition (their website is not up to date as of this writing)

My next big local event is June Art Fest at Chalet Place Mall (near Oak Hollow, Wray's and Inklings). Mike Hiler and I will share a booth. June Art Fest runs from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, June 8.