The Clay Studio Celebrates Stanley Shapiro

Stanley Shapiro

Talent means nothing without opportunity.

It isn’t enough to simply have talent. You have to hone it and put it to use; otherwise, it will go unnoticed.

The Atlantic Legacy Group at Morgan Stanley Lynn P. Fryckberg Portfolio Manager First Vice President Financial Advisor 330 Fellowship Road Suite 400 Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 856-222-4515 lynn.p.fryckberg@morganstanley.com

The same can be said for your wealth. Having investments is one thing, but for them to reach their potential, they must be handled responsibly.

The Atlantic Legacy Group at Morgan Stanley wishes Stanley Shapiro and The Clay Studio continued success as we celebrate their achievements.

Š 2015 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

CRC1119726 02/15 7177527 SUP025 07/12

Stanley Shapiro

April 25, 2015

The Olde Bar

On behalf of the Board, staff, and artists at The Clay Studio, welcome to The Clay Studio Celebrates Stanley Shapiro. Thank you for supporting such an important event and for your dedication to our community.

For twenty-one years, Stanley Shapiro managed The Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship named in honor of his late wife. Through this fellowship, Stanley demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to artists and their careers by providing funds that directly supported Clay Studio Resident Artists.

In 1974, five artists came together to establish The Clay Studio. These artists shared a belief that artists needed a supportive environment to enrich their creative practice and to support emerging careers. The founding spirit is exemplified by Stanley’s dedication to twenty-one artists from 1991 through 2012.

Today, The Clay Studio supports twelve resident artists. Each artist is welcome to stay for up to five years. We are dedicated to creating a supportive environment where young and emerging artists can successfully transition from an academic environment into the professional art world. Alumni from the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation have built impressive arts careers, accepted important teaching positions, and exhibited around the globe. Several continue to call Philadelphia home. The Shapiro Fellowship was undoubtedly a significant contributor to the success of these young artists.

This event is only made possible with the hard work of our staff, dedicated board and committee, artists, and all of those who supported the event. A special thank you to our event co-chairs Therese Obringer and Eric Rymshaw and the special event committee who have all volunteered to make this event a success!

Thank you all for your support, and enjoy your evening!

Christopher R. Taylor President

TABLE of CONTENTS The Clay Studio Board of Directors

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The Clay Studio Event Committee

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Event Sponsors

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The Clay Studio

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Stanley Shapiro

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Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellows

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Sponsors

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THE CLAY STUDIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015

OFFICERS James G. Fulton, Jr. ǀ Chair Therese Obringer ǀ Past Chair Nicholas Kripal ǀ Vice Chair Arnold M. Weiss ǀ Treasurer Kathie Regan Dalzell ǀ Secretary BOARD MEMBERS Sarah Bryan Fask Dr. Lawrence Hough Kim Kamens Ashley R. Lomery Mark Lueders Margot Palley Judy Pote Rachael Ross Susan Shubert ǀ Associate Program Representative Marianne Tebbens Karen Harmelin-Tropea Etta Winigrad Lauren Mabry ǀ Resident Artist Program Representative

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THE CLAY STUDIO CELEBRATES STANLEY SHAPIRO 2015 EVENT COMMITTEE

CO-CHAIRS Therese Obringer Eric Rymshaw COMMITTEE Kathie Regan Dalzell Lynn Fryckberg Bunny Glick Nancy Hays Karen Harmelin-Tropea Clara Hollander Kim Kamens Judy Pote Franz Rabauer Ruth Snyderman Marianne Tebbens Ken Vaverek Sybille Zeldin

Thank you to the following sponsors for their generous support of this event.

BENEFACTOR James G. Fulton, Jr. and Eric B. Rymshaw PATRON Helen W. Drutt English and H. Peter Stern Marie and Joseph Field Therese Obringer Judy Pote Franz Rabauer and Brian Daggett Sybille Zeldin and Bill Brinkman Marty Zeldin and Karen Rosner COLLECTOR Ellen Glick Gordon Glick Hannah Glick Robert Glick Stefanie Glick Ronald and Nancy Hays Independence Foundation Arnold M.Weiss FRIEND Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Kathie Regan Dalzell and Stewart Dalzell Lis and Mike Kalogris Kirk Kirkpatrick Littler Mendelson, P.C. Henry Shapiro and Christy Hobard Timothy W. and Alexandra Levin David Sachs and Roz Ominsky Lawrence Spitz and Carol Klein Louise and David Strawbridge Marianne Tebbens Karen and Craig Tropea Etta Winigrad

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THE CLAY STUDIO PROGRAMS Gallery

The Gallery and Exhibitions program at The Clay Studio showcases the work of a myriad of national and international ceramic artists through approximately 30 exhibitions each year. The program supports and promotes new trends in clay while honoring its cultural traditions. This year, The Clay Studio welcomed our new Curator of Artistic Programs, Jennifer Zwilling.

Ms. Zwilling brings with her years of curatorial and teaching experience in both museums and higher education.

Shop

The Clay Studio’s consignment-based shop features over one hundred North American functional ceramic artists, including current and former Resident Artists. The shop, both online and in-store, offers everyone from casual shoppers to established collectors the finest in functional ceramic art.

School

The Clay Studio School serves over 4,000 adults and youth through classes and workshops for beginner and intermediate level learners, as well as advanced workshops for the practicing artist, family workshops, and summer clay camps for youth beginning at age six. We also hold social workshops where beginners can learn to throw on the wheel in a relaxed, supportive environment.

Approximately one-third of our students are advanced level artists and nearly all of our instructors hold MFAs.

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Many of our classes are available for Act 48 credits for teachers in Pennsylvania.

Claymobile

The Claymobile is a direct-service mobile arts outreach program that provides hands-on subsidized ceramic art education to nearly 2,000 underserved Philadelphia youth each year. Since 1994, each day the Claymobile sends teaching artists to schools, community centers, and social service agencies in two vans equipped with all of the tools, clay, and glazes needed for a Claymobile lesson. By bringing ceramic art education directly to students who need it the most, we are furthering our mission while also integrating art and culture into the lives of a new generation.

Residents

The Resident Artist Program offers 12 of the top emerging ceramic talent in the U.S. and abroad the space, time, and resources to create a new, complete body of work. This competitive program allows artists to stay for up to five years and supports them in the pivotal time of transition from graduate programs to the life of working artists. Resident Artists are invited to participate in several group shows throughout the year and one solo show during their residency.

Guest Artists

Each year, The Clay Studio hosts six Guest Artists-inResidence from the U.S. and around the world. Guest Artists are given free housing, a stipend, and use of studio facilities. Guest Artists interact with Clay Studio Resident and Associate Artists, allowing for valuable cultural and artistic exchange. Each is asked to host a lecture on their practice and technique that is open to the public.

Associates

The Associate Artist program is a continuing education program that serves individuals seeking the time, space, and resources to deepen their ceramic art practice.

Through rental fees, The Clay Studio provides shared workspace and offers discounts on resources such as clay, tools, glazes, and kiln firing. The communal culture allows for exchange of ideas, artistic critique, and valuable feedback from other Clay Studio artists and instructors.

Work Exchange

The Work Exchange program provides young artists with an intensely focused, self-directed technical educational study for a period of up to two years. In exchange for access to a shared studio space, affordable materials, firings, and professional feedback, each participant provides 40 hours per month of support in the Studio school, gallery, and Claymobile program.

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STANLEY SHAPIRO:

Collector, Dreamer, Do-er

I

t’s hard to imagine the Center City home of Stanley Shapiro and Esther (Bunny) Glick holding any more ceramic objects. The warm, colorful rooms are expertly filled with shelves of teapots in traditional and abstract forms, curious tiny sculptures, a plethora of drinking mugs—an option for a new one every day of the week. The dining room table is set with ceramic

dinnerware and artfully crafted salt-and-pepper shakers.

Large-scale conceptual art resides in corners and against walls, hiding under lampshades and camouflaged as trompe l’oeil gloves on a desk. One particularly interesting piece, that of a fruit fly mating with a light bulb, sits prominently on the living room wall and fills the room with light. “The artist calls this the ‘Pursuit of Happiness,’” says Stanley, “but

you know what I call it? ‘An Exercise in Futility’!” He laughs, perhaps unaware that the artist who made the piece (Linda Cordell, Shapiro Fellow 1998-99) may never have been able to do so without his support.

But even with all of the art currently filling their home, there had once been much more. Over 600 more, to be precise.

Stanley and Evelyn Shapiro began collecting in the 1960s.

What started as a weekend hobby of seeking out interesting pieces at flea markets, antique stores, and local auctions (both took to 19th and early 20th century potters) gradually grew into a collection of up to nearly 700 ceramic works.

Their home was filled with Rookwood, Weller, Roseville, vases, cups, figurines. It was an adventure, each month picking up at least two new pieces to add to the expansive collection.

“We weren’t too choosy,” says Stanley. Many of the pieces were purchased for much less than they were truly worth, unbeknownst to both buyer and seller. At the time, Evelyn worked as a proofreader for Helen Drutt, of Helen Drutt Gallery. As a testament to her appreciation of ceramic art, Evelyn asked to be paid not with a weekly check, but with ceramic pieces picked from Helen’s collection.

Stanley and Evelyn quickly became ceramic art connoisseurs, collecting it almost exclusively, with the exception of a few other objects of craft: wooden, glass, and metal pieces that happily complemented the rest. After Evelyn’s passing, Stanley found himself left with an amassed collection of beautiful ceramic work, now tied up with memory.

“What will I do with all of this pottery?” he says now, reflecting back on the night he made the decision to find a way to give back, in honor of Evelyn.

Thus began the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that offered yearly financial stipends, supporting a total of 21 ceramic artists. Stanley sold 90 percent of the collection to begin the Foundation, which soon became a sought-after resource in the arts community. Through a highly selective juried process with Clay Studio artistic staff and former Fellows at the helm, the Foundation gave necessary and valuable support to Clay Studio Resident Artists, offering each the chance to create his or her work free from financial burden. The Foundation helped launch the art careers of such talented ceramicists as Kathy Butterly, Christyl Boger, and Kukuli Velarde.

Stanley maintained the Foundation for 21 years. The commitment required annual fundraising, soliciting support from 40, 50, up to 60 donors, this while sustaining a long-time career as a psychiatrist. Clearly modest about the impact he’s

created, Stanley explains that it wasn’t difficult. “I don’t know why everybody doesn’t do it,” he says with a shrug.

Each of the Fellows chosen represents a diverse range of ceramic art, and it was important to Stanley to rotate annually between functional and conceptual artists in order to maintain balance.

His love for the art is clear. Walking through his museum-like home, he recalls the names of nearly every artist, and has met several of them. (The ones he forgets come to him only moments later in bursts of memory, Stanley seemingly unable to move on to the next subject of conversation until each artist gets their recognition.) He has a piece from almost every Shapiro Fellow, each prominently displayed throughout the home.

He recognizes beautiful work, and is happy to discuss it, from the abstract (a gray cat on a mantel piece, all ceramic, sits next to the front door and reaches five feet high) to more traditional (there’s a long shelf filled with mugs that could pass as art on display, though Stanley regularly chooses a new one for his tea). And he knows where everything belongs.

Upon noticing a certain collection of three sculptural pieces slightly out of place on a shelf, he quickly stands to fix them, noting, “That’s how I can tell the maid’s been here.” After he sits back down, he looks at them from across the room.

“There, doesn’t that look better?”

He collects less now, and since his retirement a few years ago has enjoyed traveling, theater, and the opera with Bunny, his current wife of over 20 years. He takes a course at the University of Pennsylvania in Middle East Politics, and spends a month each summer in Santa Fe, NM, taking in the multi-cultural music, art, pottery, craft fairs, and international folk art. He runs a popular monthly Science Café, where scientists and the community meet for an informal, engaging lecture. “Outside of that,” he says with a smile and a wink, “we bunjee jump.”

Through an idea spurred from a place of despair, Stanley Shapiro positively and substantially impacted the lives and artwork of so many emerging ceramic artists. The Clay Studio thanks Stanley for his contribution to both the artists and ceramic art, and is incredibly grateful to be able to honor him for his efforts.

“Stories come up when I look at these pieces,” Stanley says with a fond smile, admiring a wall filled with teapots and sculptures. It’s clear the memory of Evelyn hasn’t gone away with the collection, but instead lives on, simply, through art.

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IMPORTANCE OF ARTISTIC RESIDENCY

Since 1974, The Clay Studio’s Resident Artist Program has provided an invaluable service to emerging artists during a crucial period in their lives.

When an artist leaves the academic environment, they find themselves without instruction and mentorship, critiques with colleagues, space and equipment, community networks, and exhibition opportunities. The sudden loss of these support structures can be detrimental to a budding career.

Our Resident Artist Program does not replicate the academic environment; rather it seeks to maintain the most important support mechanisms while encouraging a new professional practice. The Clay Studio provides space, equipment, exhibition and sales opportunities, teaching experience, and professional networks within the ceramic field. Our artists are welcome to stay for up to five years, one of the longest ceramic arts residencies in the world. .

This time allows them to successfully transition into a creative career.

The proof that this model works is evident in the success of our 150 past residents. Our alumni have purchased homes, started families, and established businesses in Philadelphia. Many have gone on to teach in top universities, exhibit in high-profile shows, and continue in residencies around the world. Our alumni includes five (5) PA Council on the Arts Fellows, three (3) Franklin Mint Fellows, six (6) Leeway foundation Grantees, twenty-one (21) Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellows, twelve (12) NCECA Emerging Artists, six (6) Pew Fellows, and twelve (12) Independence Foundation fellows.

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IMPACT OF FELLOWSHIPS

When The Clay Studio offers a fellowship opportunity, we know that three things happen immediately. First, the number of general residency applications increases – allowing us to select from a larger talent pool. Second, we are able to extend offers to artists who may otherwise be unable to afford the move to and expense of living in Philadelphia. Finally, and most importantly, the artist is given extra support to pursue their creative careers.

Starting in1991 and continuing through 2012, The Clay Studio was able to offer the Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship to a talented young artist each year. In the following pages, you will meet the twenty-one (21) Evelyn Shaprio Foundation Fellows, look at their work, and truly understand the reason for celebrating Stanley’s impact.

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MITCHELL MESSINA 1991-92 As the first recipient of the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Grant in 1992, I did not know what to expect nor did anyone else. Like many young artists starting a life centered on creativity, the positive feedback from the Shapiro Foundation Grant provided validation and motivation to stay the artistic course. Earlier in 1990, I started a teaching job and a family. This was a crazy time for me. It was wonderful that people were finding meaning in my artwork. This grant provided an art show in the Philadelphia area, as well as new confidence, which I will be forever grateful for. Stan purchased a piece and I found myself alongside some of the greats of ceramic history in his home gallery. The Shapiro grant solidified my conceptual journey and clay narrative, and its influence is still evident today. A significant part of the grant was to be assigned a mentor. It was an honor to work with such a great individual, William Perry, from Alfred, NY. I had the chance to connect with an individual who not only created but also taught at the college level, which was exactly what I was doing. I found that his lifestyle was a reflection of mine and I liked it. He was excited to be a part of my career as well as my art making process. Bill was a valued teacher who gave of himself with time and critique. I too, have become this kind of professor who still gets excited when a young artist is in need.

Messina earned his MFA from Tyler School of Art. His work has been in numerous exhibitions and he is currently Professor of Art at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY.

Mitch Messina Conveyer, 2013 9

Kathy Butterly Pile On, 2010

KATHY BUTTERLY

1992-93

I was the second recipient of the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Grant, which I received in 1993. I had moved to Hoboken, New Jersey in 1992 after living in California for a few years.

I attended UC Davis for grad school and studied with many wonderful artists; most important to me was Bob Arneson, who wrote a letter of recommendation for me for the Evelyn Shapiro Grant. I believe the grant was $2,500.00 and a solo show of my work at the Clay Studio. I bought myself a second kiln and kiln vents along with other materials. I had no money at the time and lived in my studio illegally, so the grant was very important. It enabled me to advance and to have the financial freedom to experiment. The timing for the grant could not have been better. I needed the money, but it was a time when I was out in the world professionally for the first time and it represented to me that yes, indeed, I am following my heart and the right path and my efforts are being recognized! I am very grateful to Stan for this.

Thanks, Stan.

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Barbara Botting Tandem: Soft Focus, 2012

BARBARA BOTTING First off - cheers and warmest wishes to Stanley! Thank you for establishing a platform that remains a true highlight of my creative life.

Artists are engaged in a perpetual pursuit to be their best, inventive selves, striving to make work that is both satisfying and relevant. It takes exceptional dedication plus a talent to persevere through the concerns of maintaining a modicum of a normal life. The Shapiro Fellowship Foundation is the sincerest nod of respect to understanding the value of tipping the scales towards more time for creativity. Through the fellowship, I was able to develop a mature voice and vocabulary for my work. Then as now, it explores intimate adjacencies, elevation of the commonplace, material transformation and the aesthetics of abandonment and adornment.

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1993-94

My current medium is the arrangement of common objects in the physical world, made poetic by virtue of their forced proximity and transformed through the lens of a camera.

Steve Welch Shed 8, 1996

STEVE WELCH

1994-95

When I first heard that I won the Shapiro Fellowship, it was welcome validation of my work and vision, but more importantly it meant I had a chance to concentrate exclusively on my work for another year.

Time to work is a rare and valuable thing for an artist, and having space at The Clay Studio was a joyous total immersion in ceramics. Part of my process is continually photographing my surroundings, and Philadelphia is the richest mix of the oldest and the newest. I was most drawn to the rough edged, post-industrial decay there. Buildings dark and beautiful, multi-textured and leaking the history of their role in the city. I blended these visions with my colorful, patchwork technique to create a series of “Buildings” using the direct feedback method of abstract expressionism.

I learned to build with already-colored clay parts that I could quickly cut and manipulate in a state of creative flow.

Remaining conscious of “vesselness,” the work also invoked bodies and boats in a surreal mix with ducts as passageways to the interior. The solo exhibition at the Clay Studio was a bonus success. I send the highest praise and thanks to Stanley and The Evelyn Shapiro Foundation for this privileged opportunity. It was truly a highlight of my career.

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Hirotsune Tashima Organic Banana in the Supermarket, 2011

HIROTSUNE TASHIMA I first came to the U.S. as an exchange student in 1991-92 at the Maryland Institute College of Art. I became very interested in American ceramics. I went to my first NCECA conference in 1992 in Philadelphia. The Clay Studio was holding the exhibition Eastern European Ceramics. I still feel it was the best NCECA show ever. I went back to Japan and got my BFA from Osaka University of Arts in 1993.

I came back to the United States as a graduate student at Alfred University from 1993-95. Being a foreigner, I had to have a visa to stay in the United States. I had a student visa, and a working visa when I was working at University of Delaware in 1996. Then I received the Shapiro Foundation Fellowship in 96-97. This allowed me to receive an “artist visa” to stay and create art in the U.S. I stayed another year at The Clay Studio and made more pieces, had exhibitions, magazine reviews, etc. These experiences allowed me to receive a green card. Without the Fellowship, I could not have stayed and worked as an artist in the U.S. and I wouldn’t be an artist in the U.S. today, so I appreciate it very much.

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1996-97

The sculpture I make by wedging, slab building and firing several times are my own styles and reflects the society that is seen through my eyes. When I finally meet the work again after the firing, many feelings will mix inside of myself and make me think. Art to me is never ending exploration.

KUKULI VELARDE 1997-98 The Evelyn Shapiro fellowship was a pivotal event in my life.

I came to Philadelphia from New York and was able to concentrate on new work. I met who was going to be my husband, artist and resident at that time, Doug Herren.

I thank Stanley for his support of all of us art makers who had opportunities in our careers thanks to that first vote of confidence. Thanks, Stanley!

Velarde earned her BFA from Hunter College, University of New York. She has been in numerous exhibitions around the world and won many awards, including the Grand Prize at the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale in South Korea in 2013.

Kukuli Velarde Santiago, 2013 14

LINDA CORDELL 1998-99 The Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship was the beginning of my professional career. It changed everything in my life, after over six years of academic study; BFA at New York College of Ceramics at Alfred University, MFA at Louisiana State University, and a handful before that at The Firehouse Art Center in Norman, OK, I had little idea how to make my way in the ceramic world. The Fellowship brought me to Philadelphia and The Clay Studio.

Here I was exposed to collectors and curators, given the opportunity to show my work in multiple venues, and surrounded by talented and dedicated artists, one of whom, Hide Sadohara, became my husband. I had a studio, a stipend, a materials allowance, the wonderful mentorship of Paula Winokur and an eight month deadline to create my first solo show outside of school. As I stumbled and struggled towards that exhibition and stepped on toes in my ignorance and naivetĂŠ, Stan and Bunny were always welcoming and generous. The work I created at that time and the trifold publication designed by Barbara Sosson led to everything else. Since then, I have exhibited nationally and have received numerous grants and awards including the Pew Fellowship in 2003. My work is in many private and public collections, most notably the Museum of Arts and Design, NY. I have had images published in many books and periodicals and have taught at various colleges and universities. Currently I am a Visiting Artist at the University of the Arts.

Linda Cordell Goat Drip, 2013 15

Byung-Joo Suh Domain of Domenica, 2002

BYUNG-JOO SUH At an early age the works and philosophy of the Surrealists, Magritte and De Chirico inspired me. The structural principles of classical sculpture inform my compositions.

Since I was born in the Year of the Horse and have taken many journeys to various countries, I have adopted the horse as a metaphor to portray feelings, my experiences, and myself as I tell my stories. The horse is a symbol of transportation and a classic aesthetic form. Such common elements as a horse, a house, the sky, are grouped in allegorical fashion in my pieces.

1999-2000 Suh was born in Seoul, Korea and earned his BFA and MFA in ceramics from Seoul National University. His work has been exhibited all over the world.

After working in mixed media for a time, I have returned to the challenges of ceramics. In the strictest constraints of ceramics, where I believe the three elements of material, technique and imagination must be delicately balanced, I have found a medium most suited to my aesthetic goals.

My work employs mold making, hand building, multiple firings, as well as occasional wheel throwing. Finishes are predominantly ‘terra sigillata,’ which accompanies multiple firings. Each piece will involve any combination of techniques necessary for the fulfillment of the idea. The works are stories as if from a dream state where logic is elusive and the mystery of symbolism is pervasive.

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Christyl Boger Dolphin, 2007

CHRISTYL BOGER I have always been interested in the strange balancing act that is life of the social human animal: in impulse and control, individual vs. group, the fragile and the vulnerable veneer of our shared cultural behavior. Finding a physical form for these thoughts has involved incorporating two additional parameters. The first is a concern for the issues of representation, which necessarily arise with the decision to work figuratively. The second is a commitment to the contemporary possibilities of the ceramics medium, with all of its complex associations. My intent has been to explore the areas where these concerns intersect. The resulting work expresses a psychology of the “domestic� figure. It draws an equation between the figure and the decorative ceramic object to create a metaphorical representation of a human subject shaped by codified social and cultural traditions yet conflicted by the pull of unnamable desires.

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2000-01 Boger earned her MFA from Ohio University in 2000. She has exhibited works in group and solo shows in the US and around the world. In 2007, Boger was Artist in Residence at the International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark.

She is currently Associate Professor at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts.

SINISA KUKEC 2001-02 As a human... as an artist I gain knowledge and memory through experience. I desire the sensual experience... there is a pleasure in this memory. I rely on these truths, to create my own myth. It is this mythology that inspires my work. Do the memories we have today change tomorrow?

Of course we carry different memories and have different experiences... it’s subjective. But this is what makes memory and experience so phenomenal. The fact that I remember and experience is certainly key to my art making.

Memories are to be explored and the myth to be revealed.

TO THE EVELYN SHAPIRO FOUNDATION AND TO STANLEY THANK YOU Born in Croatia, Kukec grew up in Canada and earned a BFA from the University of Manitoba followed by his MFA in ceramics from Alfred University. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at venues in South Korea, the Netherlands and in Philadelphia, Aspen and Miami. Kukec lives and works in Miami.

Sinisa Kukec Infinite Jest (ce n’est pas un poisson), 2014 18

Julie York reflectionnoitcelfer, 2010

JULIE YORK My primary activity as a studio artist is the production of art. My philosophy is rooted in an active studio practice that grows out of inquiry and investigation. I am a sculptor who works with traditional craft materials in nontraditional approaches, to make work that is both visual and contemplative. My work is diverse in material processes and generally moves beyond the traditional discipline of ceramics, in that it employs a variety of media and contextual approaches.

My interests extend to manufactured landscapes. I create a language of form, images, and engineered context through the collection of cultural remnants. I am intrigued by the connection between objects and their images (both physical and mental) and the ways in which we perceive and understand them. The work presents itself in a way that seeks to challenge the understanding of how and what one sees.

In 2002 I received The Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship. It has been years since that time, however the impact and experience is still something that I hold in the highest regard. As time has passed I have come to fully realize what an incredible and informative chapter of my life it was. As a young artist it gave me what I needed the most, support in ways of time,

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2002-03 space, mentorships and peers, an audience and community.

If it were not for the Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship I would have perhaps never found my way to The Clay Studio and had these life altering experiences, all of which I believe have contributed greatly to my life. Since that time I have secured a career in the arts as both a maker and educator.

For that I am forever grateful for the help and support from Stanley Shapiro and Bunny Glick.

Benji Schulman don’t get any big ideas, June 2009 terra cotta, flocking, hardboard, 65” x 120” x 11”

BENJAMIN SCHULMAN

2003-04

I use ceramics as the prominent material in my sculptures as a way of reiterating the quotidian aspect of my sculptures.

The material is historically utilitarian, different than most other materials used in art making because of its close association to everyday use; a common material used to make common objects. There is nothing inherently special about clay, but this is precisely the point: clay objects often go unnoticed and unremarked. When I re-cast them, add shocks of color, bejewel them, and surround them with ominous black clouds, I capitalize on this tension between the ordinary and the scandalous. I foist them into the present tense, a postmodern paradigm, which oscillates between bleakness and vibrancy; innocence and depravity; and fear and rapture.

Schulman currently resides in Springfield, MO. He received his BFA from The Pennsylvania State University in 1996 and his MFA from Tyler School of Art in 1999. Schulman has exhibited his work internationally in both group and solo exhibitions. He has been an Artist-in-Resident at The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT and has had numerous other experiences in the field of ceramics, including one year as a Visiting Professor of Art at Kyung Hee University in South Korea.

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Kari Radasch Lidded jars and small plate, 2014 photo by Ayumi Horie

KARI RADASCH The Shapiro Foundation Fellowship was awarded to me one year out of graduate school, in 2004-05. As a young artist I dreamed of receiving the Shapiro fellowship and I remember exactly where I was standing when I took the phone call. The award had a huge impact on my life and career and has in part made me the artist I am today.

My husband and I moved from rural Virginia to Philadelphia and we still think of it as one of the best, most exciting year of our lives and careers. Stanley, Bunny and The Clay Studio were extremely supportive, not just financially but emotionally as well. Stanley and Bunny would take us (current and former fellowship recipients) to eat, invited us to their lovely home, and would make a point to spend time with us and check in at different events and functions.

I would not have moved to the city or Philadelphia had it not been for the support of the Shapiro Foundation Fellowship.

Living in such a vibrant, colorful city, experiencing the

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2004-05 warmth of its people and the energy of The Clay Studio residents, former residents, students and staff was such an honor and an extreme motivator in the studio. I made so much work and made many discoveries about myself, my pots, and the work of others because of this opportunity.

Ten years and two children later I think about that year as such a powerful, once-in-a-lifetime gift for a complete stranger to make: a year of intense making, artistic freedom, minimal responsibility and generous support on all levels.

Thank you, Stanley.

Kari Radasch was born and raised in coastal Maine. She received her BFA from the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine, and her MFA from the University of NebraskaLincoln. She has been a NCECA Emerging Artist and demonstrator, a presenter at Arrowmont’s Utilitarian Clay and currently teaches at Maine College of Art.

Myung Jin Choi Overlap, 2015

MYUNG JIN CHOI

2005-06

During my Fellowship residency, I was able to develop my artistic vocabulary and examine installation methods while extending the concept of my work as well. The Fellowship has led me to my current work as a teacher and a ceramic artist. I am sincerely grateful to the Fellowship for providing me the opportunity. I sincerely appreciate the valuable experiences and memories. Thank you very much!

Choi earned her MFA in ceramics at Alfred University, was selected as an NCECA Emerging Artist in 2008 and is currently a full time lecturer at Kangnam University in South Korea. She has exhibited her work in South Korea, the U.S. and Italy.

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Andy Shaw Vase, 2014

ANDY SHAW Simply stated, the Shapiro Foundation Fellowship allowed me the chance to move to Philadelphia, a city that appealed to me in personal ways and a city that just happened to be home to one of the great ceramic centers, The Clay Studio. Over the course of two years, the platform of The Clay Studio promoted my work into significant venues.

It was from The Clay Studio that I applied for my current position, Associate Professor of Ceramics at Louisiana State University. Without the Shapiro Fellowship I never could have afforded to move to Philadelphia. Seven years since moving to Louisiana, I remain close friends and artistic fans of my resident colleagues. I feel incredible pride to be part of the family of Shapiro Fellows and residents of The Clay Studio. I’m grateful to Stan for his vision to support artists in emerging stages of their career and for his investment in me as a person.

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2006-07 Shaw earned his BA in history from Kenyon College and his MFA in ceramics from Alfred University. His work has been exhibited internationally and is included in several museum collections. Shaw is currently Associate Professor at Louisiana State University.

COLLEEN TOLEDANO 2007-08 My time at The Clay Studio as a fellow allowed me to be part of a community that fostered my passion for clay.

I am deeply thankful to Stan Shapiro for making this experience available to be me early in my career. I have continued important and strong friendships with the other artists that I shared this time with and feel lucky to have been part of this organization.

Over the course of history people have gladly suffered incredible pain to achieve their vision of personal beauty.

Participation in beauty rituals like scarification, the wearing of corsets and, more recently, make-up tattooing and liposuction can encourage the practitioner to feel better about themselves. Cultural standards may disagree about what constitutes aesthetic enhancement versus physical disfigurement but the desire to change for the “better” is constant across cultures. While the pressure to obtain good looks is brought on by society, to physically and permanently modify one’s body remains a personal decision.

The price of beauty can be tortuous suffering, but the rewards can be self-empowering, making the practitioner an active investor in themselves.

Colleen Toledano is a studio artist from Buffalo, NY and holds an MFA in ceramics from Ohio University. Colleen’s complex and thought-provoking work is powerfully influenced by the recognition of our society’s yearning for building revitalization and body improvements. Through the manipulation and transformation of clay she speaks about the importance of self-improvement as a means to one’s own personal control and power.

Colleen Toledano Undecided, 2008 24

Hiroe Hanazono Luncheon Set, 2014

HIROE HANAZONO I was very fortunate to receive the Evelyn Shapiro Fellowship fresh out of graduate school. I found myself in a challenging position. There were many unknown variables I was trying to solve for as I began to establish myself as an artist. I needed to figure out the cost of producing my work and find a reliable source of income. The generous stipend provided through the Fellowship, along with the rent relief, helped relieve some of my financial weight, providing a measure of security, while greatly increasing my chances of success as I was able to invest more time and energy into what ultimately would be my greatest asset, the work itself.

During the time of my Fellowship, I dedicated myself to the development of a new body of work that was an extension of what I had started in graduate school. This time was integral to my practice. I refined my double-walled slip-cast forms and began incorporating colored slip into my process, a technique that I continue to use and explore in my work today.

Hanazono is a native of Japan. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Spatial Art from California State University, Hayward California in 2003, and her Master of Fine Art

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2008-09

in Ceramics from Ohio University, in Athens Ohio in 2008.

She has been invited to participate in numerous artist-inresidency programs, a few of which include the Archie Bray Foundation, The International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. Currently, Hiroe produces her highly designed functional tableware in her Philadelphia home studio.

In addition to her active studio practice, Hiroe teaches a variety of ceramics classes in New York City and in the Philadelphia region.

Michael Fujita Rise/Run, 2010

MICHAEL FUJITA

2009-10

Being awarded the fellowship allowed me to move to Philadelphia and continue developing my artwork at The Clay Studio. During my Fellowship year, I devoted the vast majority of my time to my studio practice, and enjoyed the freedom to experiment and play with new ideas and materials. It was a great opportunity to work amongst a community of talented artists, and develop lasting friendships.

Fujita earned his BFA in ceramics from Kansas City Art Institute and his MFA in ceramics from Alfred University.

His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute.

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Rebecca Chappell Basket, 2015

REBECCA CHAPPELL I was awarded the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship for the 2010-2011 year. I had been teaching full time for a semester at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, which made it nearly impossible for me to get any kind of valuable personal studio time in. I was so excited and felt so lucky to receive the Shapiro Fellowship. This was a whole year that I could work in studio and not have to worry financially.

I now had the time and a space that I could work on new ideas that excited me.

I came to The Clay Studio with the intent of working on my hand building skills. I made a rule that I would not use my wheel for the first five or six months, to force myself to strengthen my hand building skills, after that I could return to the wheel. I switched from high fire porcelain to low fire earthenware, for practical financial reasons as well as for the brighter color palette that I could use at a lower temperature. I wanted to work more on color and pattern as well as hand building.

I just can’t say enough what a transformative year that was for my studio work. Without that uninterrupted studio time and financial support I believe it would have been a

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2010-2011

much slower process. I am so grateful to Mr. Shapiro, the Foundation, and The Clay Studio for their generosity and continued support.

Rebecca Chappell received her M.F.A. from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2008 and her B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2003.

Peter Morgan All Aboard, 2012

PETER MORGAN

2011-12

Peter Morgan is a native son of Virginia holding a BA from Roanoke College, a BFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts, and an MFA from Alfred University.

Currently, Peter is a Resident Artist at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia where he maintains his practice. In 2012 he was the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship recipient.

The Fellowship allowed Peter the opportunity to step away from teaching and pursue his studio work full time within a metropolitan area. This move, and the resulting focused studio time, has produced numerous opportunities for exhibition, curatorial work, and involvement within the art community. Consequently, both he and his work have connected with many new audiences, which would have otherwise not happened without the Fellowship.

Peter is a founding member of an artist run space in Philadelphia, called Practice, which focuses on performance, participation, and experimentation. He has given lectures at numerous institutions throughout the United States, and at the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, and has completed residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT and the Belden Brick Factory in Sugar Creek, OH.

Peter has taught at California State University: Long Beach, Gettysburg College, and Rutgers: Camden. He has exhibited across the United States and Europe, with notable exhibitions including the Fleisher Wind Challenge and the Scripps Ceramics Annual. His work is found in the permanent collections of the Shine Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, the California College of the Arts, and the Archie Bray Foundation.

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