RELEASED: Feb. 12, 2004

DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College art program will present a ceramics exhibit titled "The Minnesota Pottery Collection: Selected Artists." The exhibit will feature pieces of contemporary pottery that were given anonymously to Centre College in the spring of 2003.

Visitors can view the exhibit from Feb. 20 through March 17 in the AEGON Gallery in the Jones Visual Arts Center. The general public is invited to attend an opening reception on Feb. 20, from 4-5:30 p.m. in the gallery. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The name of the Minnesota Collection arises from the ties many of the potters have to Minnesota and particularly to Warren MacKenzie, a potter and retired Regent's Professor at the University of Minnesota.

All of the artists included in this collection studied directly under MacKenzie or under one of his former students. Beginning in the 1950s, MacKenzie's work and teachings inspired what is now known as the studio pottery movement, defined by an interest in well-crafted handmade American pottery.

"The Minnesota Pottery Collection: Selected Artists" exhibit will feature works from 20 of the 140 artists included in the College's complete collection.

Artists featured include Jack Troy, Linda Sikora, Byron Temple, Michael Simon and Clary Illian. Most of the pieces were made between 1998 and 2002.

Judith Pointer Jia, assistant professor of art, says, "People interested in pottery will be excited to see this show. The artists in the collection are at the forefront of the contemporary studio pottery movement in America. Building upon the pottery traditions of America, Japan, China and Greece, their designs reflect a contemporary attitude."

Many of the items in the exhibit were designed for everyday use—pitchers, cups, plates, teapots, vases and bottles. Further, most were created on a potter's wheel and fired in traditional glaze, salt or wood kilns.

Jia says, "For this show, I've selected a variety of artists who have more than one piece in the collection. Seeing several works by the same artist gives people a better sense of that person's aesthetic sensibility.

For more information about the exhibit, call (859) 238-5469.

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