Monday, April 14, 2008

Reception Wednesday for ceramics exhibition

By Katie Libecco

YOUNGSTOWN – A reception Wednesday will officially open the International Small Scale Ceramics Exhibition in the Bliss Hall Gallery at Youngstown State University.

Co-curator Mike Moseley, YSU professor of art, says the international show came about as a way to foster the international exchange of ideas and create a dialogue between students, as well as the countries of Taiwan and the United States.

There are 18 ceramic works from The National Taiwan University of Arts and 17 pieces from Youngstown State University. Among those are the work of Moseley, co-curator Brian Misavage and co-curator Chen Chou-Liou from The National Taiwan University of Arts.

Misavage completed his undergraduate studies at Youngstown State University, but currently resides in Taiwan. Moseley says he and Misavage had worked on the exhibition for about two years.

Selected students from both countries who had been in art programs for at least three years were given only a rough size limitation for their work, which Moseley says was the result of shipping costs.

This body of work was first shown in October 2007 in Taiwan. It will be on display in the Bliss Hall Gallery through the end of April.

YSU artists include: Jess Adkins, Tom Davidson, Lou Devlin, Chris Durkos, Johanna George, Samantha Grbnick, Lisa Himes, Amy Kalkbrenner, Dawn McCambridge, Jennifer Mansfield, Rene Masternick, Lindsay Orr, Melissa Perry, Rose Pramble, Carolyn Roble and Karen Weinberg.

The work of the YSU art students and Taiwan are intermixed in their display, with a blending of cultures in the exhibition. Moseley says the work is a mix between sculptural and traditional approaches to ceramics.

Influences for the domestic and international work are as broad as the subject matters. Some students chose to create more traditional ceramic pieces, while others include dice, ice cream cones, cars and President George W. Bush. Determining the country of origin for each piece is difficult, as some of the work goes beyond traditional expectations of the countries in innovative ways.

Moseley says the international exhibition is good for “students and the community.”