Courtney Chapman, gallery director at Marshall University’s School of Art & Design, curated a ceramics exhibition entitled “Machina Minutiae” for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) during the council’s 2024 National Conference, Coalescence, March 20-23 in Richmond, Virginia.
The exhibition features the work of Frederick Bartolovic, Jamey Biggs, Mike Bowen, Chris Dufala, Steven Montgomery, Taekyeom Lee, KwokPong Tso, Shalene Valenzuela, Brant Weiland, as well as Marshall ceramics students, including Noah Chapman, Sophie Leffew, Oliver Lovejoy, Lily Narraway, Josh Perry, Zoë Peterman, Alexa Preston and Lea Teasdale.
Works in this exhibition range from static sculptures to multi-functional vessels, created by artists who are imitating or referencing materials and processes that are not always conducive to clay, Chapman said.
“The artists featured find inspiration in man-made – or more often, machine-made – metals, gears, knobs, and plastic bits in all sheens and patinas,” she said. “Whether having used the objects conveyed as an extension of ourselves or feeling a hazy nostalgia for the automations and tools of by-gone eras, in this grouping of artworks, we are able to recognize a certain coalescence between man and machine while reflecting on our own experiences – our own labor.”
Chapman coordinates the gallery program and facility rentals in the Visual Arts Center for Marshall’s School of Art & Design. She is active in community arts, having curated exhibitions of local and regional artists and the Huntington Art Walk with the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District. The Huntington Art Walk takes place on the third Friday of each month, during the months of May through August 2024.
“We are proud that Courtney’s exhibition proposal was accepted for the prestigious NCECA National Conference,” said Mark Zanter, director of the School of Art & Design. “Her selection of works from Marshall faculty, students, former colleagues and acquaintances new and old demonstrates her commitment to curating exhibitions that are insightful, intriguing and whimsical. My only regret is that entire exhibition will not be shown in our galleries at Marshall.”
For more information about Marshall University’s School of Art & Design, visit www.marshall.edu/art.