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Featured Artist: Ian Childers

Our featured artist this October is Crystalline Potter, Ian Childers.

Ian Childers spent his youth in Philadelphia PA mired in punk rock, hip hop, and the rave culture of the 1990s.  He apprenticed as a tattoo artist immediately out of high school, and spend his evenings writing graffiti, riding BMX bikes, going to shows, and causing general mayhem.

In the late 1990s Ian decided to leave the northeast in search of a new perspective… the exact opposite of the northeast.  He found himself in Georgia as an art student at a small liberal arts college in North GA, where he was introduced to ceramics as a requirement for graduation.  After his first ceramics class he was completely hooked.  “Life in GA was uncomfortably slow for me, sitting at a potter’s wheel was the first thing I found in the south that helped calm my angst and direct my energy towards something creative”. Shortly after deciding to become a ceramics major, Ian found crystalline glazes.  The challenge these glazes put forward created a lifelong passion for Ian.

In 2005, Ian was accepted to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst as a graduate student in ceramics. He spent the next three years focused on research and development of his crystalline glazes.  Since that time Ian has shown his work and conducted workshops extensively both internationally and nationally. In 2013 he was invited to attend a symposium in La Bisbal, Spain to show his work and give a lecture about his techniques in crystalline glazing to the international community. Most recently, Ian’s work and technique have been featured in the July/August 2016 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

Ian is currently a Professor of Ceramics at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, MS.

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Ian Childers 

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We will be hosting Ian for a 3 Day Crystalline Workshop in conjunction with his exhibition here. Workshop dates are October 20th-22nd, 2016.

 

Click the banner on our homepage to view more images from the show and works for sale.

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Matt Schiemann Workshop

We are thrilled to announce…

Botbyl Pottery & Companion Gallery will be hosting Matt Schiemann for a 3 Day Pottery Workshop in May of 2015.

Join us for this fun, educational, and inspiring weekend!

Hands On Workshop: May 7th & 8th

  • Spaces Available: 7
  • Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
  • Fee: $250 Includes both days, unlimited clay, and multiple firings

Demo Workshop: Saturday May 9th

  • Spaces Available: 15+
  • Skill Level: Any
  • Fee: $55

 

Matthew Schiemann is a second-generation potter that grew up watching and helping his

dad create ceramic works.  This early exposure taught Matt to appreciate the handmade

object and eventually to choose the field of ceramics for himself.  He received his

Bachelors of Arts in Sculpture and Ceramics from Ashland University in 2005 and his

Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2009.

While in graduate school, Matt worked as Harris Deller’s personal assistant and as a

Teaching Assistant for the wheel throwing and industrial design courses.  During this

time, he began building his own body of work focused on functional pottery fired in

atmospheric kilns.

After graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Matt was accepted as an

artist in residence at the St. Petersburg Clay Company.  Shortly after being accepted as

A.I.R. Matt became an adjunct professor at Eckerd College for PEL program’s ceramics

department.  In October of 2010, Matt became co-owner/director of the St. Petersburg

Clay Company. Matthew is now currently the manager for the St. Pete Clay Artist in

Residence Program at the Morean Center for Clay and is an adjunct professor at St.

Petersburg College.

Botbyl Pottery & Companion Gallery are located behind the Crown Winery in Humboldt, Tn. The gallery and studio are nestled among 25 acres of rolling vineyard. Join us for this inspiring weekend of art and education. Call Eric at (731)267-7784 or email at botbylpottery@gmail.com (subject: Schiemann workshop) to book your spot now.