The CLAY Festival 2019 Exhibition, Current, will be juried by internationally known artist, Sunshine Cobb, whose work is based in the tradition of historic ceramics, yet carries contemporary themes throughout. Sunshine is the owner of Sidecar Studios, a vibrant space for ceramic artists and other creative community activities in Sacramento, California. As a full-time studio artist who specializes in handmade functional pottery, she frequently travels the country as an invited lecturing and demonstrating artist. Her work has drawn both critical praise for its whimsical rustic style and national and international commercial success. She is considered an important contemporary functional potter, hailed in both academic and commercial circles, and is consistently featured in art exhibitions throughout the country.
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Utilizing traditional techniques, her work embodies the importance of hand-made pottery in an era of disposability, while representing a new model of a functional potter in the modern era. Her unique style is described as “textural surfaces that remind us of old worn out wood, leather or metal objects from long ago… possess[ing] a visual acuity along with obvious marks of the hand left behind through the making process, all simultaneously inviting a human touch”. Creating from the ‘lingering memories of times, shapes, and experiences’ – she insists that her work remain functional, an object that finds its way into our busy days, creating a connection between the maker and its user.
With a strong social media following and online media presence, she represents an innovator in online business models in the ever-changing ceramics field and a leading advocate for functional art in modern living. She devotes time and effort into growing a ceramics community locally and nationally. Besides volunteering demonstration time for local k-12 art programs, Sidecar Studios has an intern program open nationally to young artists, seeking mentorship, space and time to develop their practice and learn about the field they are seeking to enter.
Educated at California State University of Sacramento with a BA in Studio Arts and an MFA in Ceramics from Utah State University, Sunshine is the recipient of several esteemed honors in the field including serving as a long-term resident at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT from 2012-2014 and named as 2013’s Emerging Artist by both the National Council on the Education of Ceramic Art and Ceramics Monthly.
The exhibition will be juried anonymously through the submission of digital images of artworks.
Online submission is via the CLAY Festival website: http://www.clayfestival.com
The submission entry deadline is May 31st, 2019 at 11:59 PM MDT.
A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt of submission.
Submission Requirements
● One entry consists of 1 piece; each artist may submit a maximum of 3 entries.
● If accepted, each piece must be marked on the back with the artist’s name, title, and retail price.
● Size limits:
FREE STANDING PIECES: no taller than 24” high, no heavier than 20 lbs. Must be stable and pedestal ready.
WALL PIECES: no heavier than 10 lbs. Must be ready to be securely hung.
● Entries must be made of natural clay. There are no restrictions as to finish or technique.
● Entries must include: Dimensions of each piece, the clay body used, and firing & glazing technique.
Image Requirements
● A maximum of three images may be submitted for each entry.
● Images must be in .jpg format and high resolution (300 dpi/ppi), with a minimum of 1800 pixels on the longest side and a 20MB maximum file size. Only images that meet this criterion will be considered.
● Artist identification must not be visible on the submitted images, in order that the jurying may occur anonymously.
● Accepted works that differ greatly from the submitted images will be disqualified.
Fees & Shipping
Entry fees are $30 for one entry, $35 for two entries, and $40 for three entries. Payment may be made through PayPal on the CLAY Festival website. Entries received without payment will be disqualified.
The artist is responsible for shipping and insuring accepted work to and from Roots Cellar Arts at Seedboat Center for the Arts (214 W. Yankee Street, Silver City, NM 88061). Hand delivery and pickup are also acceptable. Shipped works must be sent in an easily reusable container/packaging and must include prepaid return shipping and insurance. The CLAY Festival will insure accepted works from receipt up to the time of return shipment or pickup, per the exhibition calendar. Delivered works not picked up by July 29th, 2019 or not sent with return shipping, will become the property of CLAY.
Awards
• $1000 – FIRST PLACE: Tad Van der Weele Memorial Award
• $500 – SECOND PLACE
• $300 – THIRD PLACE
Awards will be announced at the exhibition opening reception.
Calendar
May 31st, 2019 – Entry Submission & Fee Deadline
June 1st, 2019 – Juror decision of acceptance
June 6th, 2019 – Notification of acceptance/non-acceptance
July 1st – July 6th 2019 – Accepted works must be received
July 15th – 22nd, 2019 – CLAY Festival
July 15th – Exhibition opening reception, 6pm – 8 pm
July 28th – Exhibition closes
July 29th – Pickup of hand delivered work
July 29th – August 2nd – Return shipment of submitted work
Eligibility
The Exhibition is open to all artists 18 years and older, residing in the United States and internationally. Work must remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition and may be sold, with CLAY retaining 40 percent of the total sale price. All works must have been completed in the last two years (2017-2019). No works shown in previous CLAY Festival juried exhibitions will be accepted.
Submitted by Silver City CLAY Festival 2019