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Feats of Clay reception kicks off annual Lincoln event |
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Written by John McCreadie
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The Feats of Clay opening reception gala, held in Lincoln April 26, offered arts patrons, fans of ceramic works of art or those just interested in roaming the historic 138-year-old Gladding, McBean terra-cotta plant a fine evening of tasty food, live music and a wide swath of ceramic art styles.
Not evident to any of the 500-plus attendees, however, was Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation’s financial challenges. As reported in the Sentinel (March 28), arts programs in Lincoln are at risk due to declining corporate sponsorships for this year’s 21st annual Feats of Clay exhibition and competition.
Claudia Renati, executive director for Lincoln Arts, reported the organization’s fundraising improved in the final weeks of organizing the show, but still remains down by about $30,000 from last year. The show brought in close to $70,000 this year, according to Renati.
“Right now, the (Lincoln) summer concert series has been postponed because we can’t afford to hire bands,” said Renati. “We plan to wait and see where we stand after Feats of Clay before evaluating other programs.” She said the Feats of Clay exhibition and competition is not at risk of being canceled “at this point.”
“I think Feats of Clay will go on for many years to come,” she said.
The grand opening reception kicked off a month of clay activities centered on tours of the Gladding, McBean plant, which take place April 30 – May 25. ClayFest, a one-day street fair, takes place in downtown Lincoln May 3.
The winning art works were showcased at the reception. The best of show award went to Gabriel Pargue of Portland, OR for his “Blessing II” entry depicting the infant Christ. Second place went to Porntip Sangvanich of Los Angeles for her “Square Teapot” work, while third-place was awarded to Shane M. Keena of West Henrietta, NY for his piece entitled “Strongylocentrotus,” which is Latin for “Ball of Spikes.”
This year’s juror, Judith Schwartz, an associate professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, reviewed images of about 1,600 different art pieces. Schwartz selected 80 pieces for award consideration at this year’s competition.
“I’ve juried a lot of shows,” said Schwartz at the reception. “This is really one of the most amazing ceramic shows.”
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