Pottery and Glass
Mark Schwenk
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Gazette Staff Writer
The
Bedford County Arts Center's latest exhibit features art forged from earth,
water and fire into delicate reflections of naturešs beauty.
The center will exhibit works by four members of the Frog Valley Artisans group, based in Berkeley Springs, W.Va. The show includes multimedia pieces incorporating pottery, glass and metalwork.
Potter and glasswork artist Veronica Wilson, one of the founders of Frog Valley Artisans, grew up in Bedford and attended Bedford Area School District before moving away at age 17. She went on to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study photography, but her interest in pottery grew and she shifted her focus to that medium. She began incorporating glass into her pottery designs under the guidance of a friend already working with stained and fused glass. Eventually, Wilson turned mainly to glasswork.
"Glass is like an addiction," she joked. "Some women buy shoes. I buy glass."
Many of Frog Valley Artisans co-founder Mark Schwenk's pieces incorporate glass crafted by Wilson and others, but he works primarily in metal forging and sculpture. In his case, the craft was in his blood - he comes from a long line of professional blacksmiths.
"Originally, I went into fine art photography to buck the tradition," he said. "But eventually I went back into forging. As far as I know, I'm the first in my family to do artsmithing."
Gordon Macleod, the group's full-time potter, has been working with ceramics since the 1970s. He experiments with pottery as a canvas for colors and patterns, creating designs reminiscent of Impressionist paintings.
"As an artist, youšre always trying to express some aspect of nature," Macleod said. "I look at something like a beautiful piece of sandstone and try to create something with the same colors and layering."
The Frog Valley exhibit also includes work by metal sculptor and fused glass artist Angela Matthews.
The public is invited to meet the artists at a reception held from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 5. The exhibit will run through Sept. 25. More information about Frog Valley Artisans is available at www.frogvalley.com.
The Bedford County Arts Center is located in Anderson House, at 137 E. Pitt St., Bedford. It is handicapped accessible. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 814-623-1538 or email gallery@artsinbedfordpa.org.
The center will exhibit works by four members of the Frog Valley Artisans group, based in Berkeley Springs, W.Va. The show includes multimedia pieces incorporating pottery, glass and metalwork.
Potter and glasswork artist Veronica Wilson, one of the founders of Frog Valley Artisans, grew up in Bedford and attended Bedford Area School District before moving away at age 17. She went on to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study photography, but her interest in pottery grew and she shifted her focus to that medium. She began incorporating glass into her pottery designs under the guidance of a friend already working with stained and fused glass. Eventually, Wilson turned mainly to glasswork.
"Glass is like an addiction," she joked. "Some women buy shoes. I buy glass."
Many of Frog Valley Artisans co-founder Mark Schwenk's pieces incorporate glass crafted by Wilson and others, but he works primarily in metal forging and sculpture. In his case, the craft was in his blood - he comes from a long line of professional blacksmiths.
"Originally, I went into fine art photography to buck the tradition," he said. "But eventually I went back into forging. As far as I know, I'm the first in my family to do artsmithing."
Gordon Macleod, the group's full-time potter, has been working with ceramics since the 1970s. He experiments with pottery as a canvas for colors and patterns, creating designs reminiscent of Impressionist paintings.
"As an artist, youšre always trying to express some aspect of nature," Macleod said. "I look at something like a beautiful piece of sandstone and try to create something with the same colors and layering."
The Frog Valley exhibit also includes work by metal sculptor and fused glass artist Angela Matthews.
The public is invited to meet the artists at a reception held from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 5. The exhibit will run through Sept. 25. More information about Frog Valley Artisans is available at www.frogvalley.com.
The Bedford County Arts Center is located in Anderson House, at 137 E. Pitt St., Bedford. It is handicapped accessible. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 814-623-1538 or email gallery@artsinbedfordpa.org.