>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Apparatus #13: Stoneware by Todd Volz

The show runs through June 6 and will also be part of Third Thursday Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. May 15.

The group show will feature the work of four regional ceramic artists. From functional to whimsical, the work in this exhibit is a comprehensive cross section of diverse approaches and interpretations of the ceramic medium.

Just as in life, we all start with the same material and end up in our own unique place with it. Nowhere in the arts is this “common yet unique” metaphor more evident than in the medium of ceramics.

This show is a carefully selected group of ceramic artists from varied backgrounds and stages in their careers. They share a common interest while forging their own independent paths and visions.

Satellite Gallery is honored to have the opportunity to bring these talented artists together and introduce the community to their work.

About the Artists:

Bob Jensen of La Grande owns and operates a local ceramics business, The Potters House, with his wife, Judy. His ceramic work focuses on functional stoneware and decorative raku work. His shop and studio are located on the edge of downtown La Grande in a 100-year-old Victorian house. His work is a skillful blend of the artistic, functional and production-related forms of the ceramic medium.

To learn more about The Potter's House, visit its website: www.thepottershousegallery.com

Todd Volz is a ceramics instructor at the University of Idaho in Moscow. His current work is an intriguing series of mixed media sculptural pieces that explore the nostalgia of early machinery. He incorporates found objects and utilizes a broad spectrum of ceramic techniques to construct sculptures that suggest purposeful yet mysterious mechanical functions. The series creates a narrative that sets the stage for the various and often conflicting responses that people have to machinery and technology.

Woven Vase by Jacob Boling

Corrine Vetger of Baker City is a former fashion specialist turned ceramicist. Some of the functional yet remarkably humorous pieces she has in this show are stoneware lamps in the form of miniature camp trailers. The inspiration came from her travels with husband, Brian, in their '85 VW camper van. Spending time at campgrounds around the country and looking at old tin can trailers sparked her creativity. 

“Seeing the lights on in those old campers at night made me curious as to what’s going on inside them.” she says. “I thought, why not create that same thing in clay?"

The opening reception Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. gives art lovers a chance to meet the artists and enjoy an evening of refreshments.

The show will be open to the public during regular gallery hours  through June 6. For more information visit the gallery’s website at www.satelliteartgallery.com