Summit Artspace’s new exhibition, “PRECIOUS – The Fine Art of Fine Craft,” features meticulously crafted works in glass, clay, wood, fiber and metal made by local artists, July 1 through Aug. 13.
The community art center will host an opening reception with the artists on Friday, July 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. The reception in the Summit Artspace Gallery is free and open to the public.
PRECIOUS is a celebration of the five major craft mediums-clay, glass, fiber, wood and metal. The pieces from 35 regional artists are representative of the best in contemporary fine craft. The artists experiment with materials, resulting in innovative and exciting works of contemporary art that blur the line between craft and fine art.
Craft is often considered a functional or utilitarian piece with decorative elements added to it. PRECIOUS has the goal of challenging the viewer’s concept of craft so that he or she may see the piece outside its practical role.
“Precious highlights regional artists working in traditional craft mediums. Many fine crafters showcase their work through commercial galleries or sales-driven crafts fairs and festivals,” said Joe Karlovec, Summit Artspace Gallery exhibitions manager. “This exhibition gives these artists the opportunity to reach beyond the purely decorative or commercial realm in order to emphasize more conceptual, formal and aesthetic considerations within the tradition of fine craft.”
PRECIOUS will feature the work of Jamie Ausperk, David Bair, Elizabeth Bennett, Leona Bowser, Bradley Brownfield, Bob Bruch, Mary Clark, Davin Ebanks, Kim Eggleston-Kraus, Shannon Hines, Julienne Hogarth, John E. Hogarth, John T. Hogarth, Kristin Kowalski, David Bryan Lile, Janice Lessman-Moss, Roza Maille, Kristina Malcolm, Susan McClory, Ryan Osborne, Andrea Palagiano, Chloe Piepho, Bob Pozarski, Nathan Prebonick, Erica Raby, Shani Richards, Carmen Romine, Kathryn Shinko, Rachel Smith, Larry Staats, Brittni Stump, Amanda Stumpf, Gail Taber, Diane Taninecz, Andy Thomas, Jack Valentine and Jim Weckbacher.
Lessman-Moss, a professor of Crafts/Textile Art at the Kent State University School of Art, is well-regarded for her work and was awarded a 2016 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio from the Ohio Arts Council. The three Hogarths, Julienne and her husband, John E., and their son John T., submitted custom designed and crafted tables. Kim Eggleston-Kraus has shown her ceramic pieces in a number of local shows while Nathan Prebonick recently took home an award from a Summit Artspace show for his work.
Glass artist Bob Pozarski is the creator of the handcrafted kaleidoscopes that are awarded to the winner of the annual “Kaleidoscope Art Show” put on by the Akron Society of Artists, the Artists of Rubber City and the Women’s Art League.
Also opening that evening in the Summit Artspace Transition Gallery is the exhibit “From the Walls Within,” featuring work by the Akron Art Museum staff. It runs July 1 through 23. The community is invited to see the artistic talent of the people who design and mount the shows at Akron’s fine art museum.
There is no admission to the Summit Artspace exhibits, which are open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. They will be open during the Akron Artwalks of July 2 and August 6 from noon to 9 p.m. Crafty Mart is open in the Summit Artspace building for Artwalk which runs from 5 to 10 p.m.
For additional info, visit summitartspace.org.
The BOX Gallery, the exhibit space of the Artists of Rubber City located on the third floor of Summit Artspace, will have a free opening the same night and time for its new show, “The 26th Annual Juried Show.” Also free admission, the BOX is open Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. and for the Artwalk.
Visitors will have another opening to attend that evening from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rubber City Prints on the Summit Artspace first floor. “Prints Exhibition Summit 2016” will run until Aug. 27. It includes artists from Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. The reception and show are free and open to the public.
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