New Exhibitions at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery | | Artwork by (left to right) Annie Honn, Justin Rothshank, Miguel Alaniz, Didem Mert. | Holidays at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery opens on first Friday, November 4. Get an early start on your holiday shopping and enjoy refreshments from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Artists from across the country have created artworks for the holiday season that make the perfect gifts for family and friends. Shoppers can choose from an array of unique ceramics, glass, metal, and more. Purchases can be made online or in the gallery through December 31, 2022. Shipping can be arranged for an additional charge.
This year’s artists include Rachel Akin, Miguel Alaniz, Nicole Aquillano, Ian Bassett, Conner Burns, Mike Cerv, Kate Clements, Josh Dickens, Chris Dufala, Genevieve Flynn, Annette Gates, Bianka Groves, Josh Goering, Pierce Haley, Katie Hogan, Annie Honn, Tyler Kimball, Marshall Maude, Caroline Meek, Jacob Meer, Joe Meinecke, Didem Mert, Dan Ohm, Brent Pafford, Ashley Pedone, Ronan Peterson, Will Preman (Yum Yum Ceramics), Justin Rothshank, Melanie Sherman, Jamin Shepherd, Lilah Shepherd, Lauryl Sidwell, Amy Smith, Madeline Stimle, Wanda Tyner, and more. For the most current list of participating artists please visit BelgerArts.org. | | | | Frank Thong’s work focuses on the balance between Eastern and Western influences contextualized through his cultural identity. Drawing upon concepts from Asian ceramics and his cultural experiences growing up, he creates functional objects that encapsulate the Asian-American dilemma. Through his artwork, he hopes to chip away at social stereotypes and promote representation. Thong was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and earned a BFA in Ceramics, and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship with an Asian Studies certificate from the Kansas City Art Institute. He is a resident artist at KC Clay Guild and Charlotte Street Foundation. Previously he was a resident artist at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary.
Thong’s work is available online and at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery (2011 Tracy Ave, KCMO) beginning Friday, November 4 at 10:00 am (CST) and will be on view through December 31, 2022. | | | | November Mug of the Month featured artist is Belger Crane Yard Studios resident artist Cindy Leung. Playfulness is an important part of Cindy’s work. While making her noodle mugs, she was flooded with childhood memories from when she was told not to play with her food at the dinner table. She remembers how much she enjoyed doing so even though it was taboo in her family. As an adult, she finds herself constantly driven by desires to explore, understand, and experiment with things that are considered taboos, such as not slipping and scoring when joining clay pieces together. She considers her noodle mugs the result of pushing material boundaries while having lots of fun in the process. Learn more about her by visiting her artist page. You can purchase a Mug of the Month even if you don't have a subscription. This means you can buy a mug by an artist you love when they become available. However, having a Mug of the Month subscription reserves your spot to receive a new mug before they are offered for sale to the public. | | | December Holiday Open House and Studio Sale | | The Holiday Open House and Studio Sale is around the corner. Mark your calendars for Friday, December 2, 10 am - 8 pm, and Sunday, December 3, 10 am - 6 pm at Belger Crane Yard Studios (2011 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO). Studio members and resident artists will have functional and decorative ceramics and jewelry on display and available for purchase. Shoppers can choose from a range of styles and price points and meet the artists. This event is also a stop on the KC Clay Guild’s Holiday Pottery Sale and Studio Tour. Stay tuned to our website for more details. | | | On view through January 7, 2023 | | Elaine Olafson Henry, (left to right) Missouri, 2017, Kansas, 2018. Each wood fired porcelain, 6 x 4 x 4 in. | 50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires includes 50 porcelain bowls made by artist Elaine Olafson Henry. Each thrown bowl was made using the same amount of clay from the same clay block, the same building and shaping process, and the same glaze. Curious about the effects of firing circumstances in different environments, Henry sent a bowl to a ceramist in each of the 50 states to be woodfired. The resulting bowls are products of the types of wood and variety of kilns used, the length of firing, and temperature reached. The bowls will be presented with technical details, including names of wood firing team members, providing insights into each collaboration and the various nuances acquired during the firing process. | | | | Peter Callas, Maquette: Barn Owl, 2018. Wood fired Stoneware, 12 x 13 x 4.5 in. Collection of John and Anna Seargeant. | Peter Callas: An Enduring Legacy is a comprehensive survey of the career of Peter Callas, an internationally renowned artist, and master of the Anagama kiln wood-firing process. Callas considers the Anagama kiln, “the centerpiece for experimentation that records the passage of time.” The exhibition showcases Callas’ experimentation and innovation over 30 years of creative production and includes expressionist ceramic sculptures, abstracted container forms, intimate tea bowls, and works on paper. | | | | Robert Stackhouse, Red Flyer, 1999, watercolor, 60 x 126 in. Photo Courtesy of the Belger Collection. | Passages includes more than 30 sculptures, prints, paintings, and drawings by contemporary art icon Robert Stackhouse, all from the Belger Collection. His two-dimensional artwork often documents large-scale outdoor sculptures that were created with his students and volunteers. Many of them were of a scale where visitors could enter and pass through the installations. Often A-frame wooden structures, the sculptures were literal passageways through art. Frequent imagery in Stackhouse’s output includes boats and ships (reflecting earthly and spiritual passages) and snakes (symbolic of regeneration and death). This exhibition continues through January 7, 2023 at the Belger Arts Center (2100 Walnut St., KCMO). | | | For more information about exhibitions, classes, and programs, please visit our website. |
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