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Tea by the Sea
classical meets contemporary; clay meets the sea
The
Newport Potters Guild, located at 302 Thames Street in Newport,
Rhode Island is hosting a national juried exhibition of teapots,
teacups, tea bowls and tea accessories from March 3rd
through April 5th. An opening reception with live
jazz from the Lois Vaughan Jazz Trio will be held on Saturday,
March 6th, from six until nine in the evening. The
reception is open to the public. The show, Tea by the Sea,
will explore the limits of classic ceramic objects
pertaining to tea. This exhibit will celebrate the wide variety
of forms pertaining to ‘the genial’ beverage in both eastern and
western cultures. A diverse range of social, historical, and
cultural influences will be represented.
Gallery
Manager, Christine Bevilacqua, is overwhelmed with the
enthusiastic response from national artists to the call for
entries. “I am thrilled to see the quality of teapots being made
by all these artists. The creativity behind and execution of
each teapot is stunning. This show is a must-see for any serious
teapot collector or tea enthusiast.” Entries arrived from
artists in California, Utah, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas and
Alabama. One artist sent work from as far away as Ontario,
Canada. Local artists have been hard at work as well. A teapot
and balancing stack of teacups created by East Providence
artist, Christian Tonsgard, were selected for Tea by the Sea
by the aesthetic committee.
The
aesthetic committee of the Newport Potters Guild consists of
Christine Bevilacqua, studio manager, Dianne Schuman and gallery
assistant, Renee Walker-Tuttle. After sorting through seventy
different submissions, the committee chose forty works to be
displayed. The criteria that guided the selection of work were
originality, quality, function and form. Various methods of
teapot making and firing will be exhibited at the show. The
forms vary from extremely traditional Japanese tea bowls to an
eccentric teapot disguised as a dancing woman with a swaying
gown. First, second and third place winners will be announced at
the opening reception on March 6th. The staff at the
Newport Potters Guild has been working intimately with their
friends at Anchor Bend Glassworks to design a unique award for
the first place winner. Cash prizes will also be awarded.
In the
onsite-studio, resident potter, Ben Gaboury, has been cranking
out teapots of his own. He works in the studio everyday,
creating beautiful ceramic works of art to be sold in the
gallery. This month alone, he has completed over twenty
different teapot designs.
The Newport Potters Guild is a ceramics gallery, studio and
guild located at 302 Thames Street, in the historic district of
Newport, RI. The gallery offers an array of functional
pottery, decorative sculpture and clay jewelry from over
twenty artists, as well Newport Potters Guild designs, created
on the premises. The Newport Potters Guild offers customers and
businesses the option of ordering custom pieces, as well. The
gallery hosts themed and juried shows throughout the year. The
studio, equipped with four potters' wheels and two large kilns,
offers classes, workshops and private tutorials for children and
adults. Memberships are available; the guild of potters and
ceramics enthusiasts enjoy monthly meetings and membership
benefits. The Newport Potters Guild opened its doors in June of
2009. Additional information can be found at
www.newportpottersguild.com.
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