Ash Street Welcomes Matthew Asbill to the Mentorship Program!

The Ash Street Project is pleased to introduce our newest member to the mentorship program: Matt Asbill.  Matt is new to Portland, having recently lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Brooklyn, New York.  A graduate of University of Vermont, Matt found ceramics at the very end of his undergraduate career, and fell immediately for wheel work.  He has since worked in art centers in Wyoming and New York and workshopped at both Penland and Anderson Ranch.  Matt is very interested in working in a community of potters/artists, applying himself to focus his vision and pottery voice.  Matt appeared an obvious fit to us immediately, and has already proven to be the perfect balance to our group. For more about Matt's background, please see the EAMP participants section of this site.

Stirring Embers: Ray Grimm and a Life of Making opens at Ash Street Project

The Ash Street Project, in conjunction with the Ray Grimm Legacy Project, is thrilled to be the host of Stirring Embers: Ray Grimm and a Life of Making.

The Ray Grimm Legacy Project honors the life, work, influence and legacy of Raymond Grimm, a pioneer in the vibrant crafts movement in the Pacific Northwest through the second half of the twentieth century.

The exhibition illuminates the connection between the ethos of today's makers and the life of the artist as modeled and lived by Ray Grimm.  Grimm saw the connections between a caravanning bike trip to the coast and a recycled glass bottle, and taught his students to see the roots, branches and webs which connect makers and thinkers to the object.

Curated by Nicole Nathan, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Lake Oswego and former Deputy Director and Curator of Collections at Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, the exhibition presents a collection of objects, images, drawings, and sketches produced by Grimm as well as those who he influenced--from former students Ginny Adelsheim and Dale Rawls to contemporary makers Lilith Rockett and Dana Lynn Louis.

Nathan emphasizes that, "each of us can begin to glimpse the way Ray viewed the world and see he practiced what he preached.  Instead of the individual object or person, idea or singular material, we see a layered and expansive and holistic ethos". 

Related events in conjunction with the exhibition:

First Friday reception:  November 4th, 5-8, Ash Street Project  524 SE Ash

Roundtable Conversation: Live Teaching moderated by curator Nicole Nathan with participating artists and educators Daniel Duford and Thomas Orr.

Friday, November 18, 7-9  Ash Street Project  524 SE Ash

Book Launch: Stirring Embers: A workbook for a Life of Making.  This stunning full color compilation, created by artists Tracy Schlapp and Daniel Duford, represents a cross-pollination of art, life, and teaching as inspired by Ray Grimm and his work.  Available at the Ash Street Project.  $20 

For more information on the Ray Grimm Legacy Project, please click here.

Changing Topics Conversation: The Intention of Color

Artists participating in "The Intention of Color": Michelle Ross, Whitney Lowe, Thomas Orr, Joanna Bloom, Ben Skiba, Jimin Lee, Sarah Stokes.

With a good deal of  interest in glaze calculation  in the studio, a conversation began around Birdie Boone's luscious use of color and her coaxial color blend.  In her article "An Introduction to Color", Birdie touches on the intention of color as it relates to form in her work. This idea inspired the idea of a conversation topic.

The Intention of Color proved to be a complex topic to undertake!  Color as underglaze, married to the object through fire, as opposed to color in painting, seen as more of  a skin, was one of the many complexities the discussion touched upon.  It's possible we all left with more questions than answers.

Following our discussion, our invited artists walked through the Entrance show with the mentees for an open discussion about their work.

Thank you to our guests, Michelle and Whitney, for sharing your insights with us.

Introducing Adrienne Eliades

The Ash Street Project is pleased to introduce Adrienne Eliades. New to the greater Portland area, Adrienne will be working at ASP through the end of December as a visiting artist.  

Adrienne recently received her MFA in Ceramics from the University of Florida. Exhibited nationally, Adrienne’s work, is propelled by her research of 20th century domestic spaces, while striving to reinvent mid-century patterns and construct social dining experiences.  For more on Adrienne and her work, please see the visiting artist section of this website.

2016 Mentorship Entrance Exhibition

The Ash Street Project Entrance Exhibition provides an opportunity to view the work that the our incoming artists are making prior to the start of the mentorship program. It is with great enthusiasm that we embark on this new year with mentees Jimin Lee and Sarah Stokes, as well as returning studio assistant Ben Skiba! We have so much in store.  It was truly a celebratory evening for us, with many new faces in the house! 

Many thanks to our community for coming out to help us celebrate!  If you did not have the chance to come to the opening, you can still come by and see the work through October 21st.  Gallery hours:  11-3, Monday- Friday or by appointment

Recap: Summer Session 2016

This slide show of over a dozen images from Summer Session 2016 provides a brief recap of the industrious and celebratory two weeks we spent with our invited artists this summer at the Ash Street Project.  Summer Session allows approximately half a dozen invited artists two weeks of exploring ideas amongst peers, our mentees and the community.  The 2016 session was extremely productive as well as great fun.  Per usual, the mentees took turns as hosts to our guest artists, which at times became a bit outlandish and downright competitive.  The session closed with the annual presentation of the Hostie awards, created by our invited artists and presented to the mentees.

We are so grateful for this summer's artists and all that they brought to the session!  Please refer back to the June Summer Session post on this site for links to our guest artists' websites.

Thank youDirk Staschke, Michelle Liccardo, Jennifer Kenworth, Lisa Conway, Chris Lyon, Brett Binford.  Additional gratitude to our hosts and mentorship participants: Ivan Carmona, Ben Skiba, Aleka Tomlinson, Jordan Pieper

New Adventures Ahead for 2015/16 Mentees

It is hard to believe that we are headed into the fall and a new cycle at the Ash Street Project already! A catchup is long overdue on some of the major events of this past spring!  

May and June at ASP saw the consecutive exit exhibits of all four 2015/16 mentorship participants.  It was bittersweet to say the least.  These events were accompanied by exit talks, all of which illuminated how much these four had achieved in their short 11 months with us.  Though they all hold so much promise, they have become like family to us, and it will be hard to see them go.  For now, they will all remain in Portland. 

In brief, here is what is next for each of them, as well as links to where you can find their work.  Please click on each name below for a link to the artist's website. 

Ivan Carmona having developed a new, more personal body of sculptural work at Ash Street Project, Ivan is headed to Thurman Street Studios in northwest Portland to continue his practice.  Ivan will also continue teaching at Oregon College of Art and Craft.

Ben Skiba explored his ideas through a variety of media this year at Ash Street Project.  His exit show involved his explorations in both 2 and 3 dimensional work.  Ben will be staying on at Ash Street Project as our studio assistant, while continuing his studio practice and working at Mudshark.

Aleka Tomlinson focused her time at Ash Street Project on developing a line of pottery, as well as an website and on-line shop.  She is headed to Penland to assist potter Birdie Boone for the early fall, and then will return to work in her newly created studio in southeast Portland.

Jordan Pieper shifted his focus, over the course of his time with us, from making to curation.  His exit show acted as his curatorial debut.  Jordan will stay on part time at Ash Street Project as Gallery Assistant, where he will oversee the gallery's involvement in the Ray Grimm Legacy Project in November and multiple exhibits during NCECA in March of 2017. In the remaining months, he will curate several exhibits of his own design.  Jordan has set up a studio in northeast Portland, and will continue to teach at Oregon College of Art and Craft.

Please watch these artists' websites and social media pages (as well as ours) for their news and events.  All of our past participants will be invited to participate in our Winter Open House event, scheduled for Friday, December 2nd. Please mark your calendars, details to follow.

Summer Session 2016

 The Ash Street Project is pleased to announce our 2016 Summer Session Line Up!

Summer Session was created in an effort to shift the studio environment with the season's inherently different pace and rhythm.  Each summer, we invite six artists to come join us for a two week period.  This is an open time for them to discuss, create, and share in an exchange with each other, our studio community and the community at large.  This summer, from July 11-22nd, we are pleased to host the artists listed below.  Please click on each name for more information.  Feel free to join us for brown bag lunches (12-1, M-F) during these two weeks, as well as an opening cup exhibit Tuesday, July 12 from 6-8pm.  

                            Portland, OR: Dirk Staschke

           Portland, OR: Jennifer Kenworth

                     Portland, OR: Michelle Liccardo

                                     Portland, OR: Lisa Conway

                            Portland, OR: Chris Lyon

                    Portland, OR: Brett Binford

Recap: Visiting Artist Eva Kwong

It was a whirlwind two weeks with our spring visiting artist Eva Kwong.  While in the studio at the Ash Street Project, Eva made a series of new sculptural vessels, and talked with the mentees about mixing slips and surface application techniques.  Along with this, Eva managed to visit several area colleges, the OCAC fab lab and the Mudshark slipcast manufactory.  We look forward to Eva's return to Portland for NCECA in March.  (Note: please click on images if slideshow is not automatically turning).

Ash Street Project Mentorship Exit Exhibits

During the months of May and June, Ash Street Project will be exhibiting work from the 2015/16 mentorship program.  These four consecutive exit exhibits are the culmination of the artists' experiences here at Ash Street Project.  Each artist is solely responsible for all components of their exhibition.  Artist receptions will be held on Fridays from 6-9pm. Gallery hours and dates for each show are listed below.

Ivan Carmona- May 6-15, Artist Reception: May 6, 6-9pm

Jordan Pieper- May 20-29, Artist Reception: May 20, 6-9pm

Ben Skiba- June 1-7, Artist Reception: June 3, 6-9pm

Aleka Tomlinson- June 10 -17, Artist Reception: June 10, 6-9pm

Gallery Hours: M-F 11-3, Sat/Sun and other times by appointment

info@ashstreetproject.com

Changing Topics Conversation: Historical and Cultural Appropriation

Artists participating in the discussion of "Historical and Cultural Appropriation": Jordan Pieper, Thomas Orr, Aleka Tomlinson, Rowland Ricketts, Ben Skiba, Joanna Bloom (not pictured), Ivan Carmona, Eva Kwong, Namita Wiggers.

With so much recent media attention being given to the subject of appropriation, we decided to address the topic, at our recent conversation, as it relates to history and culture in craft.  Our discussion made several circles back to the topic of contemporary authorship.  The metaphor of genetic modification was proposed as an example of how our culture's quick need for profit (or authorship) allows ideas to be transformed without first being fully "digested".

Other perspectives challenged were the idea of "tradition", the questioning of what is culture, and how we define it,  and the need for multiple critical views about craft, rather than a master narrative.  

Josh DeWeese Lecture and Demo

Ash Street Project is pleased to host a lecture and demo with potter Josh DeWeese.

Artist Talk: Wednesday, June 1, 7:00pm (doors at 6:30). Ash Street Project will be hosting a special two part lecture with Josh DeWeese and ASP mentee Ben Skiba.  Josh's exhibit will open at Eutectic and Ben's at The Gallery at Ash Street Project, both on the evening of Friday, June 3.

A Day with Josh: Saturday, June 4, 10-4.  In conjunction with his talk and exhibit, Josh will be offering a full day of demonstration, discussion and sharing of stories at the Ash Street Project studio. Limited to 30 participants, $25.  To secure your spot, please email your name and contact information to info@ashstreetproject.com.  An information packet with details will be sent digitally upon receipt.

Artist Receptions: These events are in conjunction with the opening of Josh's exhibit at Eutectic Gallery and Ben's exhibit at The Gallery at Ash Street Project, which open concurrently on Friday, June 3rd.

Contact: info@ashstreetproject.com  Ash Street Project  524 SE Ash Portland 97214

Updates: Visiting Artist Eva Kwong, Artist Talks, etc.

SPRING VISITING ARTIST EVA KWONG:

The Ash Street Project is thrilled to host Eva Kwong as our Spring visiting artist.  Eva will spend ten days (April 19-29) working with us in the studio.  

Though a more complete bio can be found on our website , here is a partial description about her work from the University of Akron website:

(Eva) attended the High School of Music and Art and considered art as her second language. Her work at the Nature Lab at RISD as an undergrad immersed her in the diversity and similarity of objects from nature. Her longtime interest in the intersection of the art and science of the natural world provides the conceptual framework for her compelling, colorful and sensuous organic forms.

Though Eva has worked in a variety of mediums, she is best known for her colorful, organic stoneware sculptures and installations.  Her work has been exhibited internationally and is included in collections at Shigaraki, The Mint Museum, The Finnish Craft Museum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  She is recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including several Ohio Arts Council Fellowships.

During her time with us, Eva will offer two talks about her work, at Lewis and Clark College and at PCC.  Please check our Facebook and Twitter pages for more information as details unfold.

Artist Talk with Shalene Valenzuela, Mitchell Spain & Chris Dufala :

Our Artist Talk Series, in conjunction with Eutectic Gallery's exhibition schedule continues on Thursday March 31st, with visiting artists Chris Dufala, Mitchell Spain and Shalene Valenzuela. Join us at Ash Street Project Studios and Gallery, the night before the show opens at Eutectic, for a preview and discussion with the artists about their process and inspiration.
Doors open at 6:30, Talk begins at 7:00pm. There will be a Q&A session with all three artists after their individual presentations. 

 

Conversations on Travel: Judy Teufel and Jordan Pieper :

Please join us this Tuesday, April 5th at Ash Street Project to listen and converse with Judy Teufel and Jordan Pieper as they discuss their recent travels abroad. 
Judy Teufel is a retired educator and studio artist in Portland, OR. Last summer, Judy traveled to Peru where she visited Lima's, Museo Raphael Larco to view a collection of Pre-Columbian ceramics. Judy will share images of the collection, in addition to images of the floating islands of Uros and Cusco. 
Jordan Pieper is a recipient of the 2015 Regina Brown Undergraduate Fellowship from the National Council on the Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). With the generous support of this fellowship, Jordan was able to go on a three week travel to see, examine and further understand the history of Porcelain in Europe. Jordan will share his discoveries from his tour of porcelain in Iceland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Netherlands, where he visited galleries, factories, and museums.
The doors open at 6pm and image presentations will begin at 6:30pm. We look forward to seeing you to share our stories and experiences abroad in hopes to spur conversation about the importance of travel as it relates to one's life and work.

Applications Due for 2016/2017 Mentorship Program!

Ash Street Project Emerging Artist Mentorship Program (ASP:EAMP) is now accepting applications for the 2016/17 mentorship year, which runs September 2016-July 2017.  

What we are looking for:  Our program is non-traditional and organic in nature.  In addition to what is stated on the website, we look for artists who are driven by a clear, attainable goal for their 11 months with us, and are relatively autonomous in their making.  The success of the Ash Street Project is strongly rooted in community, and for that reason we consider what each applicant can contribute to our program. 

Our application process is very straight-forward, with the interview an essential component. This allows us to determine whether we are a good fit for you, and vice versa.  The ideal is for the interview to take place on site at the Ash Street Project, so that you can see the site and meet with both Thomas and Joanna.   If this is not possible, we may opt for a skype interview or meeting at NCECA.  

We have just three spaces available for the upcoming year, and will begin reviewing applications following the Kansas City NCECA  Please note: Thomas will be co-lecturing with Ursula Hargens (MN NICE) in "Outside the Academy" (a lecture on alternative education) tentatively scheduled for 12:30 on 3/18 in Conference room C/D.  Please consider attending this lecture if you are at NCECA, and make an appointment to talk with Thomas.

All applications will be reviewed and decisions made by May 1, 2016.  Please refer to the EAMP section of our website for further details of the program.  For further communication, please email: info@ashstreetproject.com

Changing Topics Conversation: Art and Fear

Artists participating in the discussion of "Art and Fear" : Ivan Carmona, Aleka Tomlinson, Ben Skiba, Thomas Orr, Paige Wright, Jordan Pieper, Horatio Law, Dirk Staschke, Joanna Bloom (not pictured).

This month we gathered to discuss personal perspectives on the topic of " Fear " with artists working in a variety of media from functional ware to installation and public art. Perfectionism seemed to be a common stumbling block, with one artist offering a personal tale about the freedom they found in deliberately befriending imperfection.  A valuable reminder was that though “sometimes you need that person that loves everything you do, you (also)  need a trusted source you respect to talk to you about your ideas, process, work".  Thank you conversation attendees!

Tom Beardman Scholarship Update

Many of you are familiar with the story of our late studio partner Tom Beardman; how he was with us when we first moved in to the big, cold space on Ash Street.  He witnessed its original incarnation, a matrix of rooms with dark walls and a floor painted with enamel paint, Jackson Pollock style.  He was there for the demolition and makeover, and joined us for our first years with no heat or hot water. Tom was the self-proclaimed, unofficial caretaker of the space.

These days when people visit what is now The Ash Street Project, they often remark on the magic of the space, its light and general good feeling.  We like to think of this phenomena as the essence of Tom.  We know he would be so pleased to see how far we've come, and to know of his namesake scholarship, created to help people so much like himself.

The support we have received this year has been overwhelming. We have had such good feedback, and with it people sincerely invested in seeing Ash Street flourish. We are grateful for each and every person who has walked through our door!  

Since our last recap less than a year ago, the Tom Beardman Scholarship has raised well over $3,000.  These funds came from individual donations, t shirt sales and an especially generous contribution from visiting artist Jean-Nicolas Gerard.  

As we look back over 2015, we would like to acknowledge the following people for their donations and in-kind support:

Jean-Nicolas Gerard

John Shea

Chris Pate

Jonathan Steele

Lisa Orr

Victoria Christen

Denise Mullen

Judy Teufel

Christina Kemp

Julia Crocetto

Shiloh Gastello

Christine Clark

Matthew Causey

Dan Anderson

Jim Skutt/Skutt Kilns

Jamie Francis

Thank you Ash Street Project Community!

For more information on The Tom Boardman Scholarship, please click on his name in the first sentence.  

Visiting artist: Jean-Nicolas Gerard

For the month of November, we had the good fortune to host  Jean-Nicolas Gerard,  from Valensole, France.  In his time with us, Jean-Nicolas experimented with Thomas' iron-rich terra cotta clay body, new slips and commercial underglazes. The results were a vast departure from the lead-glaze palette he typically works with at home. He was quite pleased and is looking forward to a return visit with further exploration.

There was so much to observe and absorb from Jean-Nicolas, from his openness to working with new materials, to his desire for simplicity.  The culmination of his visit was a fantastic French meal created by Agnes Fouquet,  served on Jean-Nicolas' freshly made pots.  This was an extraordinary time that we all will hold dear to us.  We are already looking forward to the next visit!

To view the Goldmark Video about Jean-Nicolas, please click on his name highlighted in first sentence.

2015 Entrance Show

What a fun night!  Thank you all who came out last night to support our four emerging artist mentees.  It was a great evening and we couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to work with this very talented group of young artists.  If you didn't make it out, the show will remain on view for through the end of the month (Holidays excluded).  Gallery Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:00-4:00.

Changing Topics Conversation: The Creative Cycle

Artists in "The Creative Cycle" from L to R: Ivan Carmona, Aleka Tomlinson, Jordan Pieper, Ben Skiba, Horatio Law, Liz Nielson, Lisa Conway, Jamey Hampton, Joanna Bloom (not pictured), Thomas Orr.

This month we approached the subject of the creative cycle from a variety of perspectives.  Guest artist's disciplines spanned the realm from ceramics to web design, installation to modern dance.  Here's a very abbreviated synopsis:

The following quote provided us a point of departure for discussion:

The Creativity Cycle is one that starts with loosened construction and sets the stage for creative thinking.  The loosening releases facts, long taken as self evident, from their conceptual moorings.  The Cycle terminates with tightened and validated construction.

This concept seemed to resonate with our artists.  To this was added a number of ideas that leaned towards the debunking of the myth of creativity, including the science of how certain body movements fire the brain to create and how the pressure of deadlines can act as a creative land of opportunity.  The discussion circled back, as it often does, to the importance of putting work "out there", a necessary step in determining what needs to happen next.

Thank you, artists, for your time and energy in contributing to a great discussion!!

 

Catching Up:

After two months full of travel, it is great to have everyone back in the studio at Ash Street Project. Here's a short synopsis of what's been going on, and a few upcoming events to watch for.  Please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter for further event information.

OREGON ARTS WATCH COVERAGE OF ASH STREET PROJECT:  In September, we received some press from The Oregonian's online Oregon Arts Watch.  Grace Kook-Anderson did a fantastic job of getting to the heart of our vision for Ash Street Project.  You can find the article here.

 THOMAS TO SAN FRANCISCO: In early September, Thomas spent a week in San Francisco installing his work for the traveling Craft in America  exhibit, Art and Other Tactics, at the Museum of Craft and Design.    This show launched in L.A, and is now in San Francisco through March of 2016.  

JORDAN PIEPER recently returned from  a three week trip to western Europe to research 18th century porcelain,  His travels took him to Delft and Limoges, The Victoria and Albert, and many other sites .  Jordan has tentatively scheduled a public presentation for mid November at Ash Street Project.  Details to follow.

MENTEES ENTRANCE EXHIBIT: The Ash Street Projects EAMP Entrance Exhibit is scheduled to open Thursday, November 5th.  Details to follow.  This show represents the work our artists were doing upon entering the mentorship program.  

SITKA: Ash Street Project Artists Thomas Orr and Ivan Carmona will have work in the Sitka Show this year at the World Forestry Center.  This benefit show opens Friday November 6th.

JEAN NICOLAS GERARD:  It is with profound enthusiasm that we anticipate the arrival of our fall visiting artist Jean Nicolas Gerard.  Nicolas is a potter from Valensole, France.  He will be working with us for the Month of November.  As always, the public is welcome to join us for lunch during these (or other) times to meet and converse with our artists.  Note Lunch info below.

REVISED LUNCH SCHEDULE: Brown bag lunch at Ash Street Project is a time that the public can come in and meet and participate in informal conversation with our artists.  We do ask that you come during our scheduled lunch window, 12-1, Monday-Thursday (and by appointment Fridays).  At 1 pm, mentees meet with Thomas for individual advising, or are typically back at work.