Juried by Sandy Simon

© 2012 Lillstreet Art Center4401 N. Ravenswood Ave.Chicago, IL 60640

Artwork © the artists. Text © Rachel Sampson.Photographs by Joe Tighe Photography.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, without permission in writing from Lillstreet Art Center.

Cover: Jon Glabus, Woodfired Plate, 2012, Best in Show

Top left to right: Jon Glabus, Best in Show; Megan Mitchell, 2nd Prize; Missy McCormick, Honorable Mention

J U R O R ’ S S T A T E M E N T

by Sandy Simon

You may notice the preponderance of

wood fired work in this show. There

were many entries in this area. I am also

drawn to it. Because surface decoration

can be challenging, I recognize that

many potters use wood fire as a crutch;

therefore the “luck of the fire” plays an

ultra important role. Consistent good

results, however, require knowledge and

skill as well as an intimate relationship

with the kiln. I may have dis-allowed an

entry that was “good” yet, as only one

entry, it was unknown to me whether it

was luck or skill.

Color or texture which screams

“look at me” isn’t what grabs me.

Subtlety of surface and strength of

form align best with my sensibilities.

I welcome a quiet approach, where the

viewer or user can feel an affinity with

the clay. If interfacing with food isn’t

the intent of the maker, that’s OK, yet,

I believe a plate should be an invitation

to come closer, or to “invite use” either

visually, or tactilely.

Jurying a plate show by slides is

a little bit like jurying a painting show,

in that one can’t see the dimensions, or

the “line” quality of the surface, or feel

the weight. Yet, all of these elements

are important to a plate. A good

plate can affect the feeling in a room

or enhance the food that is served

on it. For me, a good plate offers a

collaboration and is not, in and of itself,

an installation.

Sandy Simon is a potter and owner of TRAX ceramic gallery in Berkeley, California.

Creating the “perfect plate” is no easy

feat. The potter needs to measure,

throw, trim, and glaze their piece in

a very precise and technical manner

or it will inevitably crack, warp, or

deform in the firing process. But

more importantly, in pursuit of the

perfect plate, the artist must meld

together the qualities of function

and form to create an object that has

deep historical and cultural roots.

The perfect plate must recall upon

our shared past and unite it with the

rituals of our daily lives to inspire,

nourish, and engage us with our

surroundings.

T H E P E R F E C T P L A T E

by Rachel Sampson

This fifth annual Lillstreet

International, “The Perfect Plate”

showcases 43 pieces from 32 North

American artists. Their works,

selected by juror Sandy Simon,

contain a subtlety and strength of

form that creates a unique bond

between the object and the viewer.

The juror makes the significance of

this kind of engagement clear when

she states, “. . . I believe a plate should

be an invitation to come closer, or to

‘invite use’ either visually or tactilely.”

While the show’s works all share this

subtle and inviting nature, they do

maintain their own distinctions. For

example, the wood-fired works reflect

a more historical and traditional

approach that encompass a ritual of

firing cycles and masterful techniques

that have been practiced by artists

over the centuries. Other more

contemporary pieces, meanwhile,

show how artists add to the canon of

traditional techniques and create new

kinds of surface design through the

use of inventive glazing, printmaking,

decals, and low-firing methods.

Overall, though they vary in approach,

shape, and surface design, all the

plates in the exhibition achieve a

quiet complexity and through careful

study, evolve in front of viewers’

eyes. “The Perfect Plate” gives us a

range of works to reflect upon on and

challenges us to think about our own

criteria for perfection and how an

artist’s skill and creativity can impact

our daily lives.

Rachel Sampson holds a B.A. from Wittenberg University and an M.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago. She is an intern at Lillstreet Gallery.

W O R K S A R E P I C T U R E D in alphabetical order by artist name.

See back of catalogue for biographies. To inquire about availability or

to purchase, please email lillstreet@lillstreet.com.

Michael Ashley

Dessert Plates, 2012 Stoneware: Wood/Soda Fired

7 inches round

Noel Bailey

Plate Set, 2012 Porcelain: Cone 10 reduction10 and 6 inches round

Mariana Baquero

Small Plate with Flower and Small Yellow and Blue Plate, 2012Porcelain: Cone 6 Electric 7 inches round

Amanda Barr

“Down the Rabbit Hole,” 2012Porcelain: Electric 17 x 13 x 5 inches

Clinton Berry

Plate Set--Wallpaper Series, 2012Porcelain: Cone 9 Reduction

10 and 8 inches square

Elise Delfield

Green Plate, 2012Red Clay: Cone 4 Electric

10.25 inches round

Nick DeVries

Green Snack Plates, 2012White Stoneware: Cone 6 Electric6.5 inches square

Mike Gesiakowski

Squared Plate, 2012Red Stoneware: Wood Fired7.5 x 7.5 inches square

Sandwich Plate, 2012Red Stoneware: Wood Fired

7 x 7 inches square

Jon Glabus

Plates, 2012B-Mix: Wood Fired8 inches round

B E S T I N S H O W

Mel Griffin

Suspicious Birds Dinner Plate, 2012Earthenware: Electric11 inches round

White Boar Snack Plate, 2012Earthenware: Electric

9 inches round

Mirror Drawings, 2012

Graphite and Water Color on Board6 x 6 inches

Sangeet Gupta

Large Wood Fired Plate, 2012Stoneware: Wood/Salt Fired

17 inches round

Todd Hayes

Lunch Plates, 2012Earthenware: Cone 1 Electric10.5 inches square

Anna Calluori Holcombe

Natura Vita V-2, 2012Commercial Plate, Laser and

Vintage Decals: Cone 018 Electric4.5 inches square

Tom Jaszczak

Dinner Plate, 2012Red Earthenware: Soda Fired/Cone 410 inches round

Red Lunch Plate, 2012Red Earthenware: Cone 017 inches round

Green Lunch Plate, 2012Red Earthenware: Cone 37 inches round

Jay Jensen

Crow Platter, 2012Earthenware: Oxidation18 x 18 inches

Jake Johnson

Dinner Plates, 2012White Stoneware: Reduction9 inches round

Kristen Kieffer

Large Plate, 2012Porcelain: Cone 7 Oxidation10 inches round

Small Plate, 2012Porcelain: Cone 7 Oxidation

7.25 inches round

Lucien M. Koonce

Sushi Plate, 2011Stoneware: Wood Fired in Anagama Kiln6.75 x 6.25 inches

Sushi Plate, 2011Stoneware: Wood Fired in Anagama Kiln

6.5 x 6.25 inches

Justin Lambert

Dinner Plates, 2012Stoneware: 3 Day Anagama Wood Fired10 inches round

Melissa Lee African Daisy Salad Plate, 2012

Lowfire, Slipcast, Underglaze, Glaze, Decal and Luster

4.5 inches round

Missy McCormick

Serving Plate, 2011Earthenware: Electric12 inches round

H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N

Serving Plate, 2011Earthenware: Electric

10 inches round

Megan Mitchell

Inflated Plates, 2012Porcelain: Cone 9 Reduction11 x 8 x 2 inches

S E C O N D P R I Z E

S E C O N D P R I Z E

Megan Mitchell

Plate, 2012Stoneware: Cone 9 Salt Fired

11 inches round

CJ Niehaus

Proteus Flume, 2012Porcelain with Pencil: Electric

11.5 inches round

Study in Line, 2010

Graphite on Vellum12 x 18 inches

Bob Pool

Hibiscus Platter, 2011Stoneware: Cone 10 Reduction

18.75 inches round

Justin Rothshank

Poppy Plate, 2012Earthenware with Decals: Electric

12 inches round

Jan Schachter

Slab Plate, 2011Stoneware: Cone 10 Gas Fired16.25 x 12.5

Aaron Sober

Dinner Plate, 2011Stoneware: Salt Fired10 inches round

Kyla Strid

“Masquerats,” 2012Porcelain: Cone 10 Oxidation + Luster7 inches round

Marjorie Wade

Plate with Shell Decoration, 2011Porcelain: Cone 10 Wood Fired in Anagama Kiln

5.75 inches round

Derek Walter

Celadon Plate, 2012Porcelain: Oxidation

10 x 8 inches

Study in Line, 2010

Graphite on Vellum12 x 18 inches

Ai Yamamoto

Squared Plate/Wave Pattern, 2010Porcelain: Cone 5 and 6 Oxidation

12.5 inches square

Adam Yungbluth

Orange Plate, 2012Stoneware: Cone 11 Soda

8 x 12 inches

Michael Ashley (Almond, NY)

up on a farm in Green County MO,

where he explored the rivers and

streams of the Ozark Mountains. He

graduated from College of the Ozarks

with a BA in Painting and Ceramics then

moved to Tachi, Taiwan where he did

a one-year pottery residency at Tainan

National University for the Arts. In 2010

he graduated from the University of

Mississippi with an MFA in Ceramics. He

is currently an Adjunct Professor in the

New York State College of Ceramics at

Alfred University and maintains a studio

in Almond, New York.

Noel Bailey (Montrose, CO) is a

utilitarian potter and teacher, having

recently concluded his Masters of

Fine Art degree at Southern Illinois

University Carbondale. He received his

BA in Art Education from the University

of Northern Colorado. Noel was born

A RT I S T B I O G R A P H I E S

and raised in Southwest Colorado and is

passionate about exploring the outdoors

on mountains, cliffs, and rivers. These

environments influence and inspire his

work and life.

Mariana Baquero (New Haven, CT) was

a corporate lawyer until she discovered

the pleasures of working with clay. She

is currently a Post-Baccalaureate student

at the University of Florida. Mariana uses

screen printing and laser toner decals

to layer words and images from her

family’s history, such as old postcards,

love letters and photographs, with

colorful underglaze decals and glazes to

create surfaces that entice the viewer to

interact with the object.

Amanda Barr (Ames, IA) received a BA

and MA in Spanish Literature before

turning full time to ceramics. She

currently teaches at Des Moines Area

Community College and works out of her

personal studio in Ames, Iowa. Amanda

works with simple porcelain forms and

decorates them with underglaze and

block printing patterns and text.

After graduate school Clinton Berry

(Ferguson, MO) moved to New York City

where he completed an apprenticeship

and served as a studio assistant all the

while working in the gallery. After nine

years, life’s twists and turns brought him

back home to Missouri where he landed

in St. Louis. Clinton shares studio space

at St. Louis Craft Alliance firing the soda

kiln with a group of talented, amazing

potters.

Anna Calluori Holcombe (Gainesville,

FL) received an MFA in Ceramics from

Louisiana State University, Baton

Rouge, in 1977 after receiving a BA in

Art Education from Montclair State

University, NJ, in 1974. She is a Professor

of Ceramics at the University of Florida,

Gainesville. She is a member of the

International Academy of Art and

exhibits around the world. Her recent

work depends on the use of current

technologies for form and imagery.

Elise Willa Pincu Delfield (Bryson City,

NC) is a studio potter and ceramics

instructor in Bryson City, North Carolina.

She received her B.A. In Liberal Arts with

a concentration in Ceramic Arts from the

University of Florida in 1996. From there

she continued to develop her pottery

at Eastern Kentucky University, Penland

School of Arts and Crafts, Cleveland

Institute of Arts, Edinboro University of

Pennsylvania, and the University of Miami.

Nick DeVries (Minneapolis, MN) received

a BA in Art with an emphasis in ceramics

and painting from St. Johns University

in Collegeville, MN. He works out of a

studio in the Arts District in Northeast

Minneapolis, MN. Nick’s current line of

functional white stoneware explores subtle

textures and surfaces, and seeks a balance

between tight forms and looser edges.

Mike Gesiakowski (Shawano, WI) is a

native of Chicago, growing up on the

city’s south side. His neighborhood was

a mix of blue-collar residential homes

and industrial factory grounds. This

environment has influenced his current

body of work. He attended Northern

Illinois University where he graduated

with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He spent a

year and a half as an apprentice to Simon

Levin at Mill Creek Pottery in Gresham,

WI. Mike is currently in the ceramics

graduate program at Southern Illinois

University at Edwardsville.

Since receiving his AFA from College

of DuPage, Jon Glabus (Lombard, IL)

continues to pursue independent

studies, while working as the Ceramics

Lab Assistant at Waubonsee Community

College. He enhances the gestural

quality of clay through wood firing. This

process allows the flame and molten ash

to add wisps of color across the surface

of the pots, giving the viewer insight into

the pots creation.

Mel Griffin (Helena, MT) received her BA

from Carleton College in 2001 and her

MFA from the University of Minnesota

in 2011. She is currently the 2012-13 Taunt

Fellow at the Archie Bray Foundation for

Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT. She enjoys

making art, spending time with animals,

and engaging with the natural world.

Sangeet Gupta (Chicago, IL) works as an

engineer and ceramic artist in Chicago.

His pieces are primarily wood fired

stoneware, with forms and surfaces that

are complimented by the movement

of the fire around them. Sangeet feels

that working with his hands in clay, being

surrounded by nature while firing wood

kilns, and the wood firing process itself

provide a perfect balance to city life and

crunching numbers for the man.

Todd Hayes (Logan, UT) currently lives

and works in Logan, Utah where he is the

Ceramic Studio Coordinator and Adjunct

Faculty Member at Utah State University.

Prior to his position at USU, he was the

Studio Technician and Associate Faculty

Member at Collin College in Plano Texas.

Todd earned his MFA from Wichita State

University and BFA from Utah State

University. His work has been exhibited

throughout the United States.

Tom Jaszczak (Hopkins, MN) holds

degrees in biology and in visual art from

Bemidji State University. He studied at

Oxford University and served as a studio

assistant at the Penland School of Crafts

in North Carolina. In 2011, the artist

received a Jerome Foundation projects

grant and an Artist Initiative Grant from

the Minnesota State Arts Board. He was

a summer resident at the Archie Bray

Foundation, and is slated to return to the

Montana institution in 2012.

Jay Jensen (River Falls, WI) received a

BS from the University of Wisconsin-

River Falls in Liberal Arts in 1991 and an

MFA from the University of Minnesota-

Twin Cities in Ceramics in 2005. He

teaches ceramics and art at Inver Hills

Community College in Inver Grove

Heights, MN. He lives and maintains a

studio in rural River Falls, WI where he

lives with his wife and potter Wendy

Olson and his two sons. His work is

functional handbuilt earthenware. Jay

works with computers to design the

forms and surfaces while still valuing the

importance of the handmade.

Jake Johnson (Spring Mills, PA) received

an MFA in ceramics from Penn State

University and a BS in sculpture from

Bradley University. He lives and works

at his home studio in Potters Mills, PA.

Jake draws inspiration for his forms and

surfaces from nature and seeks to convey

that sense of animation and energy

through his work.

Kristen Kieffer (Baldwinville, MA) is

a full-time studio potter, workshop

leader, and ceramics instructor in

Massachusetts. She received her BFA

from the N.Y.S.C.C. at Alfred University

and MFA from Ohio University. Kristen

has work in numerous public and private

collections, has exhibited her work

internationally in juried and invitational

exhibitions, as well as taught workshops

around the country at craft centers and

universities.

Lucien M. Koonce (Haydenville, MA)

was born in Greenville, NC. He studied

ceramics at East Carolina University (BFA)

and the University of Iowa (MFA). He

maintained a studio in North Carolina

until moving to western Massachusetts

several years ago. Predominantly wood

firing with Chris Gustin, and Jeff Shapiro,

his forms demonstrate his interest in

Japanese aesthetics. His pieces are cut

and, if containers, hollowed out (kurinuki

technique) from solid clay.

Justin Lambert (Jupiter, FL) received his

BFA from Florida Atlantic University,

and his MFA from Indiana University.

He currently resides in Jupiter, FL

where he maintains a home studio,

and fires his small teardrop anagama

often. In addition to holding the Chair

of Ceramics position at the Lighthouse

ArtCenter, he also maintains an

apprentice program. His investigation

into reduction cooling high alumina clay

bodies provides an exciting, new palette

of color and texture.

Melissa Lee Yungbluth (St. Petersburg,

FL) resides with her ceramist husband

Adam and two pugs: Alien and Sassafras.

She grew up in New Orleans, a city filled

with the arts and knew she wanted to be

an artist since she was a child. Melissa

earned a BFA in Ceramics and Graphic

Design from the University of Louisiana

at Monroe, and the moved on to earn an

MFA from the University of Mississippi,

or lovingly referred to as Ole Miss, in

Printmaking. Over the years she has

found a way of incorporating all three

disciplines into her work. When Melissa is

not making pottery she works full time as

the Assistant Curator of Exhibitions at the

Morean Arts Center.

Missy McCormick (Poland, OH) received

an MFA from the University of Florida

in Gainesville and a BFA from Georgia

Southern University in Statesboro,

GA. Missy just accepted a position at

Youngstown State University where

she is an Assistant Professor in the

Department of Art. In 2008 her work

transitioned to low-fire earthenware

after over 10 years working with soda-

firing and wood-firing stoneware. She

is heavily influenced by the space and

detailed patterns in Persian miniature

paintings and Asian floral patterns.

Originally from New Hampshire, Megan

Mitchell (Logan, UT) holds a BA in

studio art from Carleton College, in

Northfield, Minnesota. In May 2012,

she earned her MFA in ceramics from

Utah State University, and was named

USU’s Graduate Researcher of the Year.

Her work is inspired by the intersection

between interior and exterior spaces. In

September, Megan will begin a yearlong

residency at the Red Lodge Clay Center.

CJ Niehaus (Carbondale, IL) received

her BA at Xavier University and is in her

final year of an MFA Ceramics program at

Southern Illinois University - Carbondale.

A working potter for over 20 years,

she returned to school to delve more

deeply into her psyche and the earthen

materials to express various aspects,

consequences and history of humanity.

CJ juxtaposes natural and synthetic

images to create such conversations.

Bob Pool (Berkeley, CA) is a self-

taught potter. His studio is in Berkeley,

California. His pots are generally

wheelthrown and fired in a gas kiln to

cone 10-11 (2350F). His forms and glaze

patterns are inspired by Asian and

African art and by the natural world.

Justin Rothshank (Goshen, IN) is a

studio ceramic artist working in Goshen,

Indiana. In 2001 he co-founded the

Union Project, a nonprofit organization

located in Pittsburgh, PA. He has worked

as a full time studio artist since 2008.

Justin’s work is exhibited in galleries

and museum shops around the country

and has been featured in numerous

publications around the world.

Jan Schachter (Portola Valley, CA)

has been called a ‘potter’s’ potter. She

makes tableware for everyday use; each

is a subtle variation of a form - usually

created in a series. She is a perfectionist

(as much as the process allows) and is

constantly searching for surface, color

and form that will breathe life and vitality

into her pots and delight their users. Her

work offers both a simple background

for the presentation of food and a lovely

object to adorn a home.

Aaron Sober (Lincoln, NE) is a studio

artist and current MFA candidate

at University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

The recipient of an American Craft

Exposition Emerging Artist award he

has exhibited at: AKAR Gallery (IA),

Baltimore Clayworks, Schaller Gallery

(MI), Carbondale Clay Center (CO),

Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston),

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts

(ME); and Grand Hand Gallery (St. Paul).

He was recently featured in Studio Potter

magazine and is a former Penland School

of Crafts Core Fellow.

Kyla Strid (Athens, OH) graduated with

a BFA in ceramics from the University

of Alaska Anchorage in 2007. Upon

graduating she adopted a nomadic

lifestyle, crossing the country to work

at Alfred University, the University of

Nebraska-Lincoln, the Clay Studio of

Missoula, Red Lodge Clay Center, and

with Andy Brayman in Kansas City. She

is currently making pots, drawing, and

working on an MFA at Ohio University.

Marjorie Wade (Stillwater, MN) is a

studio potter from Stillwater, Minnesota.

She has taken numerous clay classes,

programs and workshops including

extensive studies in ceramics at the

University of Wisconsin River Falls.

Marjorie uses different clays and firing

methods allowing the elements of spirit

–earth, water, fire and air–to affect each

piece individually. She is influenced by

the pottery and artifacts from primitive

cultures, particularly those of Africa and

prehistoric Japan.

Derek Walter (Merrillville, IN) received

his BA from California State University,

Sacramento and an MFA from The School

of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is

currently an Assistant Professor at Indiana

University Northwest in Gary, Indiana.

Derek taught throwing here at Lill Street

Art Center in the early 2000’s. He throws,

hand-builds and slip casts as well as

performance art using his ceramics.

Ai Yamamoto (Okemos, MI) received a

BFA in craft from the University of The

Arts in Philadelphia and studied Post

Baccalaureate Program at Michigan State

University. She works at her home studio

in Michigan. She was born in Hiroshima,

Japan and is inspired by traditional

patterns in Japanese arts and crafts that

have been carefully preserved within

Japanese culture. Her style features slip

decoration applied by hand to thrown or

hand-built pottery.

Adam Yungbluth (St. Petersburg, FL) holds

BFA in Ceramics from Miami University

of Ohio and a MFA in Ceramics from

The University of Mississippi. He has

been showing his art work in national

exhibitions including Strictly Functional,

Salt & Soda National and the Ceramics

Biannual 2008. His most recent solo

exhibition was “Sweet Shenanigans,” a

thesis show that fulfilled the requirements

for his terminal degree. - Adam and

business partner Matt Schiemann

purchased St. Petersburg Clay Company

(SPCC) in October 2010. It is their goal to

maintain the working structure of SPCC

and work towards improving on both a

local and national level.