Dan Schmitt Exhibit - "Terracotta Works: Marks in Clay" at White Lotus in October

“Terracotta Works: Marks in Clay,” an exhibit of new work by Eugene ceramicist Dan Schmitt, is open through October at White Lotus Gallery, 767 Willamette St. Schmitt’s work in the current show includes low-fire terra cotta forms with spontaneous marks drawn from Japanese Oribe ceramics, Sumi ink painting and children’s drawings. Schmitt came to Eugene after getting his master’s in fine arts from Kent State University in 1998. His porcelain tableware has been collected by the Smithsonian.  He teaches ceramics at Lane Community College.

"balance" - Anna Stehle and Justin Stuck - May 7-24

The Lane Community College Art Gallery is proud to present “balance”, a two-person show featuring artists and Lane Community College Studio Technicians, Justin Stuck and Anna Stehle. Justin works in the sculpture studio and Anna works in the ceramics studio within the Department of Art and Applied Design. The exhibition consists of both sculpture and ceramics, along with installation work.

When asked about her current work for this exhibition, Anna stated, “Finding a balance between my love of making pots and the countless daily events in my life has been a struggle over the last couple of years. With family, work, friends and all that goes along with that, pottery has taken a back seat. I have come into this new chapter in my life with pottery gradually, seeking a balance along the way.”

Justin says his work is being “drawing from my personal experiences I hope to tap into “something honest and real”, which translates universally, “the reality of human experience,” to others.”

The show runs from May 7th to May 24th. A lecture featuring both artists will be held on May 10th at 3:00 pm with a reception immediately following. The gallery is located in building 11 on LCC's main campus, 4000 E. 30th Avenue in Eugene, Oregon. There is no charge for admission. The Art and Applied Design Department phone number is 541- 463-5409

3 Points North - Rob Beishline, Daryn Lowman and Andreas Salzman, April 2 - June 14

The Lane Community College Art Gallery is proud to

present “3 Points North ”, a three-person exhibition

featuring works in ceramic, sculpture and mixed media. The featured artists are: Rob Beishline, a ceramic professor at Whatcom Community College, Bellinghan Washington; Daryn Lowman, a ceramics professor at Hibbing Community College, Hibbing Minnesota and Andreas Salzman, a ceramics and sculpture professor at Lane Community College, Eugene Oregon.

Rob Beishline’s work uses birds and animals to create experiences for himself and the viewer, “I do not see the pieces as metaphors, but realize that they could be read that way. I can identify with animals and am tempted to try to read myself in them, but the really valuable moments are when I can stop and look in silence.”

Daryn Lowman’s pottery and the use of the vessel create a dialogue reflecting time. “ I am drawn to the exploratory manner of working with ceramic processes. With playful sensibilities and direct decisions, my work plays on the whimsy of the soft material, and the sharpness of the durable fired surface. I like to ask questions about time, as it reflects our sense of new and used, cherished and abandoned.”

Andreas Salzman’s mixed media sculpture reflects the world in which he lives. “As an artist I feel that I can only talk about the issues of which I am passionate. The most important issues in my life are the relationships I have with the people around me. I try to illustrate the innermost feelings and emotions that are a result of the roles and decisions within my life. I include specific evidence of my journey to this state so I can build a sense of personal ownership of the content of my work.”

The show runs from April 2 through June 14.

The gallery is located in building 11 on main campus, 4000 E. 30th Avenue in Eugene, Oregon. There is no charge for admission. The Art and Applied Design Department phone number is 463-5409.

"Body Into Clay" - In Memory of Tom Rohr

"Body Into Clay," an article in the current issue of The Studio Potter, was written by Lisa Favero in memory of Tom Rohr, former instructor in ceramics at Lane Community College.

Favero writes about Tom's pots: "To each and drink from them is to enter a terrain of pleasure and exploration, in pursuit, enroute to satisfaction. ... The obvious, fundamental action of Tom's work - the erasure of the boundary between pots and who we are -- he left us to experience ourselves. ... "A master potter because there was no boundary between his palm, his belly, his heart, and the clay, Tom died of a heart attack quickly, with the suddenness of a cup departing when it falls from the hand."

The article appears in The Studio Potter, Summer/Fall 2010, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp 12-15. www.studiopotter.org/ Photocopies of the article are posted in the Art and Applied Design Department office and in the Ceramics studio in Building 11 on the main campus of Lane Community College.

Tom Rohr and Friends - Feb. 22 - March 11

The Lane Community College Art Gallery is proud to present "Tom Rohr and Friends", a memorial exhibition to honor our late friend and colleague Tom Rohr. The exhibition is a collective body of work donated by 22 artists from across the country. All the work has been donated to the show, which will coincide with an online auction. The exhibit and the auction will run from February 22 to March 11. Information about the auction can be found at: http://tomrohrmemorialauction.blogspot.com/

"It is our goal through the online auction to raise money to help in create the Tom Rohr Memorial Scholarship Fund. We would like to encourage the community to take part in this great event," says Jennifer Salzman, gallery director.

An artists’ lecture presented by Lisa Favero, called

"Body of Clay, Heart on Fire: Sensuality and Play in the Work of Tom Rohr," will be held February 25 at 3 p.m. with a reception immediately following.

The gallery is located in building 11 on the main campus of Lane Community College on 30th Avenue in Eugene. There is no charge for admission. The Art and Applied Design Department phone number is 463-5409.

The images show Tom's work and the exhibit postcard.

Ceramics Art Student Sale - Dec. 2

The Lane Ceramics Art Student Association (C.A.S.A.) will be holding its Fall Pottery Sale and Fundraiser on Wednesday, December 2nd from 8am-4pm in the Center Building Cafeteria. This is a one day only event, so make sure to mark your calendar! Contact: Elizabeth Uhlig, Art & Applied Design, 463-5409.

In Memory of Tom Rohr

Our colleague and dear friend, ceramics instructor Tom Rohr, suffered a heart attack and died Tuesday night, July 7. A memorial service is planned for Tuesday, July 14 at noon at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1062 Charnelton St., Eugene, followed by a gathering at the family’s home at 2:30 p.m. Kathryn would like us to share memories of Tom at the gathering.

As I have talked with many of you about Tom's sudden death and our deep loss, I realized that the first response from many of you was the memory of the last time you saw Tom. That is true for me as well, and that time, as with many others, is a memory of him talking in the hall outside my door, excitedly describing a new idea to one of you. I don't know that anyone else brought more excitement, energy, happiness and pure charm to our halls and classrooms than Tom did. This is a terrible loss for all of us and for our students. I hope I will see many of you next Tuesday as we mourn the passing of our friend and colleague and, as we know he would want us to do, celebrate his life.

Rick Williams, Dean, Division of the Arts

Kathryn Finnerty featured in Ceramics Monthly

Kathryn Finnerty, new instructor of ceramics, is featured in an article "Kathryn Finnerty" in the current June/July/August 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly. In the article she talks about the challenges and rewards of setting up her own pottery studio with her husband, Tom Rohr who also teaches ceramics at Lane, in Pleasant Hill.

Kathryn writes, "I have always been drawn to 19th century English pottery and use it as an inspiration for my work. I specifically enjoy the playful, ornamental aspects of Victorian Majolica and the decorative sprigged surfaces of salt-fired stoneware and porcelain wares. I attempt to understand and interpret these influences in an effort to create a body of work relevant in our contemporary world, while fulfilling my personal creative impulses."

For more information, go to Kathryn's webpage: http://kathrynfinnerty.com/

Ellen Currans Ceramics Workshop - May 17

Local Clay is hosting a ceramics workshop by Ellen Currans at the LCC Ceramics Studio on May 17, Sunday, 10:00 am -4:00 pm.

Ellen Currans speciality is slab-built ceramic dishes with impressed textures. She makes pieces that people use for everyday dishes. The pots and platters make sense in the lives of the people who use them and impart dignity and beauty to the presentation of food. Currans grew up in the Okanogan Valley of north central Washington, studied at the University of Washington, and settled in Oregon with her husband in 1965.

The LCC Ceramics Studio is located in Building 11 on the main campus of Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. For more information about Currans' workshop, contact LCC ceramics instructor, Tom Rohr at 643-5417.

Brad Mildrexler Sculpture Workshop

Brad Mildrexler will be giving a sculpture workshop in the Ceramics Studio in Building 11 at Lane Community College on Saturday, January 31, 10 am to 4 pm.

Mildrexler describes his large ceramic wall reliefs as "abstract expressions in textural form." Gallery owner Jack Walsh says that "Brad is truly respected in the ceramics worls - he's an artist, not because of the clay, but because he uses the clay as a vehicle to express modern ideas."

For more information contact Local Clay at 541.466.5635 or by email at flashpointartworks@gmail.com. At LCC, contact Tom Rohr at 541,463-5417.

Finnerty & Rohr - Pottery Sales Event

Tom Rohr, ceramics instructor at LCC, and Kathryn Finnerty present their handmade pottery at a sale on December 13-14, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Finnerty and Rohr run Pleasant Hill Pottery located at 85426 Ridgeway Road, in Pleasant Hill.

For more information or directions, call the artists at 541.744.0609 or email them at Tomkat@efn.org. Check out their work and studios at http://www.pleasanthillpottery.com/.

Stacy Jo Scott - TopoMind

"TopoMind," a ceramics piece by Stacy Jo Scott, Ceramics Assistant at Lane Community College, was featured in Ceramics Monthly, September 2008. While at Lane, Stacy Jo worked under ceramics instructor, Tom Rohr. "TopoMind" is 24 in. in width and is composed of solid earthenware blocks with majolica, incised drawings, laser-cut stencils, slips, and stains.

Summer Raku Workshop - June 16 - 26

A Summer Raku Workshop will be held from June 16 -26 in the Lane Community College Ceramics Studio. Andreas Salzman, Ceramics/Sculpture faculty, will be the facilitator. The first week will be all about building and clay formation; the second week will be all about glazing and firing. The cost is $200.

For more information, contact Andreas Salzman at: 541-463-5809 or salzmana@lanecc.edu. The Ceramics Studio is located in Building 11 on the main campus of Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

CASA Spring Pottery Sale - April 24-24

The Ceramic Art Student Association (CASA) is having its Spring Pottery Sale and Fundraiser on April 23 & 24 in the Cafeteria in the Center Building on the main campus of Lane Community College. Works by LCC students will be on sale.

Tom Rohr - Pleasant HIll Pottery, Dec. 15-16

Tom Rohr and Kathryn Finnerty of Pleasant Hill Pottery will have their 7th Annual Holiday Sale on December 15 & 16, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Pleasant Hill Pottery is located at 85426 Ridgeway Road in Pleasant Hill, 1 mile off Highway 58. Contact: Tom Rohr, 744-0609 or at LCC 463-5417.

CASA Fall Pottery Sale - Nov. 7-8

The Ceramic Art Student Association (CASA) is having its Fall Pottery Sale & Fundraiser on November 7-8 in the Cafeteria in the Center Building on the main campus of Lane Community College. On sale will be works by LCC students and by national ceramic artists. The teapot shown here is by participating artist, Stacy Jo Scott.

Handbuilding: Tricks of the Trade - Vince Pitelka Workshop

Vince Pitelka offered a workshop titled “Handbuilding: Tricks of the Trade” on August 7-11, 2007, at Lane Community College.

Workshop Description - Our objective is to get you to handbuild with a sense of adventure and discovery. We will explore unusual ways of approaching pinch, coil, and slab construction in order to develop a particular mind set, an adventurous inclination to use handbuilt forms in new ways, opening up the possibility of original form inaccessible through more traditional approaches. Although our primary concerns are design and construction, we will bisque-fire as much work as possible so that it can be transported safely. We will have a number of slide shows to introduce a broad range of historical and contemporary handbuilt form and technique. I encourage you to bring samples, slides, or photos of your work to share with the group.
For information, contact Tom Rohr at rohrt@lanecc.edu or 541.463.5417.