|
March 31,
2008
LIVINGSTON,
Ala.--A
University of West Alabama art professor will spend
her summer as an artist-in-residence at one of the
top ceramic art centers in Europe.
|
UWA professor Jessica Smith will
serve this summer as an
artist-in-residence at the International
Ceramic Research Center at Guldagergaard
in Skaelskor, Denmark. |
Jessica L. Smith, a third-year UWA assistant art
professor, was chosen to serve as an
artist-in-residence at the International Ceramic
Research Center at Guldagergaard in Skaelskor,
Denmark. Her stay will be financed by a grant from
the Danish Ministry of Culture.
A sculptural ceramic artist who counts architecture
and product design as her major influences, Smith
will spend May, June and July continuing the
development of her body of sculptural ceramic work.
“I will be making sculptures by creating responses
in ceramics to where I live,” Smith said. “I want to
explore Danish culture and architecture and merge it
with my background, especially experiences from my
three years of living in Alabama.”
Smith, a Chicago native, received her bachelor of
fine arts degree from New York State College of
Ceramics at Alfred University and her master of fine
arts degree from Tulane University. She has also
taken visual art courses at the School of the Art
Institute of Chicago and Harvard University. In
addition, Smith spent last summer working with
architectural ceramics at La Meridiana in Tuscany,
Italy, another important European ceramic art
center.
“I really enjoy teaching on the college level during
the school year, but I am glad to have the summer to
continue the development of my artistic self,” Smith
said. “This is really a great thrill, and I treasure
the opportunity to take part in a residency program
that is so highly regarded.”
“The University is extremely pleased that Professor
Smith has been granted this honor,” Provost David M.
Taylor said. “It is important that our faculty
remain vital in their fields by pursuing their
interests and sharing their talents beyond the
campus. Smith will serve as an ambassador for UWA as
she shares her considerable artistic talents in the
Guldagergaard program.”
Established in 1997, Guldagergaard is an
international ceramic research center that brings
together artists, craftsmen and designers for
increasing artistic development, professional
knowledge and international network. The center
works intensively with the Danish Museum of Art and
Design, the Danish Art and Craft Association and
Danish art and design educational institutions. |
