Free Art Show at GCC to Feature Nationally Renowned Artist
August 29, 2008
Contacts:
Suzanne Higgins
suzanne.higgins@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3808
Patricia Rhodes Vogel
pr.vogel@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3014
Unusual and beautiful ceramic pieces by nationally known artist Sandy Blain will be featured at a free exhibit at Glendale Community College Monday, Sept. 8 through Wednesday, Oct. 1. There will be a "meet-the-artist" reception with refreshments on Monday, Sept. 29 from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will be held in the Palm Court Lounge (room SU-104) in the GCC Student Union. The building is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is closed on Sunday.
Blain's specialty is using "found objects" and industrial refuse as textural tools. She uses these objects to make layered impressions in the clay, creating works that are both decorative and illustrative of current times. Concentrating on form, color and texture simultaneously, she strives to capture time and place in her earthenware creations.
Blain earned a Master's in Art and a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics at the University of Wisconsin. A professional ceramist since 1964, she is also Professor Emeritus-Ceramics of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Director Emeritus of the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. The art gallery at the school was named the Sandra J. Blain Gallery in her honor. One of her pieces is in the Knoxville Museum of Art.
Blain's diverse background includes lifelong dedication to educational programming, both in and out of the classroom. She has received a host of lifetime achievement awards and honors. After a recent move to the Valley of the Sun, she established a ceramics studio in her home and teaches classes at the Mesa Arts Center, where she serves as vice chair. She is on the advisory board of the ASU Ceramic Research Center. Blain also consults with various organizations and serves as a juror for national and regional exhibitions.
