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The physical
rhythm of working gives life meaning. The material clay as well
as its process and products are my focus. In the studio I strive
for a sense of immediacy, to be attentive to the moment without
a self-conscious awareness of making something good or important.
During a satisfying day’s cycle I will achieve the immediacy
I seek in one out of every ten pots. It is the search for immediacy
- for direct connection, for instant truth - that keeps my production
sharp. When I find it or sense it I attempt to hold on to it. It
is anticipated, but not planned, and it is only through continued
repetition that it surfaces again.
Physical and emotional
energy distinctly informs my work. I have become aware of this energy
without losing what I enjoy most about making, and have attempted
to infuse a sense of immediacy into the details of my work. There
can be much vigor to lids that fit flawlessly. To me, a flawless
lid introduces a sense of completion to form.
Energy in my pots can be read in the balance of contradiction and
extremes. This balance is most easily accessible by studying the
relation of throwing to trimming or expressing to compressing. I
use a technique of chattering as part of the trimming process that
provides a counterpoint to the gesture of reduction or carving associated
with cutting into the body of the pot. Chattering creates a pattern
of nervous energy held by a clear definition of form. Together the
two create a musical line of contrasting gesture that intensifies
the whole, making the pots more dynamic. There is a quality of generosity
that my pots must offer, a generosity backed by a feeling of soundness
or structure. Balanced elements of contrast in form and detail provide
structure and sureness that support the generosity of my work.
Repetition has a significance that goes beyond the idea of production.
It clearly grows out of the necessity to connect in the now and
to create pots of physical vigor, ease and accessibility. My pottery
occupies a sense of purpose, to create objects within myself and
true to myself. The examination of utility generates my sense of
design and involves all of my creativity. I focus on the directness
of my work as an avenue of expression. It is important that my pots
present accessible openings of understanding and offer clarity to
function. To me, my pots are self-evident.
I wish my pots to express the same gratitude as I receive from the
cycle of making. I am a potter; the rhythm of labor is my focus.
Studio
Potter, Shelburne, Vermont
Ceramics Program Director, Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne, Vermont
Adjunct Professor Graduate Education, Saint Michael’s College,
Colchester, Vermont
Adjunct Professor of Sculpture, Community College of Vermont, Burlington,
Vermont
EDUCATION
1999 MFA, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University,
School of Art and Design, Alfred, New York
Honors, National Dean’s List
1995 BFA, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University,
School of Art and Design, Alfred, New York
Honors, Divisional Honors
Post Baccalaureate Student, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City,
Missouri
EXHIBITIONS
2004
“Featured Gallery Artist” Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
2003
“Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show”, Philadelphia
Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Catalog)
“2003 Wichita Clay National” Wichita Center for Crafts,
Wichita, Kansas
“Mastery in Clay” The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Anderson Ranch Artists” S.O.F.A. Exhibition, Lillstreet
Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
“Tea For Two-Table For Two” The Clay Studio, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
“25 Potters x 5 Pots” AKAR ARchiTecture and Design Gallery,
Iowa City, Iowa
“Strictly Functional Pottery National” Market House
Craft Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
“For the House and Garden” Birmingham Community House,
Birmingham, Michigan
“Just Bowls” Artworks Gallery, Bozeman, Montana
“NCECA Clay National” R.B. Stevenson Gallery, San Diego,
California (Catalog)
2002
“Holiday Invitational” Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
“2nd Annual Hopewell Ceramics Show” Ruth Morpeth Gallery,
Hopewell, New Jersey
“Winter Invitational” The Clay Studio, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
“North American Dish Makers” Art-Stream Nomadic Gallery,
Traveling Exhibition (9 cities)
“Seward Park Teapot Invitational” Seward Park Art Studio,
Seattle, Washington
“Summer Invitational” Lacoste Gallery of American Craft,
Concord, Massachusetts
“Yankee Clay: Ceramic Artists of the Northeast” The
Slater Museum of Art, Norwich, Connecticut
“The M.F.A Gloryhole: Selections from the Last Ten Years”
Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred, New York
“Michael Connelly and Nicholas Seidner” The Sebastian
Ward Gallery, Berkeley, California
“New Work by Michael Connelly and Peter Scherzer” Fifth
Element Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2001
“New Works” Sebastian Ward Gallery, Berkeley, California
“Holiday Invitational” Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
“Winterfest 2001 Holiday Invitational” Baltimore Clay
Works, Baltimore, Maryland
“Hopewell Ceramics Show” Ruth Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell,
New Jersey
“A Different Aesthetic” The Odyssey Gallery, Asheville,
North Carolina
“Reunion: Wayne Higby and Graduates of the Alfred University
Ceramics Program” The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“For the House and Garden” Birmingham Community House,
Birmingham, Michigan
“A Potter and A Collector: A Look at Contemporary Ceramics”
– Chester Springs Studio, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania (Catalog)
“Teapot Invitational” – Archie Bray Foundation
2001 Clay Odyssey conference, Helena, Montana2000 “Focus on
Function” – University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Catalog)
“Holiday Invitational” – Pewabic Pottery, Detroit,
Michigan
“Impressions in Clay” - Chester Springs Studio, Chester
Springs, Pennsylvania
“Rhythm, Labor, Form – A Conversation in the Search
for Beauty” Michael Connelly and Allegheny Meadows, Fifth
Element Gallery, Portland, Oregon
“Archie Bray Artists” - NCECA Conference, Littleton,
Colorado
“Conestoga Ceramics: A Continuing Tradition” - Chester
Springs Studio, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
1999
“Holiday Invitational” - Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
“Graduate Thesis Show” - Fosdick Nelson Gallery, Alfred,
New York
“Habit to Ritual” - Chester Springs Studio, Chester
Springs, Pennsylvania
“China International Ceramic Invitational” - Yaoware
Ceramic Museum, Tongchuang, Xian, Peoples Republic of China
“Invitational Show” - The Academy of Notre Dame, De
Namur, Villanova, Pennsylvania
1998
“Focus on Function” - Chester Springs Studio, Chester
Springs, Pennsylvania
“Anderson Ranch Artists” - NCECA Conference, Evelyn
Siegel Gallery, Ft. Worth, Texas
1997
“Solo Show” - Warehouse Gallery, Archie Bray Foundation,
Helena, Montana
“Anything That Pours” - National Invitational Exhibition,
Smithville, Tennessee
“Summer Residents Show” - Warehouse Gallery, Archie
Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana
“Ceramic Forms” - National Invitational Exhibition,
New Albany, Indiana
“All Fired Up” - Juried National Exhibition, Boise,
Idaho
“Emerging Artists of the United States” - Juried National
Exhibition, Montpelier, Vermont
“Archie Bray Resident Artist Exhibition” - NCECA Conference,
Las Vegas, Nevada
“3rd Annual Teapot Invitational” - Craft Alliance, Saint
Louis, Missouri
1996
“Container Containment” - Juried National Competition,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“Summer Invitational” - Nancy Margolis Gallery, Portland,
Maine
“Resident Exhibition” - Dows Gallery, Anderson Ranch
Art Center, Snowmass Village Colorado
“Colorado Clay” - Foothill Art Center, Golden, Colorado
“Cups” - Dows Gallery, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass
Village, Colorado
“Winter Residency Show” - Pitkin County Bank, Aspen,
Colorado
“Gifts of Clay, Holiday Invitational” - Pewabic Pottery,
Detroit, Michigan
1995
“Holiday Studio Exhibit” - Dows Gallery, Anderson Ranch
Art Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado
“Peter's Valley Annual Summer Faculty Show” - Layton,
New Jersey
“Two Person Show” - The Loft Gallery, Kingston, New
York
“Ceramics USA” - Juried National Competition, Denton,
Texas
“Peter's Valley Summer Assistant Show” - Layton, New
Jersey
1994
“Tempe Tea Party” - Juried National Competition, Tempe,
Arizona
“Feats of Clay” - Juried National Competition, Lincoln,
California
RESIDENCIES
1999
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
May 1999 - May 2000
1997
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
August 1996 – August 1997
1996
Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado
September 1995 – May 1996
1994
Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California
September 1994 – December 1994
TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
2003
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York
Summer-Six Faculty
Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne, Vermont
Ceramics Director/Instructor
Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont
Teacher/Mentor, External Degree Program
Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont
Adjunct Professor
Community College of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
Adjunct Professor
2002
NYSCC Alfred University, Alfred, New York
Assistant Professor
Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont
Adjunct Professor
Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne, Vermont
Ceramics Director/Instructor
2000
Missoula Clay Studio, Missoula, Montana
Instructor
1999
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
Instructor
NYSCC Alfred University,
Alfred, New York
Liberal Arts Pottery, Instructor
1998
NYSCC Alfred University, Alfred, New York
Sophomore Wheel Throwing, Instructor: Team-taught with Wayne Higby
NYSCC Alfred University, Alfred, New York
Junior Pottery, Assistant to Linda Sikora
1997
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
Instructor
1996
Colorado Mountain College, Aspen, Colorado
Visiting Artist
Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Instructor
1995
Peter’s Valley Craft Center, Layton, New Jersey
Instructor
Roeland Park Studio, Roeland Park, Kansas
Instructor
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES
2005
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
2004
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana
Odyssey Center for Crafts, Ashville, North Carolina
Seward Park Art Studio, Seattle, Washington
West Chester Community College, West Chester, New York
Hudson River Potters, Hartsdale, New York
Peter’s Valley Craft Center, Layton, New Jersey
2003
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York
Haystack Mountain School for Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine
Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, Connecticut
Frog Hollow Craft Center, Manchester, Vermont
Castle Hill Center for the Arts, Truro, Massachusetts
Touchstone Center for Crafts, Farmington, Pennsylvania
Hartford Art School, Hartford, Connecticut
2001
Mudflat Studio, Somerville, Massachusetts
University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
Chester Springs Studio, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
2000
Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana
Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, Portland, Oregon
1997
Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
Carroll College, Helena, Montana
1996
Colorado Mountain College, Aspen, Colorado
Awards
Standard Ceramic “Best of Show” 2003 Strictly Functional
Pottery National, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Penn-Mo Firebrick Co. “Best Teapot” 2003 Strictly Functional
Pottery National, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Trax Gallery “Useful Pot Merit Award” 2003 NCECA Clay
National, San Diego, California
PUBLICATIONS/CATALOGS
“2003 NCECA Clay National” Clay Times, March/April 2003
“2003 NCECA Clay National” R.B Stevenson Gallery, San
Diego, California
“Lacoste Gallery Exhibit” The Concorde Journal, July
2002
“Studio Days 2001: A View of Contemporary Ceramics”
Chester Springs Studio, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
“A Visit to the Bray” Ceramics Monthly, January 2001
“Salt Fired Ceramics: an Exhibition by Michael Connelly and
Allegheny Meadows” Ceramics Monthly, February 2001
2000 “Focus on Function” University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
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