Ceramics Center offers new short-term visiting artist program

In three short weeks, Georgia-based ceramic artist Paul Maloney has created five large sculptures and around 200 cups as a visiting artist at the Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio in Cedar Rapids.

Maloney is the second of five visiting artists to take part in Ceramics Center's new short-term residency program, which gives ceramic and glass artists around the country a chance to focus on a project for two weeks to a month.

'It really gives you time to invest in ideas and execute them,” Maloney said. 'I'm able to get out of a traditional studio practice and explore different ways to work. ... I'm really excited about the possibilities to create here.”

The program, just launched last month, is a shortened version of Ceramics Center's long running one-year residency program, which provides private studio space, a modest stipend, full access to Ceramics Center facilities - including gas, electric, raku, soda, wood and glass fusing kilns as well as a fully stocked material room. Residencies also offer opportunities for artists to teach, showcase and sell their work.

Each resident artist will display their work in an exhibition in the Glass Studio Flex Gallery. Maloney's exhibit opened Thursday and runs through June 6.

Next on the schedule is Texas-based artist Carolyn Watkins, Washington-based John Giesen and finally Ohio-based Katie Sleyman.

Not only do residencies benefit artists, they also benefit the visiting public, said Ceramics Center executive cirector Ellen Kleckner.

'It's a breath of new energy,” she said. 'None of the artists are from Iowa. We wanted to bring in new perspectives to our community because it prompts dialogue and creates excitement for what's coming.”

'It's a learning opportunity for me to hear what they see, too,” Maloney added. 'It's nice to hear from folks because they're looking at things differently.”

'The community doesn't always get a chance to see a body of work being made,” Kleckner said. 'People learn more from each other this way than in formal settings. ... An academic environment can be more secluded, but here, it's basically an open studio. We want people to come in any time we're open and work, because that's what allows for the flow and exchange of ideas. A lot of creativity comes from the community.”

Kleckner said the program also brings national artists to Iowa, subjecting them to what she calls 'the vortex.”

'Geographically, we're right in the heart of the country, which makes it really accessible for people to get here, and we have all these amazing clay programs right here,” she explained. 'We have an amazing facility and an incredible community and we're drawing people from further away, connecting the clay community nationally.”

Because the program still is very new, the Center has not yet created an application process for future resident artists, but Kleckner said the program has received 'a lot of interest,” so they plan to continue to build it out.

'If I'd have had stuff like this when I was young, who knows where I'd be today,” said Karla Rossow, a Cedar Rapids resident who has been a potter since 1974.

'It's amazing to have this resource for the whole city,” she added.

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