ARTOMATIC 2.0

WHAT MAKES A PIECE OF CRAFT EXCEPTIONAL?
​wEDNESDAY, aUGUST 5 | 7PM
oNLINE zOOM eVENT

Have you ever wondered how craft collectors decide what makes a piece of art exceptional enough to add to their collection?  Join four collectors as they sit in conversation with three artists and give their definition of What Makes a Piece of Craft Exceptional!

This event will be moderated by arts supporter Chris Rifkin. Chris currently serves on the board of The South Shore Art Center and the Fuller Craft Museum, and is a Founding Chair of CraftBoston, a juried biennial exhibition of well-known and emerging artists in the United States. A collector by nature, Chris is also a maker, working as a printmaker, painter, and as a stained glass artist. 

Our collectors panel will be Jere Gibber and J.G. Harrington and Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein and Dr. Judy Chernoff and the artists panel will be Rebecca Ravenal, Chris Shea, and Tim Tate.

Jere and J.G. are glass collectors who have been involved in the JRA for more than 20 years. They find color, texture, and form particularly attractive, and the work tends to be abstract or vaguely landscape oriented. Although they are pretty quick decision makers, they often view a piece a several times before purchasing it, even if it means circling back to a dealer’s booth four or five times in a couple of hours. Sometimes they’ve liked an artist’s work for years before finally purchasing a piece.

Judy and Jeff are avid craft advocates and collectors.  For almost two decades, they have opened their home to share their extensive collection of wood art with many interested parties.  As for what they collect:  “We major in wood, minor in baskets, and have other works in ceramics, glass, and fiber."  Jeff and Judy both served as President of Collectors of Wood Art, Jeff from 2009-2010 and Judy from 2014-2016. 

Rebecca has been making pottery for over 20 years.  More recently, she began designing and creating mosaics, from small decorative pieces to large installations.  In her ceramics, she uses a traditional Italian “maiolica” technique which showcases her love for color and fanciful design. Wheel-thrown or hand-formed pieces are made from red earthenware clay, then fired and covered in a white tin-based glaze. 

Chris designs and creates furniture, sculpture, and architectural metalwork at his forge and studio outside Washington, DC. Chris's forged steel and glass furniture is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery and his work has been shown at Wexler Gallery, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, at SOFA Chicago with Maurine Littleton Gallery, and many more.

Tim is Co-Founder of the Washington Glass School and Studio. Tim’s work is in the permanent collections of a number of museums, including the Smithsonian's American Art Museum and the Mint Museum.  He is also the founder of “Glass Secessionism”. Tim shows his work at numerous International Art Fairs, such as ArtBasel Switzerland, Art Miami, SOFA and Frieze, London.

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