I sign up for, and attend, a lot of lectures and classes. Sometimes there will be one I look forward to even more than the rest. The Everson Museum hosted their 11th annual ceramics lecture this past week, and I simply could not wait. Grayson Perry was the featured artist, and while I could not imagine liking Perry more than I already did, his talk confirmed my fangirl status. What a talented, smart, insightful, thoughtful and fun person he is. He does it all. Perry is known for his ceramics, tapestries, books, television shows, cross-dressing, and more. I adore him. Google him for more images of him and his work.

If you have been reading my blog, you already know how much I adore Judy Chicago. I never miss a talk that involves her and her work.

After watching the talk discussing the Pasadena Lifesavers piece, along with a few others, I went on yet another Judy Chicago search. Someone please buy the Dome Drawing from Turner Caroll Gallery, shown above. Tell them I sent you, and then invite me over to see it!

I am constantly moved and fascinated by the conversations with artists who have work in “Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America” at the New Museum. This week was Adam Pendleton, and he was dynamic!

I took a class with Eun-Ha Paek this past summer, and really appreciated the alternative materials she incorporates in her work. I had admired her work at one of my favorite galleries, Hostler Burrows, and was so excited to get to take a class with her. This past month she was in a two person show at Royal Society of American Art in Brooklyn. There was a Zoom talk this week, which of course I could not miss. I’m thrilled to have Eun-Ha in my world.

When the pandemic began, the very first weekend workshop I took (with Peter Pincus) was through The Art School at Old Church. This weekend they offered a Saturday morning workshop entitled “Printing on Clay to Make Multi-Media Art with a Voice”. It was a wonderful dual session, featuring two artists who you could really tell were friends. I of course knew all about Roberto Lugo’s story and work, but I was not familiar with the other instructor, Thomas Lucas. This workshop was focused on printing on clay and Lucas is a master printer. I was thrilled to find out he has printed works on paper for artists such as Kerry James Marshall, William Conger, Richard Hunt, and Barbara Jones-Hogu to name just a few. He is also an educator, and founder of Hummingbird Press Editions.

This is the second time I’ve done a studio visit with Paul Andrew Wandless through the Harvard Ceramics Program. Each was different, and both were great. Sometimes it takes two visits to truly understand a process. This class combined relief, screening and monoprinting with ceramic materials to make ceramic prints. The image below is a multi-color clay print. Wandless tells stories through his work, and what a charming and talented storyteller he is.

I’ve been enjoying all the events surrounding the Julie Mehretu show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. This week I had a chance to see the entire show on a live walk through! The tour ended in my favorite room at the Whitney, which has an incredible view of the Statue of Liberty. Mehretu made the piece specifically for the room. It will not travel with the show.