GreenHill is setting the table with artful cups, plates, serving ware and more, and you’re invited to take a seat. On view at GreenHill from May 4--July 15, 2018, this group exhibition showcases some of the best handmade tableware by North Carolinian artists. Each work in this exhibition is not only a beautiful, collectible object but also a functional piece of tableware that can be used every day. Read about each of the artists on view in Tableware below!
Peruse this photo album to see more photos of works, as well as descriptions and prices for each item. For inquiries and to purchase any work in this show, contact Elizabeth Harry at 336-333-7460 or Elizabeth.Harry@GreenHillNC.org.
John Almaguer
Having spent the majority of his life charmed by the art of glassblowing, the work of John Almaguer builds upon the long history of glassmaking, particularly the medieval traditions of Murano and Venetian glass artisans. However, over the course of his studies and career, Almaguer has developed a distinctive penchant for contemporary glassware with an organic and evocative flair. His blown-glass drinkware is deftly crafted to be both functional and aesthetic. The artist seeks to create spiritual and inimitable statement pieces: “Creating something that has never been seen before excites me. I make unseen things come alive in the manifest realm. What a joy to dance this dance of creating works that God dreamt of making through me long before I even breathed. And now I breathe and art is formed.”
John Almaguer received his BFA with a focus in glass from the Appalachian Center for Crafts at Tennessee Technological University in 2009 and a General Associates with Focus in Art from Tidewater Community College in 2005. From 2010 to 2011, he apprenticed with several glassmaking artisans in Murano, Italy, where he was exposed to the time-honored methods of their craft as well as contemporary Venetian glass art. Almaguer has exhibited his work in galleries across the nation, and creates glass lighting fixtures, vases, and sculptures, in addition to drinkware. After his apprenticeship in Italy, Almaguer moved to Asheville, where he currently lives and works.
The Glassblower
(c) Tara Ustralis
Dahlia Bushwick
Dahlia Bushwick creates polished works in blown glass with a painterly eye and focus. With an academic background in painting as well as practical experience in glass studios, she is interested in how the two mediums interact: “Although both materials are process-based, hot glass requires instantaneous decisions, while painting allows the artist more flexibility with time. The combination of the two mediums creates an interesting dichotomy.” Ultimately, Bushwick is interested in the power of manipulation and creativity inherent in the use of two mediums. Her work in Tableware is both expressive and controlled, delicate and structured. Bushwick further states of her work in glass: “The aging of materials parallels our human lifeline. As humans age, not only do our bodies begin to decay, but the memories and purity of our childhood inevitably alter and deteriorate, as well.”
After receiving her BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, Bushwick studied at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington from 2013 to 2014. She has received numerous honors and scholarships from the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. She has exhibited in numerous galleries, including the Portsmouth Museum of Art in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Pilchuck Gallery, and the Chrysler Museum of Art. In addition to her exhibitions, Bushwick has taught at Lillie Pad Studios in Millersville, Maryland; Virginian Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Corradetti Glass Studio in Baltimore, Maryland.
Thomas Campbell
Drawing upon his identity as a fifth-generation steel worker, Thomas Campbell’s work presents itself in a rather severe and industrial—yet highly captivating—form. “My artistic practice evolved from the depths of the industrial world following a seven-year stint as a steelworker for my family’s 130 year-old steel fabrication business. I aim to honor this familial tradition in my work, drawing on the technical skills, the industrial aesthetic, and the processes that have driven functional steel fabrication for decades. My work is made with a devotion to detail, a thoroughly developed understanding of material, and an eagerness to push boundaries in both form and function.”
Campbell grew up in Decatur, Georgia, but currently lives in Western North Carolina. The artist graduated in 2008 with a BA in History and Africana Studies from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. He became a Core Fellow (an immersive work-study program allowing artists the chance to live and work as a community) at Penland School of Crafts in February 2016, with a focus on creating functional objects in both metal and wood.
Matt Hallyburton
The quiet charm of Matt Hallyburton’s pottery and dinnerware comes in part from his dedication to the use of local materials—the clay is either dug by the artist himself from the foothills of North Carolina or provided by a local supplier. “The glazes that I use are made from scratch using local materials whenever possible. I prefer to stick to simple glaze formulas, sometimes only consisting of hardwood ash and clay.” He further explains of the process of creating his dinnerware, “Wood firing is an ancient method of firing that gives the pots a little extra magic from wood ash and flame making their mark on the pots.”
Based in Durham, Hallyburton has created dinnerware for many different dining establishments in the state, including Piedmont Restaurant and M Sushi in Durham, as well as restaurants around the United States and abroad. Although he attended UNC Chapel Hill as a ceramics student, Hallyburton first started taking pottery classes through the Durham Arts Council.
Matt Hallyburton Pottery
Matt Hallyburton's handmade dishes are used locally in many top restaurants and beyond. Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Rachel Kedinger
Rachel Kedinger is an artist currently living in Philadelphia Pennsylvania creating her own work while also working at Holzman Iron Studio. Rachel primarily makes objects out of metal with a focus on utilitarian use. Before moving to Philly in early 2018 Rachel participated in the Core Fellowship Program at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She has also lived in Detroit Michigan working at Smith Shop, a craft-centric metal working shop. Previous to living and working in Michigan Rachel grew up in Wisconsin and went to school at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee where she received her BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing in 2012.
Frank Neef
Born in 1954 to a military family, Frank was not exposed to pottery until college at Missouri State University. He began making pottery in 1975. In 1981 Frank became a full-time production potter at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. There he made functional stoneware such as mugs, plates, and bowls. Frank continues to create these functional pieces to this day.
His true passion, he found was working with crystalline glazed porcelain. Frank saw his first crystalline glazed piece in Glazes for Special Effects by Herbert Saunders, in the college library. Unfortunately the book, which was out of print, disappeared from the library. Five years later Frank attended a workshop where potter, John Dias, of Arizona, shared the information Frank needed to get started. His love of victorian potter, Adelaide Robineau’s work lead to the addition of cut-work to Frank’s pieces.
Carolina Sephra Reyes
"The idea behind herbalism, or healing with plants, is that you heal the body as a whole, taking into consideration both the body and the mind. It is a gentle, but efficient way to address the imbalances we encounter in everyday life. By measuring and mixing different blends of herbs and healing plants, it is possible to create a salve, balm, tincture, infusion, decoction, poultice, oil or tea that can begin the healing process to any ailment, be it physical or mental. The basic idea is to use medicines that come straight from the earth to care for and balance the body and mind as a whole, and reciprocate that by caring for the earth in return. I am interested in exploring the practice of using plants and herbs to heal alongside, and sometimes more effectively than western medicine.
I’ve separated my research of herbalism into two series: A series of wearable brooches that serve as plant identification studies, and a set of functional tools that I use in my personal herbalism practice.
There are a variety of tools used in an herbalism, and they are mostly cooking implements. Anything from measuring spoons to funnels, to tiny bowls of all different sizes, but there are also more specified tools, such as herb scoops and spoons. I am interested in specializing these tools further, making them beautiful as well as functional to draw the viewer close, inviting them to take a closer look at these seemingly utilitarian objects and perhaps make it easier to generate a conversation about herbs and herbalism."
Reyes received her MFA in Metals Design from ECU in 2016.