Each year the Virginia A. Groot Foundation selects three artists from its pool of applicants for three grants up to $35,000, $10,000, and $5,000. The foundation offers one of the most generous ceramic grants in the United States and attracts the best of emerging and established talent world wide. It has provided support to some of the field’s top artists including Sunkoo Yuh (2014), Adelaide Paul (2011), Beth Cavener Stichter (2005), Akio Takamori (2001), and Doug Jeck (1997,1998). The grant was established in 1988 to give sculpture artists “the opportunity to devote a substantial period of time to the development of his or her work.”
Above Image: First Place winner of the 2015 Virginia A. Groot Award Ryan LaBar with Made in China, 52in.x47in.x30in., ceramic
This year’s winners follow the Groot tradition of high standards selecting Ryan LaBar (1st Place), Raymon Elozua (2nd Place), and Dirk Staschke (3rd Place).
Raymon Elozua, Glass VII (detail), 46in. x29in.x 33in., ceramic, glass, steel
LaBar, this year’s top winner, was the Program Director at LH Project in Joseph, OR, until 2014. He now lives and works in Portland, OR, where he will be using the funds to set up a studio and establish production connections in Jingdezhen, China, this coming fall.
In his statement, LaBar describes his process:
“Working with clay, I fabricate individual and wheel thrown elements. These, together with other clay parts, are carefully stacked on top of each other to compose a layered and woven structure. Each element counterbalances the position of another. These precarious constructs are placed in a kiln, and the heat of the kiln melts and moves the clay and glaze. The clay parts deform as the material softens. Tensions are released, causing the system to undergo a domino effect best described as a cascading failure where the failure of one part triggers the failure of successive parts. As the firing progresses, the movement quiets and the system of parts reach equilibrium and become a singular and rested whole.”
This year’s award comes just three months after the passing of Candice Groot, a central supporter, collector and philanthropist of the ceramic arts and founder of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation. Learn more about the foundation at virginiaagrootfoundation.org.
Justin Crowe is a Writer and Director of Operations at CFile.
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Ryan LaBar, The Path Taken, the World is Mine, 24in.x27inx17in, porcelain
Ryan LaBar, The Subconscious Shelf, 25in.x28in.x22in., ceramic
Ryan LaBar, The World Is Yours, the World is Mine, 2014, 20in.x27in.x15in.
Raymon Elozua, Glass II, 46in. x29in.x 33in., ceramic, glass, steel
Raymon Elozua, Glass IV (detail), 41in. x31in.x 40in., ceramic, glass, steel
Dirk Staschke, Translation 1, 28in.x22in.x8in., ceramic, wood, leather
Dirk Staschke, Translation 1, back detail
Dirk Staschke, Translation 2, 47in.x34in.x11in., ceramic, wood, leather
Dirk Staschke, Translation 2, back detail
Dirk Staschke, Let Them Eat Cake, ceramic, silver, urithane
Dirk Staschke, Premonition, 2014, 20″ x 22″ x 14″, ceramic, wood, epoxy.
Liiking Ray Elozua’s work a lot! The combination of glass and steel is very exciting–takes the old Mexican tradition of blowing glass into a metal armature for decorative lamps to a much higher leverl. I knew Ray in the seventies when we both did the ACE fairs in the Northeast. Don’t know if I should admit this…we have alarge platter of his, wonderful graphic design in it which we have mistreated as a bird bath. A while ago I retgrieved it from under a juniper tree, refired it and and it now sits on Frank’s worktable waiting to be repaired. Whatever happened to (Brother) Bruno LaVeridiere? Also have a nice piece of his, not used as anything but a good piece of ceramic art. What does all of this say about the lasting-ness of ceramics? See you this evening. Luisa Baldinger