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    back in business…

    After a week in Oregon installing and opening my exhibit at the Grants Pass Museum of Art immediately followed by a month trekking through Bhutan, Sikkim & Nepal… I’m finally back in the studio, albeit jet lagged but I’m back! And there are a few things on the radar for the coming months I wanted to remind you about…

    I’ve had three pieces accepted into the annual Sculpture IS: 2018 exhibit at Sierra Azul Gardens in Watsonville. I’m excited about these pieces because they are larger than any work I’ve done in the past and the first time that I collaborated with my husband Nate on a piece. He’s welded together three umbel structure forms from steel rod that are about 3′ in diameter and I will be attaching clay forms onto the ends of to make gigantic umbel flowers. The flower heads will be placed on steel pipe stems and planted in the garden towering around 8′ high. Be sure to check them out when the show opens June 1st!

    back in business | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    The exhibit ‘where art & nature meet’ at the Grants Pass Museum of Art will be up until May 25th, if you’re in the area, please check the show. If you can’t see it in person, I’ll be posting images from the exhibit on my website shortly (the image above is a detail of my Lichen Series Installation). All of the unsold work will deinstalled over Memorial Day weekend and be returned to the studio at the close of the exhibit. So if you’re interested in purchasing any of the work that was a part of the show, let me know.

    Lastly, I will be at Buffalo Creek Art Center near Gardnerville, Nevada for a month long artist residency for all of June. I will keep you posted on the work I make while there but my primary focus will be on using the time to create work and experiment with new ideas in an uninterrupted space. I’m so looking forward to this opportunity!

    So, yeah, it’s official, I’m back in business!

    New Press: Grants Pass Daily Courier

    So grateful to receive this article in the Grants Pass Daily Courier from reporter Edith Decker about my exhibit ‘Where Art & Nature Meet’ at the Grants Pass Museum of Art in Oregon. The exhibit is up until May 25th, if you’re in the area be sure to check it out!

    New Press | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    Video: Inspiration through Exploration: Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal

    In the midst of having my solo show in Grants Pass Oregon and getting ready for two upcoming residencies, I snuck in a month long adventure to Bhutan, Sikkim India and Nepal. Have you noticed that I like my schedule completely overwhelmed!?!

    While it may be overwhelming to my schedule, I believe that my time exploring the world outside of my studio is equally important to the development of my art work inside the studio. Engaging in Art, Nature & Travel are my three favorite ways to spend my time and they all connect together to inspire my work. This video shares just a few images from each country, and I hope that you find inspiration to travel, explore and connect with cultures different than your own. It will be interesting to see how these experiences find their way into my sculptures and installations in the future. Enjoy!

    Studio Closed

    Studio Closed | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    Just a reminder that the studio is closed until May 7th!

    Any online shop orders placed before then will ship out when we reopen.

    I will have limited access to wifi, but promise to get back to you as soon as possible!

    Thanks!

    -j

     

    New Video: Time Lapse Installing the Rock Candy Series

    I realize that my Dirt posts are time-lapse video heavy this week- sorry if it’s too much speedy craziness for you!- but it’s really the best way to share 3 full days of installing a show condensed down into mere seconds. And this one is kind of special because it’s the resolution of my total snafu.

    On the morning of day one, I realized I left two boxes at my studio (a 7 hour drive away), BUT by the end of day one, thanks to my amazing studio assistant Nina, they were already packed up and on their way to me. They arrived at 4:30pm on day three and with the help of museum curator Mark they were up on the wall in less than an hour. An amazing recovery for what could of been an epic fail.

    The show opens for April’s First Friday… wish me luck!

    Taking the Show on the Road!

    I hit the road on Monday with the van fully packed with art and headed north to Oregon. The Grants Pass Museum of Art is a beautiful second story space in the downtown area and I’m grateful to show my work here. All the work arrived safely – except for one snafu- I realized I left two boxes behind in the studio! Luckily they are being shipped up here and will arrive in time for the opening of the show – whew! After a year of planning and a tiring day one of install, a lot of the work is ready to go and I’m really happy with the way it’s turning out. I’ll post more photos and videos of the install as things develop!

    Taking the Show on the Road! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture