Facets: Contemporary Expressions in Sculptural Ceramics Opens September 6, 2023
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (September 5, 2023) — MOCA Jacksonville is pleased to announce the new exhibition Facets: Contemporary Expressions in Sculptural Ceramics, in partnership with the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at the University of North Florida. The exhibition is on view September 6 through November 26, 2023. The opening takes place Wednesday, September 6 from 5-9 p.m. during Downtown Jacksonville’s First Wednesday Art Walk. MOCA offers free admission and special programming during Art Walk, including Made @ MOCA activities, tabling artists, and Ideas of Our Time Lectures.
The exhibition features work by eleven internationally recognized contemporary ceramic artists working to push the boundaries in the vibrant and rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary sculptural ceramics. Many of them, like artists Iva Haas and Todd Shanafelt, incorporate materials such as wood, metal, and fabric into their work in order to explore abstract or mechanical forms; while artists such as Tom Bartel explore the figure through fragmentation and simplification of the human form. Others, like Matt Wilt, synthesize the two, creating forms from composites of the physical body and the synthetic world; while yet others look to the landscape and natural world for inspiration.
The UNF Gallery at MOCA Jacksonville is programmed in collaboration with the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at the University of North Florida (UNF). This exhibition was curated by Stephen Heywood, Professor of Ceramics and Trevor Dunn, Associate Professor of Ceramics.
Additional support for this exhibition was made in part by the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the University of North Florida.
MOCA will be upgrading its elevator September 18 through November 18. There will be no upper level access during this time. The museum will have exhibitions on the first and second floors, with second floor access available by stairs only. This includes the UNF Gallery and Facets: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture. Admission will be free while the elevator is under renovation.
ABOUT STEPHEN HEYWOOD:
Stephen Heywood received his Bachelors of Science in ceramics from Southern Utah University and his Masters of Fine Arts in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He has been a visiting artist at a number of colleges and Universities throughout the country. Heywood exhibits his work extensively and had been in over 200 national juried shows and invitationals. In 2004 Heywood was selected to represent the United States in the First International, Ceramics Journal Editors Symposium, Emerging Artist exhibition, in Xian, China. In 2011 Heywood participated in and won the “Craft Award” in the Westmoreland Arts National in Westmoreland Pennsylvania. In 2013 he was awarded an honorable mention at the 8th Cheongju International Craft Biennale in Cheongju, Korea. He is a member of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and a board member for the Florida Crafts Council. Selected publications include: 500 Cups, 500 Bowls, The Best of 500 Ceramics, Image Transfer on Clay, Printing on Clay, and the Periodicals Clay Times and Ceramics Monthly. He is currently as Associate Professor of Ceramics at the University of North Florida.
ABOUT TREVOR DUNN:
Trevor Dunn studied sculpture and ceramics at the University of South Florida. After graduating he moved to Durango, Colorado to set up a studio where he built a small anagama kiln and pursued his interest in wood-fired ceramics. In 1999 Dunn joined the faculty at San Juan College to teach ceramics and sculpture until 2006. In 2009 he earned his MFA degree in ceramics from Utah State University. Dunn has lectured internationally and led workshops around the country in wood firing, salt/soda firing, and kiln building. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and is held in public and private collections. In 2009 he received the NCECA Graduate Student Fellowship Award for a proposed study and film project in Jianxi, China. He is currently an assistant professor of ceramics at the University of North Florida.
MEDIA AVAILABILTY:
For further questions and to schedule interviews with exhibition curators Stephen Heywood and Trevor Dunn, or members of MOCA Jacksonville’s team, please contact Emily Bailey at 904-620-5624 or e.bailey@unf.edu.
MEDIA PORTAL:
Press release, images, and cutlines are available at the link below for use.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/oaf9n18iiukfrursfu4vw/h?rlkey=3mf5gbnxa1panju8fot84zouf&dl=0
RELATED PROGRAMMING:
VyStar Free Saturdays @ MOCA
Every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The entire community can enjoy free admission to MOCA and access to the art, artists, and ideas of our time thanks to the generous support of VyStar Credit Union.
Coffee with a Curator
Facets: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture
Saturday, October 21 at 11 a.m.
Join Stephen Heywood and Trevor Dunn, UNF Ceramics Professors and the curators of this exhibition, for coffee and conversation.
Seize the Clay Ceramics Workshop
with Local Artist Mark Lester
Every FourthSaturday at 1 p.m.
Develop your hand building and glazing skills in this recurring class for artists of all abilities. Low-fire clay, tools, and basic glaze options are provided.
ABOUT MOCA JACKSONVILLE:
Founded in 1924 as the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville is a private nonprofit visual arts educational institution and a cultural institute of the University of North Florida. One of the Southeast’s largest contemporary art institutions, MOCA Jacksonville serves the community and its visitors through innovative exhibitions, notable collections, award-winning educational programs, and compelling publications designed to enhance an understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on works created from 1960 to the present. In the past three years, the museum has produced more than thirty exhibitions. While it attracts visitors from all over the Southeast, MOCA Jacksonville is an important community partner in Northeast Florida. In 2009, MOCA Jacksonville became a cultural institute of the University of North Florida, enhancing its commitment to providing the highest quality arts educational opportunities, which now include special lectures, college-level art courses, and special faculty and student exhibitions. The museum is also a cornerstone of Jacksonville’s multibillion-dollar downtown revitalization plan with exhibitions and programs that bring new visitors to the civic core during the day, at night, and on weekends. Educational programming includes children’s literacy initiatives and family art-making classes as well as regular tours, lectures, films, and publications for children and adults.
For more information including hours of operation, admission prices, and upcoming exhibitions and programs, call 904.366.6911 or visit mocajacksonville.unf.edu.
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