Farmington Valley Arts Center
8 Canal Ct #8D, Avon, CT 06001
Host: Erika Novak & Drew Darley
Guest Artists: Karen Jennifer Lagosh, Kerri Michaud-Bagley, Monica Hewryk
Established as a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) in 1974, the Farmington Valley Arts Center finds its home within the historic red sandstone buildings of the former Climax Fuse Factory in Avon, CT. With a history of over fifty years, we've been a key part of connecting the community with the world of art. Through our educational programs, gallery exhibits, special events, and the opportunity to engage with our working artists, we continually facilitate a profound engagement with the creative process.
Erika is a ceramic artist who focuses on wheel-thrown collections of pottery both functional and decorative. Her work includes series of cups and mugs as well as vases, bottles, and hanging objects such as lamps and planters. Erika pulls inspiration from patterns and textures found in Art deco architecture, early 20th-century design, as well as patterns found in American Southwestern textiles. After studying ceramics and art in college Erika now works as a full-time potter creating and selling her work at nationally ranked art fairs and showcases. She and husband Drew Darley were recently featured in the highly regarded magazine Ceramics Monthly.
Drew Darley
@drewdarleyceramics
Drew is a full-time potter specializing in wheel-thrown vessels, with a strong emphasis on clean, refined forms. Inspired by both form and glaze chemistry, Drew's work focuses on creating crystalline, metallic, and iridescent glazes. He is passionate about exploring unique glaze effects that have never been seen before, meticulously formulating and mixing glazes by hand in small batches. His background in ceramics and mathematics has allowed him to find connections between these disciplines, particularly in glaze calculation and form. This unique perspective drives him to push the boundaries of his materials, constantly striving for innovation and excellence. Together with his wife, Erika Novak, he owns Round Trip Clayworks, a ceramics studio at the Farmington Valley Arts Center.
Karen Jennifer Lagosh
myflowerpots.com
@kj_myflowerpots_
Karen Jennifer’s functional pottery is easily recognized by its whimsical sculpted flowers. She is inspired by this beautiful world, especially the flowers and the incredible courage it must take to bloom. A late bloomer herself, Karen is relatively new to ceramics. This flower child has used recycled clay and slip paint, carved and achieved a look reminiscent of a 1970s children’s book. Currently, she is focused on texture and embellishing pots with sculpted flowers.
Monica Hewryk
https://www.monicahewrykceramics.com
@mhewryk32
My work uses wheel thrown and hand building techniques to create a variety of forms out of clay.
In one body of work, I search to create movement within my ceramic sculptures through intricate cuts and fundamental planning. My ideas are derived from looking at traditional ceramic vessels and redesigning them in a way that pushes their structural integrity.
The second body of work focuses on my personal narrative about my emotions with time. The reality that time is fleeting is always on my mind. I intentionally destroy parts of the work to emphasize imperfection, inevitability and corrosion while leaving enough of the piece to portray memory, or the visual evidence of what used to be.
Nature is delicate, fragile and ever changing. It's those quiet moments in nature that cause us to pause for a moment, reflect a little deeper, look a little closer, explore a little more and breathe a little freer. Kerri aims to bring the beauty of nature into your home with her designs. Whether you sip your morning cup of coffee alone or gather around the table as a family, she hopes that her pottery allows you to connect with your special place in nature.
