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July 23 – October 31, 2024 (Falmouth, Massachusetts): Highfield Hall & Gardens, a premier destination for arts and culture in Falmouth, MA, is pleased to announce Fired Up: A Juried Show of the Cape Cod Potters, Inc., the summer exhibition where thirty-four artists present work that will be juried by Harvard Ceramics Department’s, Kathy King. This exhibit highlights and celebrates the diversity of ceramic work being created on this small, sandy spit of land. Cape Cod’s unique geography can inspire and constrict, can push artists to explore their local influences, and can lead them to reach beyond their geographic boundaries. Each of the many potters living and working on Cape Cod bring their own unique voice to the medium of clay. This show aims to highlight the best of that energy. We are honored to have this show juried by Kathy King, Director of The Ceramics Program at The Office for The Arts at Harvard. Ms. King said “Being invited to jury the Cape Cod Potter’s Group “Fired Up” exhibition was an honor, and seeing the work exhibited at Highfield Hall & Gardens was an exciting prospect. Once I began the process, I was quickly struck with how immersive and challenging this experience would be. Because of the many exceptional works, I looked for works with a strong concept, a clear sense of materiality, and the technical and structural needs of working with our chosen medium - ceramics. “My intent in jurying this exhibition was to show the myriad different directions the medium of ceramics can take and how it can mirror our world. From the sculptural to the symbolic, the functional to the figure, from those pairing other materials with clay, while others used the unique ability of clay to mimic those materials. There are established artists in the exhibition and many artists whom I have enjoyed being introduced to through this process. I am inspired by their innovative ways of pushing the field forward through ideas and techniques.” Cape Cod Potters Inc was organized over 50 years ago, as a non-profit, volunteer-led organization supported by membership dues, events, donations, grants. The group supports area ceramic artists by sharing knowledge, experience, business promotion and exhibition opportunities for all levels - professionals, amateurs, and students. The group engages with local schools, community art centers, and individuals to promote and maintain standards of excellence and professional growth and to provide a sense of community for our membership. They sponsor lectures and workshops on ceramic arts throughout Cape Cod and organize fundraising events on behalf of the broader community, for example Soup Bowls for Hunger for various food pantries, and provide support for students and members to further ceramic arts education. In addition to working at Harvard, Kathy King is an active studio artist in the Boston area. Kathy’s own work centers on the presentation of narrative through ceramic vessels, tile work and printmaking, either separately or combined in installation, with a feminist point of view. She is interested in mapping the ways popular culture not only reflects women’s lives, but also shapes them. The use of satirical humor, irony and sarcasm often provides a seductive vehicle to approach issues of gender and sexuality within her work. The combination of narrative presented on the surface, united with the intended utility of each vessel, allows a dialogue between the essence of the object and its narrative. Individually, each work’s narrative may convey a singular thought, but when the work is considered together in a serial format, the story unfolds. Cape Cod Potters, Inc. artists whose work will be exhibited include: Corine Adams, Craig Brodt, Heather Cauldwell, Sarah Caruso, Claire Clark, Carol Chittenden, Margot Critchfield, Kim DeWall, Laura Dimeo, Darcie Enea, Hollis Engley, Shelley Fenily, Sally Fine, Paul Fitzgerald, Shannon Gallagher, Bonnie Garaventi, Laurie Goldman, Lois Hirshberg, Diane Heart, Frances Johnson, Brenda Kerr, Mark Koenig, Leslie Lichtenstein, Suzanne Lyons, Julie Mansfield, Michael Merritt, Val Murray, Teri Navickas, Susan Nowogrodzki, Lorraine Piver, Johanna Reed, Kim Sheerin, Muriel Tice, Deborah Vidavar-Cohen, Sarah Waaramaa Hawkes, Sue Wadoski, Debbie Winnick, and Joan Zagrobelny. Gallery Hours: Tuesday– Friday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm About Highfield Hall & Gardens The house is a rare surviving example of transitional Stick Style architecture, containing beautiful gardens located in the heart of Falmouth, Massachusetts. It is a unique combination of a historic house, expansive gardens and trails, and a vibrant cultural center. Built in 1878 as the summer home for Boston's Beebe family, the house sits on 5.5 pristine acres surrounded by nearly 400 acres of conservation land and public walking trails. Highfield Hall & Gardens is not your typical historic estate. It is an example of a historic building saved by grassroots community organizing. An effort of tenacity and vision that continues as new research on the structure and its story of the people who lived here add to the building's significance. It offers world-class music, international art exhibitions, culinary classes, family programs, and year-round special events. For more information, visit www.highfieldhallandgardens.org.