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Rebecca Hutchinson: Re-Generation

On view September 3—December 31, 2022

Rebecca Hutchinson’s sculptural installations are influenced by the behavioral dynamics found in nature. Her upcoming exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art is focused on the themes of re-generation and observation of natural built systems. Re-Generation highlights Hutchinson’s cultural and environmental research on the industrial legacy of Central New York. Along with its salt mines, Syracuse also possessed massive deposits of soda ash, a material used in the manufacture of ceramics. These materials, in tandem with an influx of European immigrants with craft and material expertise led to the development of Syracuse China, which quickly grew into one of the nation’s largest dinnerware manufacturers.

Reflecting on the decline of the soda ash mining and the closure of Syracuse China, Re-Generation takes the form of large unfired paperclay vessels that will be installed in an inverted position, showcasing on the surface drawings of rare orchids that have evolved out of the polluted soil and are currently thriving in the Syracuse region.

Curious Vessels: The Rosenfield Collection

On View March 12—October 23, 2022

Louise Rosenfield is among the most avid pottery collectors in the United States. Over the past thirty years, she has amassed a collection of more than 4,000 pieces of functional pottery from artists across the globe. Her ambition for her collection has always been clear—instead of donating work to a museum, she would rather donate it to a restaurant, where patrons could enjoy the work as originally intended.

Curious Vessels is a celebration of both Rosenfield’s eclectic taste and her unrivaled generosity. Museum visitors will be able to touch many of the pieces in this exhibition while watching videos of Rosenfield and notable potters from the collection pointing out details of the work. After viewing the exhibition, viewers are invited to become participants and collaborators by eating a meal in the Everson’s innovative new café, Louise, which is entirely stocked with functional vessels from the Rosenfield Collection.

Brooks Oliver, Squiggle, 2015, Porcelain, 8 x 16 x 16 inches, Courtesy of the Rosenfield Collection

On My Own Time

On view: October 6—November 13, 2022

CNY Arts’ 49th annual On My Own Time exhibition connects Central New York businesses in a collaboration that promotes the benefits of the creative process across community sectors. Original works created by amateur artists working in a variety of professions were displayed at their work sites. This professional juried selection recognizes outstanding works by employees of Central New York companies and organizations.

Common Ground

On view November 12—December 31, 2022

To celebrate the new millennium, in the year 2000 artist Neil Tetkowski undertook a Herculean project: gathering clay from all 188 member countries from the United Nations. With these clay samples, Tetkowski created a suitably monumental work that debuted at United Nations headquarters in New York City—the Common Ground World Mandala. Measuring seven feet in diameter and more than nine feet high, Tetkowski’s sculpture is a testament to the artist’s ability to think beyond boundaries—of scale, of geography, and of politics.

Common Ground uses Tetkowski’s World Mandala as the centerpiece of an exhibition that showcases the Everson’s vast collection of world ceramics. From ancient Mesopotamian and Greek pottery to contemporary Zulu beer brewing vessels and a life-size terra-cotta horse built by Indian priests, the Everson’s collection traces the evolution of ceramics across cultures over thousands of years. Because of Syracuse’s focus on welcoming immigrants and refugees to the community, there are over 70 languages spoken in city schools. Common Ground uses ceramics, one of humankind’s oldest art forms to remind us of our shared bonds with the earth.