The Studio Artist program at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft provides space in which professional craft artists can expand the parameters of their chosen medium, explore new directions in their work and enhance their creative vision, and at the same time advance the Craft Center´s goal of educating the public through seeing and participating in the hands-on making of craft.  The Center solicits applications on a regular basis.  Please click here to review the guidelines for submission.  


ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE EMERITUS
ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA (September 2005 - February 2006) creates her works using processes that are associated with textile arts, like screen printing, wax, organic resists and embroidery. The embroidery is used as a drawing medium, connecting and bridging the gaps of the many layers that result from her explorations of concept and process. Anila’s current works are a series of drawings incorporating a combination of translucent and opaque effects on paper, through the use of the formal elements of form, color, and patterning. 
Anila was born and raised in Pakistan. She has a BFA from the National College of Arts, Lahore and an MFA from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.

 

LIZ AXFORD (September 2001 - February 2002) is a quilt maker and surface designer.  Creating her own fabric has become as important to her as the piecing of quilt making.  Her surface designs explore the subject of conflict or contradiction.  While at HCCC, Axford focused on shibori dyeing techniques on silk and cotton.  Axford has a B.A. in Architecture and Fine Arts from Rice University.
713.426.2362     lzaxford@sbcglobal.net
JOHN BARBER (January 2006 - December 2006) likes to play with fire. Fortunately for the rest of us, he is not a firebug or an arsonist, but an artist who works in welded steel.  John makes lamps, tables, gates, headboards, and chandeliers using stone, glass and wood with all being supported by brass, copper and steel. John is trained as a craftsman and uses advanced electronic welding machines in his work, but his artistic side is sensitive to the characteristics of the materials as he works them. His unique approach allows each piece to "take its own breath" and imparts a feeling not found in mass produced furniture. John also encourages the client to get involved with the design process, many of whom are experiencing designing a custom -made piece for the first time.
JENNIFER BARNDS (February 2005 - December 2005; April 2006 - June 2006)  began with lampworking, slowly moving toward larger-scale paperweights and glass blowing.  By transitioning away from beads toward larger objects, she hopes to bridge the gap between lampworking and glassblowing.  Jennifer brings with her the skills of small-scale lampworking, importing new levels of detail and skill to blown glass and paperweights.

Jennifer draws her training from many varied classes and teachers from across the country, constantly learning and exchanging skills with other artists in her field.  Having spent 20 years in the corporate business world, Barnds has the unique advantage of marketing and business sense. 

 

MELISSA BORRELL (June 2004 - August 2004) has been designing and fabricating her own line of jewelry since 1999.  She is currently a graduate student at Rhode Island School of Design and a Resident Artist though August 2004.  "Functional art breaks the barrier that separates the viewer and the object.  I combine simple shapes and subtle textures into sculptures that interact with the body."www.melissabdesign.com
 

SIMON BOSES (September 2001 - August 2002) is a figurative ceramist.  The human form has been the vehicle by which he tells stories, make social comments, and attempt to beautify the world.  Until recently, Simon wasn´t aware of why he found the figure to be a great vehicle for doing this.  "Vehicle" turned out to be the key.  "People aren´t vehicles; we´re vessels.  We act as living jars, traveling about, collecting stories as we go."  Boses received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and teaches ceramics at the Glassell Junior School of Art.  Boses is a member of our inaugural group of artists in residence.
simon@mudmonkey.com
 

SHELBY CEFARATTI (September 2001 - February 2002) is a feltmaker.  Her work is generally comprised of garments, wearable and sculptural, expressing personalities or characters.  Cefaratti received her B.A. in Visual Arts and Applied Design from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.  She has also received Best in Show: Formal Wear and Three Dimensional Fiber Sculpture at the Stars Over Texas Contemporary Handweavers of Texas in May 2000.
281.280.9750     cefaratt@toast.net
 

BARBARA CHADWICK-BLAND (2004 - January 2005) has been working in clay for over 25 years.  She holds a Bachelors and Masters in ceramics.  She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally at top rated shows such as The Smithsonian Craft Show.  Images of her pieces can be seen in "The Ceramic Design Book", the soon to be released "500 Cups" and "Teapot Collectors and Makers".

The colorful surfaces of her porcelain objects are created with ceramic pigments, slip and a unique mono-print technique which she high fires in an electric kiln.  Recently, she has started exploring more sculptural house forms and experimenting with different surface treatments.

chadwick-bland@carolina.rr.com

 

CURLY CLARK (September 2003 - February 2004) is a fiber artist who creates art quilts.  While in residency, Clark continued to work on her "I Dream of Irene" series.  Clark used different techniques to incorporate Irene into each piece of the series, such as photo transfer to cotton fabric using various processes: dying, printing, and silk screening fabrics.  "As an artist, I´m not only interested in the techniques and materials of art quilting, but also the psychological, spiritual, and physical therapeutic benefits of hands-on crafting."
curlyclark@hotmail.com
TARA CONLEY (September 2007 - January 2008) attended Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts to attain her BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry.  She then moved from Western New York State to Houston and began creating works in steel and bronze.  In 2003, Conley expanded her use of media to include hand-dyed cotton, fiberglass and plastic coated foam in addition to wrought iron.  She uses this unique combination of materials to create otherworldly sculptures with a creature-like feel and, most recently, indoor and outdoor furniture.  Conley has gallery representation in Houston and has exhibited throughout the United States.  At HCCC, she will investigate both clay and wood, in addition to creating a new series of word-related works in bronze.  Conley will be with HCCC through January of 2008.  To view more of Tara Conley's work, visit www.taraconleyart.com and www.artfirstfurniture.com.
At Left: Cloud Tree (top view) 2006 by Tara Conley. Resin and steel, 65" x 36" x 30".  Image Courtesy of the artist. 
MICHAEL CROWDER (July 2005 - December 2005) specialized in a glass technique called Pate de Verre.
 

CATHY CUNNINGHAM (May 2003 - October 2003) works with glass as her primary medium in many forms including neon, stained glass, etched glass, cast glass, lampworking, and more.  "My work has always dealt with images or ideas that refer to family and community and the connections that are developed within those relationships."  Cunningham lives in San Antonio, TX, which is also home to her business, Arrow Neon.
arrowneon@juno.com 

SHARBANI DAS GUPTA (January 2006 - July 2006) is inspired by her physical environment, and New Mexico, where she had spent the last few years and has profoundly affected her work.  She is trained as a functional potter, though she has a Masters in Visual Communications.  Both of these factors as well as growing up in India, influence and inform her art.  Sharbani's art is her vehicle for understanding and making sense of her life.  The driving force has gradually moved her away from solely functional to non-functional forms as well.
 

DAVID FUNK (September 2002 - September 2003) is a ceramist who has great respect for both the tradition of craft and functional pottery.  "The pots I make are intended to speak about the dynamic of function and tactile enjoyment.  Anyone who drinks coffee everyday will talk about their favorite mug -- my work is about that."  Funk has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Utah State University.
davefunk@ezl.com 

 

LYNN B. GAMMON (March 2002 - March 2003) is a maker of baskets and paper.  Her work has evolved from traditional basket forms toward a more complex expression, using basket woven elements combined with handmade paper, natural objects and cast-off industrial scraps.  Using humble basket and papermaking materials, she deals with subjects ranging from the deterioration of the natural environment to international human rights abuses against women.  Gammon´s work has appeared in exhibitions around the country and is featured in the book Making the New Baskets: Alternative Materials, Traditional Techniques.
lbgammon@aol.com 

AMY BETH HARRISON ()
AUDRY HERBER (July 2006 - June 2007) Audry uses many traditional Metalsmithing techniques such as open die formation, chasing and repousse, anticlastic raising, and other fabrication techniques when creating jewelry, hollowware, sculpture, and toys.
Her current work is exploring digital imaging and filmmaking.  She draws directly on film which is then digitized. It is then edited, incorporating images of metal fabricated art objects. The film stock is then cut up and used in jewelry pieces and other objects. The digital files are outputted into one to three minute films.
 

VERALISA HUNTER (December 2002 - December 2003) is a jeweler, sculptor and fiber artist whose work is reflective of self-acceptance and responsibility for one´s culture.  After realizing that she had been submerged into a culture that was not her own, she was reborn when she came into the knowledge that she was part of a great people.  "...I discovered that many things represented me and yet some did not.  You can see that struggle in my work..."
veralisa@hotmail.com 

 

GIOVANNA IMPERIA (June 2003 - December 2003; May 2006 - ) designs and creates art jewelry by using a technique known as kumihimo.  "In my work, I strive to provide unique visual and tactile experiences to the wearer by combining braided fiber, beads, mixed media and metal."  After working in the corporate world for years, Imperia now studies, teaches, and practices kumihimo full time.
gimperia@houston.rr.com
 

THOMAS R.  IRVEN (March 2002 - March 2003) is a woodturner whose designs grow out of an initial respect for the rarity and extraordinary aesthetic qualities of wood.  Irven creates small0scale turned objects, both vessel forms and boxes.  He is interested in incorporating different materials into his pieces, such as handmade paper, precious metals and fiber.  His vocabulary of forms is deeply rooted in nature, referencing acorns, eggs and apples.  Irven has a Bachelor of Science from Ferris State College in Big Rapids, Michigan, and a Masters from University of Houston.
trirven@sbcglobal.net  -  www.thomasirven-art.net

JESSICA JACOBI (June - August 2007), who hails from Lubbock, Texas, and has a fine arts degree in studio arts from the University of Texas at Austin, has always held a strong interest in the way the body is handled in the human psyche and within contemporary American society.  She also holds a fascination for the darker side of human imagination and perspective.  Combining her interests, her work explores how the darker and somewhat macabre elements of the human experience can possess beautiful qualities.  She uses an arrangement of forming techniques with metals to produce pieces that suggest parts of the body, and her combination of form and rich surface textures draws in the viewer.

At Left: The Loss by Jessica Jacobi.  Copper, silver and human hair.  Image Courtesy of the artist. 

 

MASUMI KATAOKA (January 2004 - January 2005) is a metal artist that creates jewelry.  Kataoka incorporates human hair in conjunction with precious metals.  Kataoka´s interest in use of human hair ranges from Victorian mourning jewelry to blurring the boundaries between her jewelry and the body itself.  While in residency, she will continue to work with similar materials to expand her ideas about jewelry.
masumi1774@yahoo.com
 

NICOLE KIBATH (September 2002 - March 2003) is a glass artist who hails from Canada.  Kibath has taught in Ontario, Alberta and Chicago, IL, and has exhibited work in Bethesda, MD; Tucson, AZ; Victoria, BC; Montreal, Quebec and Oakville, Ontario.
nicolekibath@hotmail.com 

DEBORAH KIRKPATRICK (July - December 2007) is a native Houstonian who studied art at the Museum of Fine Arts School (now Glassell), Houston Community College and University of Houston, works in enameling and jewelry, woodcarving, sculpting and gemstone carving.  Deborah loves making one-of-a-kind pieces and strives to do what hasn't been done before.  She frequently incorporates wood, bone, gemstones, metal, enamel or paint into one object.  Many of her pieces are small in size but highly detailed, and most incorporate human faces.  She is strongly influenced by the Art Nouveau artists--most notably the jewelers Lalique and Fouquet.
At Left: Persephone by Deborah Kirkpatrick. Carved turquoise and mother of pearl, opal, baroque pearls, PMC, granulation, fine and sterling silver on fresh water pearl necklace.  Image courtesy of the artist.
JASON KISHELL(January - May 2007) As a child, Jason would bury dead bugs in a coffin he had made out of mud.  He would make a ball of mud, push his thumb in the center and place a dead ant or beetle inside.  He had a small bug graveyard behind his mom's house, complete with headstones and flowers.  He also remembered making little animals out of chewed gum.  He had an entire farm of animals made of used watermelon bubblegum.  When his family noticed what he was doing, they began to change the way they treated him, as if for the first time seeing him as an individual with a unique personality.  This lead to the realization about things he makes: creativity is a way to communicate.
His work blends human psychology with a curiousity and inspiration of the natural world.  He uses visual attributes from wood, bugs, leaves, fruits and vegetables to create imaginary objects.  The work is meant to be fun and entertaining yet mildly emotional and mentally gratifying.  It satisfies his curiousity, his need to explore the human condition, and his desire to create beauty and illusion.  He wants his creations to appear as they they could be real, creating the sense of an alternate reality.  Heenjoys the seduction of illusion and how the perception of an object or image is relative to the viewer's experiences.  His goal is to share his perspective on life and honor that which is greater than himself.
 

DARRYL LAUSTER (September 2001 - February 2002) recreates historic tableware and furniture in the contemporary media of plastic, resin and plaster.  While at HCCC, Lauster focused on a group of cast furniture pieces that are examples of American Baroque and Rococo tea tables and armchairs.  Lauster has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston.  He is the recipient of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County Individual Artist Grant.  713.864.6170    
dlauster@mindspring.com
 

EDWARD McCARTNEY

LAUREN McENTIRE (February - April 2007) Lauren McEntire is a fiber artist who comes to the Craft Center from Arkansas, where she attended the Kramer School Artist Cooperative.  Lauren is interested in feminist issues such as sexuality, identity, objectification, emotions, and self-reflection.
 

PATRICK MEDRANO (April 2003 - May 2003) is a multi-media artist from Houston.  "Through paintings, sculpture, and furniture, I try to re-enact the struggles of life.  Taking fine art away from the wall above the couch and giving it back to the soul."  During his residency, Medrano primarily focused on functional artistic furniture.  Medrano´s work can be seen at various locations across Houston.patrickmedrano@aol.com
 

KAY NGUYEN (April 2003 - May 2004) is a ceramic artists who finds herself "an extension of the clay artisans before me."  Nguyen has been involved in the ceramic field mostly as an educator, but her goal is to become a full time studio artist.  While in residency at HCCC, Nguyen is focusing on a new body of work dealing with objects that reference the idea of containment.
kaynguyen@comcast.net 

 

THOMAS PERRY (March 2004 - January 2005) is a potter that creates functional pots -- cups and mugs, pitchers, plates, teapots and coffee pots.  Perry enjoys developing and testing various glazes he uses on his pots.  Working with clay for over thirty years, Perry is the Houston Regional Director of the Texas Clay Artists Association.  You may also know Perry as one of HCCC´s devoted docents.
tomperry56@aol.com
LISA QUALLS (January - May 2007) Lisa works in mixed media - primarily with paper, clay and fibers.  She draws on her background of sculpture, photography, printmaking and textile design to create both two- and three-dimensional visions of the world around her.  She is inspired by history, literature, nature and dreams, and the resulting artwork ranges from surreal to humorous to political.  She enjoys transferring techniques from one medium to another, as sometimes textile techniques work very well for clay or paper and vice-versa.  For Lisa, the most important thing is creating a visual work of art that expresses her idea and is meaningful to the viewer.
Lisa received her BFA at the University of Texas at Austin and continued studies in textile design, clay and mosaics at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and at CISIM in Ravenna, Italy.  She recently received a Fellowship Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance.
http://lisaqualls.bebo.com
 

GIKA RECTOR (November 2003 - May 2004) is a fiber artist that creates nuno felt.  Rector´s studio is bursting with colorful piles of wool that she magically turns into felt.  "Watching fibers evolve from raw materials into an endless array of useful and/or beautiful objects is a delightful experience."  Rector´s pieces of art, from purses, hats, and jackets, can be found in our Asher Gallery.grector@houston.rr.com
  BETHANY RUSEN (August 2005 - January 2006) After many formative years of experimenting in terra cotta and stoneware, Rusen now dwells solely in the pristine world of porcelain, a high maintenance diva of a clay that, despite its finickiness, brings its rewards in a smooth, polished, transcluscent surface that can seem, at times, to be almost skin-like.
Several themes persist throughout Rusen’s work, the foremost of which is the influence of the human figure. After years of figure drawing and poring over anatomy books, she still finds it to be the most inspiring starting point for all of her work. Her current body of work uses the potters wheel to create cylinders that are then cut up into slabs and altered into different shapes.
Text and narrative also play an important role in Rusen’s work. The idea of a book, then, would be the next logical step. Furiously writing and illustrating little chapbooks since age four, she took her first formal book arts class four years ago under the incomparable Sharyn O’Mara. Her books echo themes found in her ceramic work: anatomy, the figure, and use of a clean, white surface.
Rusen graduated with a BFA in Ceramics from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, a city she misses almost more than words can say.
 

REX SILVERNAIL (September 2002 - March 2003) is a wood artist who holds an M.F.A. from Northern Illinois University.  He primarily creates sculptural items from stud grade 2 x 4´s, examining the relationships that exist between exterior surfaces and interior structures and textures.  Once employed in the foundry business, Silvernail was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study Northwest Coast Indian design at Kitanmax School of Indian Art in Hazelton, Canada. 
 rex@hotmail.com 

CAROLE SMITH (April - December 2007) For the past few years, Carole has been making plates with images on them.  Some are purely for decorative purposes, more as fine art, some one-of-a-kind, unusual or seemingly commemorative.  They have been made using collected thrift store plates with the images being applied under resin.  Carole's new work will be to develop these ideas, using new designs based on her fascination with words and fonts.  Carole will then be returning to functional work in the form of plates and tiles. Photography has always been of interest to her, and she has mostly used photographic based images in her work. She plans to combine her returning love of photography and use the images digitally in the form of ceramic transfers onto clay.  Carole likes to have the images seem unusually placed, something that doesn't quite fit together, yet she strives to have order and create some sense of symmetry.

 GERALD TOBOLA, (January 2005 - December 2005) a self-taught copper artist, specializes in the techniques of repoussé and chasing to create intricate and elaborate designs in functional home décor. Combining his woodworking skills with his copper designs, Gerald makes pieces reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts Movement, especially with his recent development of the design "Grasslands." Using primarily Texas hardwoods--fallen pieces of mesquite and manzeeneeta root --Gerald celebrates the beauty of the flora and fauna he so admires. Gerald mixes and experiments with colorful acid patinas to create the perfect finishing effect for his pieces.
Having started his second career after 28 years in corporate, Gerald has created somewhat of a commotion in the world of metalworking during his transition from hobby metalworker to full-time artist. His tools are simple, yet his designs intricate, recognizable, and unique. Gerald´s lamps are his signature, combining his love of woodworking with his long search for the perfect lampshade. Gerald began working with copper when looking for a shade for a lamp base he had made. Not able to locate the shade he had in mind, Gerald created his first lampshade in 2001. For the future, Tobola would like to open a studio/store in beautiful Round Top, Texas.
Gerald@geraldtobola.com - www.geraldtobola.com

COLLEEN TOLEDANO (June - August 2007), from Albion, Michigan, holds an MFA in ceramics from Ohio University and is skilled in a variety of techniques, including wheel throwing and hand building, moldmaking, woodworking and metal casting and fabrication.  Colleen´s complex and thought-provoking work is centered around a fascination with beauty rituals and the many people throughout the course of history who have gladly suffered incredible pain to achieve their vision of personal beauty.  Her pieces draw from historical precedents and also from the increasingly popular contemporary practices of elective surgery and do-it-yourself improvement programs.

At Left: Handled Stitchery by Colleen Toledano, 2007. Cast porcelain, leather, foam, cast pewter, suture thread, tool dip, acrylic rod.  Image courtesy of the artist.

 

FRANCES TRAHAN (September 2001 - August 2002) is a self-described metalsmith who creates beautiful, but not practical objects.  She creates what she describes as luxurious prosthetics, such as gloves, codpieces, bras and masks that serve dual purposes: concealment and transformation.  "O attempt to connect the illustrative qualities of anonymous objects, tools and regalia to the well-established desirability of be4auty and perfection."  Trahan is a recent graduate of the University of Houston with a Master of Fine Arts Degree.  She has been an instructor of Jewelry and Metalsmithing at both Houston Community College and Alvin Community College.  Trahan is the first member of our inaugural group of artists in residence.
713.863.PERL     pearl925@hotmail.com 

ANN TRASK (January 2006 - June 2006) works in with a wide variety of mixed media and is currently working with encaustics. Ann’s art works have a spiritual quality, which show her responses to many aspects of life. She has created series that include the social issue of lost children, personal and universal memories, and responses to nature. She believes that the artwork has three elements: the artist, the work, and the viewer. Each person sees the work through his/her own experiences and responds in a unique manner. Thus each piece has an individual message.
 

DAVID TRAUBA (March 2002 - August 2002) is a ceramic artist, working with wheel-thrown and slab constructions.  His work is based on the vessel form, and he makes both functional and sculptural objects.  "I find a simple pleasure in making functional objects because it gives me a sense of connection with the long tradition of ceramics."  His sculptural stoneware pushes the boundaries of clay, from the complexity of the thrown forms, to the residual salt sagger firing.  Trauba received a Mast of Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.
dtrauba@hotmail.com

  FRANCES TROTTER (January 2005 - July 2005)  Frances Trotter earned a degree in Fine Arts specializing in Painting from the University of Houston.  At the Craft Center, Frances was imvolved primarily in the Fiber Arts.  She was the lead artist for the Craft Center's Car Cozy as seen in the Orange Show's Art Car Parade in 2005 and 2006.  
Ceramist LOTUS WITT (May 2007 - January 2008)  returns to the Craft Center to complete the second half of her year-long residency, which she started last summer.  Lotus conveys her life experiences through clay.  Her designs are inspired by her passions: cacti, Houston, Texas, television, cooking, science, shopping, and family nostalgia.  Of her work, she states: "I am constantly stimulated by the world around me and feel compelled to translate it into a way that I can share with others. Functional work is inspired by objects I use myself or would like to use."
  CJ WOOD (January 2004 - January 2005) is a material based artist currently working with dressmaker pins and vinyl.  She transforms materials into something new and innovative.  While in residency, Wood will continue to work with pins and explore other materials including eyelets and double stick tape.  "In this currently body of work, I have created tactile surfaces which compositionally express the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and issues." cjwood88@hotmail.com      www.toreveal.com  
 

BONNIE YETTER  (April 2004 - February 2005) is a fiber artist.  Yetter creates works combining controlled techniques of weaving and embroidery and various dye techniques that allow the element of surprise. "The control is a must in fiber work.  Without it, you have a mess, but the uncontrolled processes allow you to think as you go."  Yetter has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
texloom@houston.rr.com     www.texloom.com