Octagon Center for the Arts

50th Annual Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood
2018-01-26 - 2018-04-07 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
50th Annual Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood
January 26 – April 7, 2018
MAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY
2018 marks the 50th annual All-Media juried exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts. The first Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Woodopened in 1968, two years after the organization’s founding in 1966. The Octagon was founded out of the community’s desire to provide exciting art experiences for the public and professional opportunities for artists. This show the organization’s attempt to fully embody the founding vision. As a result, it has a reputation for being one of the best group juried shows in Iowa due to its national reach, high standards for jurors, and significant cash awards. The title of the show reflects a media-focused theme. The founders believed that many art forms seen as lowly “crafts,” such as ceramics or woodworking, should be elevated to compete with the level of other “fine” arts. The idea of excellent craftsmanship combined with compelling ideas continues to be a central theme as artwork is selected. This is the longest repeating exhibit at the Octagon and is responsible for bringing some of the most prestigious artwork into the community.
Juror: Peter Pinnell
Peter Pinnell’s first professional position was as Artist in Residence at the Octagon Art Center in Ames, Iowa, a position he held from 1984 to 1987. “I loved the Octagon, and my wife and I loved living in Ames. It was the perfect place for me at that point in my career”. After leaving Ames, Pinnell spent eight years in Kansas City, working as a studio potter and teaching part-time at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1995 Pinnell was offered a faculty position at the University of Nebraska, where he is now Professor of Art.
In addition to his teaching, Pinnell writes, lectures and exhibits his pottery widely. Over the last 20 years he has been an active presenter with NCECA (the National council on Education in the Ceramics Arts), and his ceramics column, “As Far as I Know” has appeared in Clay Times magazine since 1998. His artwork has appeared in exhibitions across the US and in a number of venues overseas.
