BYRDCLIFFE BY DESIGN SUMMER - participating artists and designers:
CERAMICS
Rich Conti - Rich Conti initiated the current ceramics program at Byrdcliffe. He has been the director of the program 11 of the past 13 years. He received his BFA from Alfred University and in 1999, was a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation. Rich's work is firmly grounded in functional pottery, where simple aesthetics and the details of function are combined to bring objects into existence for daily use. Known as the "El Camino" of potters, when asked about whether he considers himself an artist or crafts person, Rich responds, "Is the El-Camino a car or a truck?"
Lynn Isaacson - Lynn moved to the Hudson Valley from New York City in 2007, where she taught visual arts and painting in NYC public schools. She now concentrates on creating wood fired functional stoneware and porcelain at her studio in Pine Bush, NY. She utilizes both an updraft bottle kiln for salt glazes, and a Noborigama/Anagama kiln which produces pottery of exceptional beauty.
Young Mi Kim - Young Mi Kim was born and raised in the mountains of South Korea, and immigrated to New York City in 1974. Young Mi holds a BFA from Cooper Union, and lives and works in Woodstock, NY. She has taught a handbuilding ceramics class at Byrdcliffe. Young Mi's vessels are hand built with coils of clay, carefully pinched and formed. Some are then glaze fired in oxidation, some are fired in a traditional Anagama kiln (woodfired kiln) for 3 to 7 days, while others are pit-fired in the fields behind her studio using horse manure and fine wood chips. Ashes from woodfiring add organic textures and colors to her vessels.
Marilyn Price - Marilyn has lived in Lagrangeville, NY since 1994. Before settling there, she lived in New York City working as a painter and school administrator, and became fully involved in ceramics which she finds to be an extension of her painting. Clay slabs provide a canvas for landscapes, and handmade glazes allow for endless exploration of color. Marilyn has also developed a full line of functional pottery for use in both the kitchen and bath.
Virginia Piazza - Virginia moved to Beacon, NY from New York City in 2005, where she taught ceramics for over 20 years at the YWCA, 92nd St. Y, Chambers Pottery, and the NYC Crafts Students League. Currently, she is teaching at the Garrison Arts Center in Garrison, NY, and focusing on producing a line of handmade stoneware and porcelain pots for the serving of food and displaying of flowers.
Leah Rubenstein - Leah lives in Woodstock and has been making functional and artistic pottery for over 40 years. She studied both ceramics and nursing at Alfred University in Alfred, NY. After school, she continued nursing, working as an emergency room nurse for four decades, all the while honing her pottery skills and studying with master potter, Val Cushing.
GLASS BLOWING
Pablo Weinschenk - Pablo is a native of Argentina and the son of a prominent cinematographer. He moved to the US in 1968 and settled in New York City where he started a career in photography, working with many well known photographers. The advent of digital photography prompted his transition to glass blowing, a medium that has always facinated him. Pablo and his family recently rebuilt their studio in Kingston after suffering a major loss of work space during hurricane Irene.
JEWELRY
Chorthip Lagnese - Chorthip was born and raised in Thailand, and moved to New York City to study and work in the jewelry fabrication business. She spent four successful years at Tiffany's where she was one of the key designers on the Frank Gehry Jewelry collection. Since then, she has moved to Woodstock to raise a family, and develop her own line of modern and timeless jewelry pieces.
Ron Zukor and Liz Horn - Ron Zukor and Liz Horn are a husband and wife team who have been making jewelry for over 40 years. They were active members of a craft cooperative in Greenwich Village, New York City, before settling in Woodstock over 20 years ago. They've taught jewelry making at many places including the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, and more recently in the Woodstock school system
Ron Zukor and Liz Horn photo courtesy of Susan Phillips.
TEXTILES
Miriam Bisceglia - Miriam is a resident of Woodstock and teaches textile design at William Paterson University in New Jersey. She studied art and textiles at New York University and FIT, and earned an MFA at William Paterson in Painting and Printmaking. Her current work includes hand dyed silk accessories that dazzle with unexpected color and shape schemes.
Shannon Wittman - Shannon is a weaver who lives in Montgomery, NY. She's been weaving, spinning, and knitting for over 20 years at her studio, Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio. She makes her own yarn to create beautiful woven scarves, stoles, hand towels, placemats, and pillows. She works with Tencel, rayon, unmercerized cotton, angora, alpaca, and chenille.
WOODWORKING
Andrew Gray - Andrew is part of Gray Works Design, a Woodstock woodworking company he founded with his partner Elizabeth Bryant in 2005. Together, they have created interpretive furniture using native species materials, procured locally, and milled in-house or at local micro mills. Tables, stools, bowls and boards are all hand carved and finished with plant based oils, free of V.O.C's. The ever popular Footed Platte is the ultimate in affordable and functional wooden design pieces.
Paul Henderson - Paul teaches woodworking classes at the Byrdcliffe Art Colony. With a background in architecture, his design approach is a combination of drawing, experimentation, and aesthetic solutions. Paul's sideboards, cabinets, and tables are inspired by mid-century and Japanese design, with an emphasis on solid wood joinery and compound curved lamination.
