Ben Roti’s “re[VOL]ve” opens at Gallery 527 in Jerome during First Saturday Art Walk on February 3 from 5 – 8 p.m. Roti will feature new contemporary ceramic work constructed and altered on the pottery wheel. The collection of turned objects includes a variety of cups, bowls, jars, and platters. Vibrant glazes and slips are used to create a rich, weathered surface on the wheel-thrown utilitarian objects.
Read moreREBUILDING AND REIMAGINING REITZ RANCH
JANUARY 19, 2018 OPENING RECEPTION 5 - 7 PM
EXHIBIT JANUARY 19- FEBRUARY 9, 2018
For years, Don Reitz lived and worked in Clarkdale quietly creating masterpieces at the Ranch. Few in the Verde Valley were aware of the place and the magical activities afoot there. Reitz is considered one of the fathers of modern ceramics, an artist who expanded the medium beyond functional tableware to immense, provocative works of abstract art. His work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and many others.
Over the years, many assistants came to the Reitz Ranch from out of state to apprentice with...
Yunomi Invitational Exhibition
First Annual Yunomi Exhibition begins this week and officially opens Saturday, November 11th from 10-8 PM.
The Yunomi exhibit showcases the work of many of our superb local and regional clay artists. (15 artists, 2-5 pieces per artist = a staggeringly beautiful selection of choices. Holidays are just around the corner! Find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for that special someone.
Work is being delivered on a daily basis so if you'd like a preview stop by today or tomorrow to see what is currently available.
I look forward to seeing all the great work from artists across the state!
Read moreVariation: Balance
I'm excited to share that I am having a show in Show Low, AZ at the Talon Gallery of the Northland Pioneer College. I will have several of my sculptures on display from October 30 - December 1, 2017. I will also be giving an artist demonstration and artist talk in the Aspen Center, Room 104 and 110, Monday, October 30 from 4-8pm.
Read more#benlaugh
I'm excited to be a co-featured artist with Ben Craigie at SoSoba and The Commerce in Flagstaff, Arizona. Be sure to check it out for first Friday, or stop by have some great food and maybe a few cocktails.
#benlaugh at SoSoBa and The Commerce.
Join us for First Friday Artwalk this Friday February 5th for a very special art installation by Benjamin Craigie and Bennett Roti.
Bentley Gallery: Don Reitz
Don Reitz is recognized as one of the most important and influential ceramic artists of the last century. He has cultivated a decades-long exploration of wood and salt firing of his pieces to preserve the unique energy and spontaneity of his mark-making.
Read moreArmy of One: Army of None
A couple of weeks ago I was in the local Made In Clarkdale show. The Made In Clarkdale Art Show(MIC) 2012 runs for 10 days beginning the first weekend of December featuring the original art of over 50+ artists with a variety of mediums including sculpture, visual art, photography, and wearable art in all price ranges. I met several wonderful people, and had a really great opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones as well! We had a wonderful turnout this year, and achieved our goal in sales to put on the show for next year. I focused mainly on getting two new pieces I have been working on titled "Army of One: Army of None" which were a hit. I received several wonderful comments and had some very engaging conversations.
Read moreHexaptych
I put together a quick YouTube video for Don's Birthday (November 7th). I showed it to Don and he asked me put it online and share it with others. I'm putting the photos that go along with the video of the process for the hexaptych. The piece came out of the woodkiln this week and I will upload photos of the finished piece this week. Check back to see the finished photos.
Read moreMonsoons
The monsoons are finally here! We've been waiting for what seemed like forever. But they finally have arrived. I was working on the ranch on Wednesday when the wind started to pick up and it started to rain. I quickly drove into town but stopped along the way to take photos with my phone. Now that is has rained we should be able to start firing again!
Read moreStudio Triptych
I got to work in the studio today with Don. Don worked on painting a new triptych that is 15"x 30" x 1". I was also able to help work on some new jars which completed photos will be posted as soon as they are finished. While Don was painting I stood by and took some great shots of him from start to finish. Don starts by applying a "Base Coat" to give it a background color and then proceeds to apply the main imagery. These panels will be woodfired for about three days and will be fired to cone 13 (~2500 degrees Fahrenheit ).Check out the photos below:
Read moreAntiwar Artists Gallery
I was just asked to be included in this Online Gallery. I've got some work up on there with far more to come.
Antiwar Artists Galleries
Antiwar Artists is a collection of international artists who depict the effects of war and other injustices on people and other living things. These galleries contain artwork that may offend some people, because war itself is offensive to the artists included here. Antiwar Artists.com is a collaborative effort to communicate for peace through art.The galleries also include environmental and other socially conscious artwork and photos.New artists are always welcome to join us. We are having a new online Exhibit in August. Check back soon for more information on the exhibit!
Read moreGrand Canyon Round 2
This trip was AMAZING. David Whyte and his fiancé Jennifer Ruxer visited this week and we were able to go to the Grand Canyon (a second time for me in one month!). It was raining in Cottonwood and the forecast for the Grand Canyon was cloudy and possiblity of rain, but we went for it anyways. I'm so glad we did! We drove through rain and even snow to get to the South Rim, but when we arrived the canyon was even more beautiful than the first. The cloud cover gave the valleys splashes of color and contrast throughout the entire canyon. I couldn't stop taking pictures and it seemed that each picture got better than the first. I couldn't wait to get them on the computer and get them on my site. Really looking forward to my next visit to the Grand Canyon.
Read moreGrand Canyon Round 1
This week my best friend Abe Saleh and his wife Jessica visited Kami and I in Cottonwood, AZ. We went all over Cottonwood, Jerome, Sedona, Flagstaff, and even the Grand Canyon! This was the first time I had been to the Grand Canyon that I can remember. It was a bright sunny day (still very cold) there was snow still throughout the canyon, but we got some great photos. It really is hard to take in the scale of the canyon. It was so much larger than I ever imagined. (I also got a bit trigger happy with my camera) Looking forward to heading back in April.
Read moreMoon over Jerome
After my Midnight to 6 AM shift, I was driving into town and the moon was just beginning to go down over Mingus Mountain. I pulled over to the side of the road and got a few good shots of the moon setting over Jerome and Clarkdale below. I must say that I live in a very beautiful state.
Read moreAmazing Night Firing
It has been a little while since my last update this is because we are in the middle of a serious firing schedule. Don has a large retrospective show that will be coming up on May 4th 2012 at Belger Arts Center. So Don has been cranking out work left and right. With all the work that is being produced the work has to be fired. Since his show with Bentley Gallery that recently came down in January, we have been firing a wood kiln about once every week! We've also thrown in a few Salt kiln firings in there too. There has been a few times where we are firing a wood kiln and a salt kiln at the same time! Don's salt kiln is one of the loudest kilns I have really ever been around. (It was really nice when it had been going on for a few days and we get to turn it off, the silence was much appreciated) I did get a few shots of firing during my Midnight shift on March 3rd 2012. Below are a few photos from a night firing in March.
Read moreRains at the Ranch
Just before we decided which day we were going to load the kiln it started to rain. There wasn't much lightning and I didn't have a great camera but though I would put a few photos of the monsoons.
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