ARTIST STATEMENT
Ideas obtained from objects such as toys, games and a variety of new and primitive artifacts are occasionally salvaged and used as source material and assimilated into the work. How these objects communicate within the framework of the image is intriguing.
I am particularly fascinated by images and objects produced by children, folk and outsider artists. The ability to communicate without being encumbered by skill and technique yet with such honesty and passion is exemplary.
This assimilated information integrated with a working approach based on intuition and a spontaneous response to the magic of the imagination hopefully, produces objects that have an eccentric energy. The objects are somewhat on the edge, off center, humorous, weird, absurd or irreverent.
The piece tells a story. The story has: no beginning or end, it exists somewhere in between. An observer can move forward or backward, up and down. A non-linear chronology exists, a jigsaw puzzle that must be assembled.
The pieces are fragmentary, they consist of some objects and images that are not totally or easily recognizable. There exists a kaleidoscope or mosaic of images, marks, colors, shapes and textures. A hypersensitive surface forces the viewer to absorb much more information than under normal circumstances. The story can be narrated or observed on a visceral level.
Body decoration and costuming relative to popular and primal cultures has provided the foundation for some of my work. The visual, psychological and physiological effect upon the decorated and the viewer is significant.
Ideas obtained from objects such as toys, games and a variety of new and primitive artifacts are occasionally salvaged and used as source material and assimilated into the work. How these objects communicate within the framework of the image is intriguing.
I am particularly fascinated by images and objects produced by children, folk and outsider artists. The ability to communicate without being encumbered by skill and technique yet with such honesty and passion is exemplary.
This assimilated information integrated with a working approach based on intuition and a spontaneous response to the magic of the imagination hopefully, produces objects that have an eccentric energy. The objects are somewhat on the edge, off center, humorous, weird, absurd or irreverent.
CURRICULUM VITAE
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
Axom Gallery, Rochester, N.Y. 2014
Indigo Gallery, Buffalo, N.Y. 2011
Houghton College, Houghton, N.Y. 2010
Stewart-Calderwood, Nazareth College, Rochester, N.Y. 2009
Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Buffalo, N.Y. 2006
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, FL – 2005
R. Duane Reed Gallery, New York, NY – 2005
John Elder Gallery, New York, NY – 2002
Gibson Gallery, SUNY College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY – 2002
Ben Shahn Galleries, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ – 2001
State University College at Brockport, Brockport, NY – 2001
Alleghany College, Meadville, PA – 2001
Rathbone Gallery, The Sage Colleges, Albany, NY – 2001
Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1999
Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA – 1997
Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY – 1996
Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1996
The Clay Place Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA – 1995
Wells College, Aurora, NY – 1995
Dawson Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1992
Dawson Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1990
Adams Gallery, Dunkirk, NY – 1990
Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY – 1989
Munson Williams Proctor Institute, Utica, NY – 1989
Dawson Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1987
Zaner Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1986
Zaner Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1985
Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1983
Theo Portnoy Gallery, New York, NY – 1983
Chautauqua Art Gallery, Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY – 1982
Theo Portnoy Gallery, New York, NY – 1981
Theo Portnoy Gallery, New York, NY – 1979
Nina Freudenheim Gallery, Buffalo, NY – 1978
Theo Portnoy Gallery, New York, NY – 1976
Fendrick Gallery, Washington, D.C., – 1976
Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA – 1975
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1974
The Lee Nordness Galleries, New York, NY – 1973
Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1973
Schumann Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1971
State University College, Oswego, NY – 1970
EXHIBITIONS
The Sybaris Gallery, Royal Oak, MI – 2000
“Sculpture of the Spirit,” Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY – 1999
Sofa, New York, NY – 1999
John Elder Gallery, New York, NY – 1998-99
“12th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition,” San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX – 1998
“Clockwork,” The Center of Contemporary Arts, University City, MO – 1998
Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, CA – 1997-98
Craft Alliance, “6th Annual Teapot Exhibition,” St. Louis, MO – 1998
University of Minnesota, Goldstein Gallery, St. Paul, MN – 1997-98
Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NE – 1997
Oklahoma City Art Museum, Oklahoma City, OK – 1997
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR – 1997
Craft Alliance, “Teapot Exhibition,” St. Louis, MO – 1997
Gallery Alexander, “Teapot Exhibition,” La Jolla, CA – 1997
“Contemporary New York State Crafts,” New York State Museum, Albany, NY – 1997
Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY – 1996
Craft Art from Western New York, Burchfield-Penny Art Center, Buffalo, NY – 1996
“American Figurative Clay,” Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO – 1996
“Maximum Occupancy,” NCECA Invitational Exhibition, Rochester, NY – 1996
Edward Day Gallery, Kingston, Ontario – 1995
“Essence and Persuasion: The Power of Black and White,” Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, NY –
1995
“Local Clay Samples,” SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, NY; Burchfield Center, Buffalo, NY; SUNY College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY – 1994
“Working with Tradition: The Academic Artist,” Burchfield Art Center, Buffalo, NY – 1993
“Soup Tureens: 1993 National Invitational,” Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA – 1993
Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1993
“Figurative Ceramics,” Baltimore Museum of Ceramics, Baltimore, MD – 1990
“Craft 1990,” Burchfield Center, Buffalo, NY – 1990
“Flora and Fauna,” The Rice Gallery, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY – 1990
“Raku,” National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Touring Exhibition – 1989-90
“Expressions in Color: Ceramics,” New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ – 1988
Grand Prix des Metiers d’art Exhibition, Archives Nationales du Quebec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada – 1987
Great Lakes Ceramic Exhibition (Juried), Lill St. Gallery, Chicago, IL – 1987
Craft National II (National Juried), S.U.C. Buffalo, Buffalo, NY – 1987
R.I.T. Invitational Fine Arts Exhibition, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY – 1987
National Council on the Education of the Ceramic Arts: Artists/Teachers Exhibition, Syracuse
University, Syracuse, NY – 1987
200 Teapots, Springfield Art Association, Springfield, IL – 1987
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Juried Members Exhibition, San Antonio
College, San Antonio, TX – 1986
Clay and Fiber Gallery, Taos, NM – 1985
Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY – 1984
“I Love New York State Ceramics,” Burchfield Center, Buffalo, NY – 1983
National Soup Tureen Invitational, Campbell Museum, Camden, NJ – 1983
Ancient Inspirations/Contemporary Interpretations, Roberson Center, (National Traveling Exhibition), Binghamton, NY – 1982
Group Exhibition, Sarah Lawrence College, New York, NY – 1982
B.F.M. Gallery, New York, NY – 1980
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY – 1980
“Tribute to Josiah Wedgewood,” Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA – 1980
Language in Clay, Burchfield Center, S.U.C. Buffalo, NY – 1979
Uncommon Visions, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1979
Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture, William Hayes Achland Memorial Art Center, University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC –1977
The Scinta Show, E.B. Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA – 1977
Soup Tureens U.S.A., Campbell Museum, Camden, NJ; Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New
York, NY; Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI – 1976
National Ceramic Invitational, Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT – 1975
National Craft Invitational, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY – 1975
Clay U.S.A., Fendrick Gallery, Washington, D.C. – 1975
“Food Stuff,” Kohler Art Museum, Sheboygan, WI – 1975
East Coast Invitational, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA – 1974
The Fine Art of Craftsmanship, Roberson Art Gallery, Binghamton, NY – 1974
National Cup Invitational, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN – 1974
Baroque 74, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, NY – 1974
National Invitational, Edinboro State University, Edinboro, PA – 1974
East-West Ceramic Invitational, Birmingham Art Museum, Birmingham, MI – 1974
Figure and Fantasy Exhibition, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. – 1974
“Cups,” The Slocumb Gallery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN – 1974
“Clay,” Whitney Museum of American Art (Downtown Branch) – 1974
A 20th Century Bestiary (National Invitational), San Jose State University, Santa Barbara, CA –
1973
3-Man Invitational Exhibition, SUNY College at Cortland, Cortland, NY – 1973
Fun and Fantasy Exhibition, Fairtree Gallery, New York, NY – 1973
“Plastic Earth” (National Invitational), John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI – 1973
The New Realism, Lowe Art Museum, University of Florida, Coral Gables, FL – 1972
New York State Craftsmen Invitational, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, N. Y.,
1972
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY – 1972
Master Craftsmen Exhibition, State University at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY – 1971
United States Information Agency, Touring American Sculpture Exhibition (New American
Sculpture), North Africa, Near East and Asia – 1971-72
National Raku Invitational, State University College, Geneseo, NY – 1970
Lee Nordness Gallery, New York, NY – 1970
Objects in Clay Exhibition, SUNY College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY – 1970
Coffee, Tea and Other Cups (National Invitational), Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York,
NY – 1970
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY – 1967
23rd Annual Scripps College Ceramic Invitational, Claremont, CA – 1967
Columbus Art Gallery, Columbus, OH – 1965
TOURING EXHIBITIONS
Charles Rand Penny Collection – a touring exhibition of ceramics from the Penny Collection.
Meadows Museum, Shreveport, LA – 1988
Beaumont Art Museum, Beaumont, TX – 1988
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS – 1987
MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan – 1987
Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum, Spokane, WA – 1987
Paine Art Center, Oshkosh, WI – 1987
Stifel Fine Arts Center, Wheeling, WV – 1986
Louisiana Arts & Science, Baton Rouge, LA – 1986
Tampa Museum, Tampa, FL – 1986
Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR – 1986
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA – 1985
COLLECTIONS (Institutions)
Arizona State Museum of Art, Tempe, Arizona, 2013
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC – 2001
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX – 1998
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC – 1997
Arkansas Museum of Art, Little Rock, AR – 1996
Bass Museum, Miami, FL – 1995
Palm Beach Community College Museum of Art, Palm Beach, FL – 1993
Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Wisconsin – 1993
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1992
Ronald McDonald House, Rochester, NY – 1989
Burchfield – Penny Art Center, Buffalo, NY – 1985
Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN – 1985
SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, NY – 1985 and 1989
Museum of American Crafts, New York, NY – 1980
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa – 1980
Campbell Museum, Camden, NJ – 1976
Carborundum Ceramic Museum, Niagara Falls, NY – 1975
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1974
Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY – 1974
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI – 1973
SUNY College at Cortland, Cortland, NY – 1973
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY – 1972
SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 1971
SUNY College at Oswego, Oswego, NY – 1970
SUNY College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY – 1970
Butler Art Institute, Youngstown, OH – 1966
Numerous Private Collections
AWARDS
Distinguished Alumni Award, College of Fine Arts, Ohio University, 2008
Outstanding Alumni Award, Ohio University School of Art, 2008
Purchase Award, Burchfield Art Center, Buffalo, NY – 1990
Lillian Fairchild Award, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY – 1990
United University Professions Award: Outstanding Community Service, State University of New
York – 1990
Spotlight Artist: National Council on the Education for Ceramic Arts, Boston, MA – 1984
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, State University of New York – 1982
Lillian Fairchild Award, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY – 1979
Sculpture Award, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY (Rochester Finger Lakes Exhibition) –
1979
Media Award – Ceramics, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY (Rochester Finger Lakes
Exhibition) – 1972
Great Lakes Press Award for Ceramic Sculpture, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
(Rochester Finger Lakes Exhibition) – 1970
Sullivan Award, Crafts Exhibit, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1969
First Prize in Sculpture, 56th Annual National Exhibition, Art Association of Newport, RI – 1967
Purchase Award, Butler Art Institute, Youngstown, OH – 1966
LECTURES/WORKSHOPS
Houghton College, Houghton N.Y. 2010
Gibson Gallery, SUNY College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY – 2002
Alleghany College, Meadville, PA – 2001
William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ – 2001
Shanghai University, Shanghai, China – 2001
Jingdezhen Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute, China – 2001
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC – 2001
Sage Colleges, Albany, NY – 2001
National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland – 2000
Nazareth College, Rochester, NY – 2000
SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 1999
Downtown Community Forum, Rochester, NY – 1996
School of the Arts, Rochester, NY – 1995
SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 1995
Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsmen, Rochester, NY – 1994
Pyramid Art Center, Rochester, NY – 1994
SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 1994
SUNY College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY – 1994
Rochester Art Group, Rochester, NY – 1994
Webster Art Association, Webster, NY – 1994
Ohio University, Athens, OH – 1993
SUNY College at Oswego, Oswego, NY – 1993
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1993
Featured Speaker, New York State Art Teachers Conference, Rochester, NY – 1992
Burchfield Art Center, Buffalo, NY – 1992
Adams Gallery, Dunkirk, NY – 1990
Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY – 1989
SUNY College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY – 1989
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY – 1988
Pittsford Art Group, Pittsford, NY – 1987
Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsman, Rochester, NY – 1984
Spotlight Artist, National Council on the Education for Ceramic Arts, Boston, MA – 1982
New York State Art Teachers Association Annual Meeting, Concord, NY – 1981
Art Park, Lewiston, NY – 1976
Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT – 1975
Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA – 1974
SUNY College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY – 1972
SUNY College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY – 1970
SUNY College at Oswego, Oswego, NY – 1970
COMMISSIONS
“Lunar Time,” State University of New York College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 2000
“Guardian,” Robert and Chris Brickman, Rochester, NY – 1998
“Shadowcatchers,” Eightfold Entertainment Inc., Santa Monica, CA – 1997
“Wisdomkeepers,” Two Large Scale Ceramic Figures, Seldon Place, Rochester, NY – 1995
“The Council,” Large Scale Ceramic Sculpture, Greater Rochester International Airport,
Rochester, NY – 1990
“Dawson Fireplace,” Shirley Dawson, Rochester, NY – 1989
“Animals of Wisconsin,” Large Scale Lighting System, Sam and Jean Johnson, Racine, WI – 1979
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Breaking Ground: A Century of Craft Art in Western New York. Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, 2010.
Ostermann, Matthias. The Ceramic Narrative. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia,2005.
500 Figures in Clay: Ceramic Artists Celebrate the Human Form. Lark Books; 2004, pp.137-233
Peterson, Susan. Working With Clay. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2002.
Peterson, Susan. Contemporary Ceramics. Watson Guptill, New York, 2000.
The Ceramic Design Book, Lark Books, Asheville, NC – 1998
Nouvel Object III, Design House – 1997
Fairbanks, Jonathan and Angela Fina. The Best of Pottery, Rockport Publishers, Rockport, MA – 1996
Zakin, Richard. Electric Kiln Ceramics, Chilton Book Company, Radnor, PA – 1994
Nigrosh, Leon. Sculpting Clay, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA – 1992
Zakin, Richard. Ceramics: Mastering the Craft, Chilton Book Company, Radnor, PA – 1990
Conrad, John. Contemporary Ceramic Techniques, Prestice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ – 1979
Tyler Christopher and Richard Hirsch. Raku, Watson-Guptill, NY – 1975
Cushing, John Patrick. Animals in Pottery and Porcelain, Crown Publishing, NY – 1974
Piepenburg, Robert. Raku Pottery, MacMillian Co., NY – 1972
Baldwin, John. Contemporary Sculpture Techniques, Rheinhold Publishing Corp., New York, NY – 1967
Magazines (Reviews, Photos, Articles)
Ceramics: Art and Perception, Issue #48, Spring 2002, “Bill Stewart’s Improvisations in Clay”
Catalog: “Bill Stewart: Ceramic Sculpture,” SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, NY –
2001
Review and Photo, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Issue #36, 1999, pp. 96-97
Review, Neue Keramik, September 1997, p. 487
Review, American Ceramics, December 1, 1995, p. 57
Exhibition Review, “Bill Stewart,” American Ceramics, December 1995
Interview, “Bill Stewart,” Studio Potter, December 1995
Feature Article, “Bill Stewart,” Ceramic Monthly, April 1995
Catalog, “Essence and Persuasion: The Power of Black and White,” Anderson Gallery, Buffalo,
NY, 1995
Who’s Who in the East, 1992-93 and 1991-92
Photo, American Craft, February/March 1992, p. 76
“Public Art: Airports,” Planning Magazine, 1992
Photo, American Craft, February/March 1985, p.77
Photo, Ceramics Monthly, February 1983, p. 67
Photo, American Craft, February 1980, p. 69
Photo, Arts Magazine, February 1978, p. 67
Review, Craft Horizons, June 1978, p. 60
Review and Photo, Ceramics Monthly, June 1978
Review and Photo, Craft Horizons, April 1976, p. 61
Review, Craft Horizons, “Folk Art in Clay,” August 1976, p. 48
Photo, Craft Horizons, February 1975, p. 67
Review, Ceramics Monthly, March 1974, p. 55
Review, Craft Horizons, August 1973, p. 22
Photo, Craft Horizons, June 1972, p. 52
Photo, Horizons, October 1971, p. 40
Review, Craft Horizons, March/April, 1970, p. 49
Review, Craft Horizons, May/June, 1970, p. 56
Photo, Craft Horizons, October/November, 1965, p. 42
Review and Photo, Craft Horizons, September/October, 1964, p. 59
RESEARCH GRANTS
State University of New York Brockport Faculty/Student Summer Research Grant – 1989 & 1990
State University of New York Faculty Research Fellowship – Summer 1972
National Endowment for the Arts Research Grant – 1976
State University of New York Grant-in-Aid – 1968-69
OTHER POSITIONS HELD
Artist in Residence, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, Md., 2012
Williams Foundation Artist in Residency, SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY – 1999-00
Board of Directors, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY – 1992- 94
Chair, Department of Art/Art History, SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, NY – 1991-92
Dance Set Designer, “Epiphony,” Santo Giglio, Director, Dance Department, SUNY College at
Brockport, Brockport, NY – 1992
Ceramic Instructor, New York State Summer School of the Arts, SUNY College at Fredonia,
Fredonia, NY – 1980-83
Artist-In-Residence, Rochester City School District, Rochester, NY – 1971, 73, 80, 85
Artist-In-Residence, Art Park, Lewiston, NY – 1975-76
Artist-In-Residence, Prairie School, Racine, WI – 1975
Ceramic Instructor, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC – 1972