The new art exhibition combines three of my great loves: teapots, chainmail, and stoneware cups.
This art exhibition features the art of Melissa Michel, Landon Blakesley and Kylee Dotson.
Kylee Dotson, a senior Fine and Performing Arts major, is showing stoneware pieces, created via pottery wheel. In keeping with her theme of making a connection, Kylee gave away several stoneware cups on opening night, hoping it would create a special memory for those who received one.
All of Kylee’s artwork evokes an image of a small country cottage, but none more so than “Dinner For Three,” a complete dinnerware set for three people.
Her pieces are beautiful, functional works of art, all of which I would absolutely use, even though nothing about me is anything like a small country cottage.
Melissa Michel, another senior Fine and Performing Arts major, has several paintings and many, many pieces of slab pottery on exhibit. Many of her pieces are covered in the colors of the ‘70s, which makes her artwork fun and light. “Collective Teapots: Gnar, Party Time, Hype Train, Lurk Zone, Grime Time, Mash” is a collection of teapots in which Melissa tries to capture the spirit of the southern California skateboarding culture (these are some of my favorite things ever). When faced with the sheer volume of Melissa’s work, you can’t help but be amazed she hasn’t had a breakdown yet.
Chainmail, probably the favorite art medium of history nerds the world over (myself included), is the main focus of Landon Blakesley’s artwork (thanks, man).
Landon, who is also a senior Fine and Performing Arts major, has several examples of chainmail on display. Landon also has three tables on display. (Yeah, he made furniture. I can’t even chart the level of awesomeness he’s reached.) “Size Matters,” a tiny piece of chainmail made of tiny links, has an attached magnifying lens and shows Landon’s apparent skill for doing things that would send lesser persons to the loony bin.
For those of you who dearly wish to make a difference in the world of art but cannot draw a straight line with the aid of a ruler (again, myself included), Landon offers you an opportunity.
Connections 4 a Cure is an interactive chainmail display that benefits St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Participants, after reading a short tutorial, add their own piece of chainmail to the piece.
Connections 4 a Cure will be up until April 20, at which point it will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to St. Jude’s.
While I admit to being art ignorant, the work of these three artists doesn’t need an art background to be appreciated for what it is. You can clearly see what each artist believes in their work.
And that’s the best kind of art, really, the kind that contains the soul of the artist.
