Artist: Nicholas Bernard
Nicholas Bernard, ARIZONA
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Early experiences with clay as a child apparently left a mark. After school, apprenticeships and more school, making pots was, is and will continue to be a way of life. I’ve been a studio potter for nearly 40 years now, living and working in Arizona for much of that time. My work as a professional has always been low fire earthenware. For many years my Raku pots were shown nationally. The influences are scattered from the Southwest, Africa and Japan to the cultures of the Mediterranean. A museum full of 2000-year-old pots in Rhodes was an epiphany. Simple forms with no contrivance or pretension filled room after room. I hope to make one like that before I’m done. Seeing those pots 20 years ago started this current evolution. It began with soft muted colors, classic shapes. Amphora, ewers, and jugs with an ancient feel. Then, textured pots with extravagant handles, spouts and flourishes using brushed color. Over the last 7 years the current body of work has evolved. Hot colors, simple closed forms with very controlled textures dominate. High fire porcelain has now been added to the mix with its many eccentricities. The last piece finished today, good, bad or indifferent is the product of doing the work for many years.
These pieces can’t be made without those experiences, successes and failures, lots of failures. Every day in the studio is an adventure; I’m looking forward to working tomorrow
Artist Statement
Form is everything; I stretch clay to make canvases for decoration. Texture, pattern and color are successful additions when the shapes are impeccable. My inspirations are many, from the classic forms of antiquity to the simple, graceful pots made by indigenous peoples and the work of modern studio potters.
Dramatic color, subtle texture and graphic pattern accentuate what I hope is a mastery of the traditional vessel form.
Exhibitions (selected)
May 2020 Two Person Show. Zynka Gallery, Pittsburg, PA.
March 2020 “One Man Show” Reyes Contemporary. The Resort at Mountain Shadows, Paradise Valley, AZ.
February 2020 “The Discovery and Invention of Color” Two Person Show Tohono Chul Park. Tucson, AZ.
January 2020 “Southwest Rising” Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch. Tucson Museum of Art
December 2018 Ceramic Invitational. Mesa Community College, Mesa,AZ.
February 2018 “39 th Annual Contemporary Crafts” National Juried Invitational. Mesa Arts Center. Mesa, AZ.
February 2018 “Sonoran Seasons Invitational” Tohono Chul Park. Tucson, AZ.
October 2017 “Contemporary Ceramics” West Virginia University. Morgantown, WV.
September 2017 “The Art of Containment” Flint Institute of the Arts. Flint, MI.
May 2017 Two Man Show. Gallery Chiz. Pittsburg, PA.
April 2017 “Abstract Arizona” Tohono Chul Park. Tucson, AZ.
January 2017 “Red” Lovitt’s Gallery. Tulsa, OK.
January 2017 “ Rewind” Group Invitational. Clay Art Center. Portchester, NY.
February 2017 “Textural” Group Invitational. Schaller Gallery. St Joseph. MI
October 2016 TCA Juried Biennial, “Clay”
August 2016 “Tea Bowl National” KC Potters Guild, Kansas City, MO.
August 2016 “Workhouse Clay International” Juried Competition. Lorton Arts Center. Lorton, VA.
July 2016 Teapot Invitational. Chautauqua Art Institute. Chautauqua, NY.
June 2016 “Fahrenheit” Lovitt’s Gallery. Tulsa, OK.
May 2016 “All Arizona Clay” Shemer Art Center. Phoenix, AZ.
April 2016 San Angelo National Juried Competition. San Angelo, TX.
July 2015 “30 th Anniversary Invitational” Telluride Gallery of Fine Art. Telluride, CO.
May 2015 “Yunomi Invitational” Akar Design. Iowa City,IA
May 2015 “ The Sky Above” Invitational Tohono Chul Cultural Center. Tucson, AZ.
April 2015 “100 Potters” Invitational. Pots on Wheels at NCECA Providence, RI.
April 2015 “Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future” AMOCA. Pomona, CA
March 2015 “Line and Pattern” Schaller Gallery, St Joseph, MI.
May 2014 Rare in OC” Invitational. City of Brea Art Gallery. Brea, CA.
April 2014 “Yunomi Invitational” Akar Design. Iowa City, IA.
January 2014 “Drink This” National Juried Competition. Lorton Arts Center. Lorton, VA.
January 2014 Featured Artist. Schaller Gallery. St. Joseph, MI
December 2013 “White” Group Invitational. Telluride Gallery of Fine Art Telluride, CO.
October 2013 “Small Works Invitational” Tohono Chul Cultural Center. Tucson, AZ.
March 2013 “Green” Group Invitational. A Gallery. Salt Lake City, UT
January 2013 “100 Teapots VI” National Juried Show. Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD.
October 2012 “Iron” Schaller Gallery. St Joseph, MI.
July 2012 “External Views” Group Invitational. Red Star Studios, Kansas City, MO.
July 2012 “Workhouse Clay National” Juried Competition. Lorton Arts Center. Lorton, VA.
July 2012 “Contemporary Ceramics” Group Invitational. Tohono Chul Cultural Ctr. Tucson, AZ.
Sept 2011 “Exposed” American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA
Sept 2011 “Uncommon Ground” NCECA Invitational, Arvada Center for the Arts., Arvada, CO
July 2011 “Out of the Blue” Chautauqua Center for the Visual Arts. Invited Artist
November 2010 “Small Works Invitational” Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA.
October 2010 “One Man Show”, Patina Gallery Santa Fe, NM.
October 2009 Studio Pottery Invitational, Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA,
September 2009 NAU Biennial, Northern Arizona University Art Museum. Flagstaff, AZ.
April 2009 Featured Artist, Sky Harbor Airport Museum, Phoenix, AZ
February 2009 Patchwork National Invitational Armstrong's Gallery, Pomona, CA.
March 2009 Ink and Clay 35, National Invitational, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
January 2008 29th Annual Contemporary Crafts, National Invitational, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
November 2007 Steeped in Tradition, National Teapot Invitational, Ariana Gallery, Royal Oak, MI
January 2007 100 Teapots IIINational Invitational, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD
January 2007 28th Annual Contemporary Crafts National Invitational ,Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
Oct 2006 Vessels National Invitational, CCSU , New Britain, CT
Oct 2006 Blue Grass Clay National Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
March 2006 Featured Artist. Obsidian Gallery. Tucson, AZ.
September 2005 Arizona Clay Invitational, Phoenix, AZ. (Best of Show)
September 2005 Wichita National Invitational. Wichita Center for the Arts. Wichita, KS. (Purchase Award)
August 2005 Clay National. Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO.
July 2005 Chautauqua Center for the Visual Arts, The Art of Craft in America, invited artist.
July 2005 National Teapot Invitational. Vessel Gallery. Huntingdon Valley, PA.
June 2005 Pots Objects of Virtue National Juried Exhibition. Walnut Creek, CA (Jurors Award)
June 2005, 2008 National Teapot Invitational, Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC.
December 2004 Featured Artist. Andora Gallery. Carefree, AZ.
July 2004 Bottles, Jugs and Mugs National Invitational, Saratoga Springs, NY
June 2004 Featured Artist. Del Mano Gallery. Los Angeles, CA.
May 2004 From the Ground Up Invitational. Museum of Fine Art. Las Cruces, NM
April 2004 Kiln God National, San Angelo Museum of Art, San Angelo TX. (Purchase Award)
March 2003 Featured Artist. Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
January 1994 One Man Show. Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
September 1993 One Man Show Elaine Horwich Gallery, Santa Fe , NM .
July 1991 One Man Show, Running Ridge Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.
November 1990 One Man Show, Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
October 1989 Primitive Fire, The Clay Pot, Brooklyn , NY .
October 1988 Black and White, The Elements Gallery, Greenwich, CT.
March 1988 Southwest Invitational, Craftsman’s Gallery, Scarsdale , NY .
March 1988 One Man Show, River Run Gallery, Ketchum, ID.
October 1987 One Man Show, Wallengren USA, New York, NY
August 1987 One Man Show, Aspen Mountain Gallery, Aspen, CO.
June 1987 Stars and Stripes, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
August 1985 One Man Show, Lodestone Gallery, Bolder, CO.
December 1984 One Man Show, The Hand and The Spirit, Scottsdale, AZ.
January 1984 One Man Show, Beyond Horizons, Scottsdale, AZ.
July 1983 Contemporary Crafts for the Collector, Gallery Eight, La Jolla, CA.
Fairs and Festivals (selected) I retired from the art fair business in 2014.
March 07,08,09 La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA. (Best of Fine Craft 08)
March 92-94, 06-16 Scottsdale Festival of the Arts, Scottsdale, AZ ( Jurors Award 06,09)
Dec.2005 Crafts at the Castle, Boston, MA.
July 92-4, 05,6 7,9,11,12 Cherry Creek Festival of the Arts, Denver, CO.
April 2005, 06 Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, Palm Beach FL
September 2004 St. Louis Art Fair, St. Louis, MO.
October 2004,05 Westchester Craft Show, White Plains ,NY
November 1994,2004 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Philadelphia, PA
November 92-94 04, 05 Washington Craft Show, Washington, DC
April 1994 Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC.
May 1991, 1990 American Craft at the Armory, New York, NY.
Publications (selected)
American Craft, Architectural Digest, Ceramics Monthly, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, House and Garden, Lark Books
The New Yorker, New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Phoenix Home and Garden, AZ Republic, Potters Council
Luxe Magazine, Quarto Books, Phoenix Magazine
Permanent Collections (selected)
AT&T, Arizona State University Art Collections Ceramic Research Center, American Museum of Ceramic Art
Bank of Denver, Coopers and Lybrand, MCI, Qwest, Saks Fifth Avenue, Blue Cross Blue Shield Of AZ
Tokyo Ana Hotel, Tokyo Intl. Airport, Chase Bank, Stouffer’s Hotels, Hughes Aircraft, Boise Art Museum, Hilton Crown Plaza,
Shanghai. Wichita Center for the Arts, Hangzhou Kempinski Hotel. Sky Harbor International Airport Museum.
Marshall Fields, Rouse Company, Westin Hotels, Wichita Center for the Arts, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH
Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ. Arizona Center, Phoenix, AZ.
Guest Lectures
Featured Artist Scottsdale City Channel.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
Honors
2009 Artist Project Grant, Arizona Commission for the Arts
2008 Award Presentation, Arizona Governors' Arts Awards
2015 Craftsman Extraordinaire, American Craft Week
Education B.F.A. Arizona State University, 1981. Summa cum Laude