Cantigny hosts inaugural Ceramic Arts Show
Susan Borghesi has a partner when she crafts her creations: the clay.
The Naperville woman says working in the medium effectively means not forcing a shape to materialize and, instead, working with the material to see what comes of it.
“It's surrendering to its strength because it's like the two of you are working together to create something,” she said. “I try to listen to the feel of the clay. I have an idea of what I want to do with it, but you don't fight the clay. You work in conjunction with it.”
For the past six years, Borghesi's primary focus has been the medium after decades of quenching her artistic thirst with paints. On Sunday, May 15, she will be among the resident artists from the Warrenville studio ClaySpace to show their wares at Cantigny Gardens and Park.
The inaugural Ceramic Arts Show runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the visitors center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton.
Although she didn't begin to focus on clay until a few years ago, Borghesi says she's always had an interest in it. She took several classes in college and, even while painting in oils, she would spend time working the wheel and sculpting.
In 2005, thanks to some Naperville Park District programs, she returned primarily to clay, and last summer became part of a ceramic arts club that uses ClaySpace as its studio.
The studio provides classes to the public and allows area artists to work with groups of other artists. ClaySpace President Marie Gnesda says watching the artists in the studio and the students in the classes makes it all worthwhile.
“When someone gets it, they light up,” she said. “They find out what it feels like. It feels great to be able to make a pot on the wheel or hand-make something that is beautiful.”
Gnesda said about 14 of the nonprofit studio's artists will be at Sunday's show with their creations for sale.
Miki Shin-Rutter will travel from Chicago, saying it's a chance to let others know the appeal of working with clay.
“I want to show the different ways you can express form and function and beauty with clay,” she said.
Borghesi said ClaySpace finally gave her a place to hone her skills and the frequent use of the kiln only made her better.
She said she incorporates her past work in different media, such as oils, clay and cement, to form her own unique style. What started as experimenting with painting on cement sculptures has evolved into using those same techniques to craft more advanced final pieces.
She said that means the length of time invested in a particular work is not necessarily just the time spent working on it.
“It's not just 10 hours of painting or sculpting,” she said. “It's all of that knowledge absorbed throughout your life.”
If You Go
What: Ceramic Arts Show
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15
Where: Cantigny Gardens and Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
Who: Partnership between Cantigny and Warrenville-based ClaySpace
Cost: $5 parking per vehicle, free admission to show
Info: (630) 260-8218 or clayspace.net or cantigny.org