"Polka Dots"
Cristina Pellechio

MudFire Gallery announces an invitational exhibit of functional and sculptural works in clay with a focus on the lovable polka dot.

The artist reception and exhibit opening will be held Saturday, April 14, from 5-9 pm. The exhibit and sale will be on display through May 5, 2007.

Cristina Pellechio Artist Statement

I have been exploring the relationship between the simple silhouette of a circle and its link to the interior. I find the outline of this shape so enticing, excited to adorn its center with recurring patterns. Repetition plays a significant role in my work, and I find creating pieces with a strong emphasis on detail to be very meditative. For several years I have been attracted to the use of dots or circles, which very aptly satisfies my need for patterning and recurrence in each piece.

I emphasize surface design through the use of multiple facets and color. For me, the circle lends itself to this type of embellishment; its graceful form is accommodating and versatile. I can decide whether to fill the space with saturated detail or leave the piece with a bit more room to breathe. Opportunities to conjoin an outer boundary perimeter with its interior are limitless, framing the nuances of this exploration.

Cristina Pellechio Bio

Raised in Rhode Island, Cristina Pellechio is a full-time studio artist living and working in Waterbury Center, Vermont.

She has studied at the University of New Hampshire, Rhode Island School of Design, Haystack Mountain School of Craft and recently completed residencies at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and the Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States. Self taught in ceramics, she is the recipient of numerous awards and has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, including selection by that publication in 2005 as one of the nation's emerging artists.

"I take inspiration from the graceful lines, lush color, and repetitive patterns found in nature. My time spent living by the ocean, in the Himalaya and in the hills of Vermont has greatly influenced my work. As in nature, the ceramic medium is unpredictable. With each piece, I enjoy and invest in the unfolding process, as the clay begins to take form and the work ultimately reveals its true character. "

Cristina Pellechio Resume

Education

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine, 2006. Twentieth Anniversary residency.

Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, 2006. Vermont Artist residency.

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine, 2003. Kiln God recipient, Summer residency.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine, 1995. Mixed media, two and three-dimensional design and sculpture.

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, 1992. Summer Studies program.

University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 1989. Bachelor of Science, Concentration in Fine Arts.

Selected Exhibitions

2006

"Member Art Exhibit," Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, Vermont.

"Ceramics Biennial 2006," New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire.

"50th National Fall Open Exhibition," Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vermont.

"14th South End Art Hop, " Juried Show, Burlington, Vermont. First Prize.

"Patterns in Clay," Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, New York.

"Abstraction X Three," Shelburne Art Center, Shelburne, Vermont.

"Unrestricted," Florida Craftsmen, St. Petersburg, Florida.

2005

"Craft Forms 2005," Wayne Art Center, Wayne Pennsylvania.

"Mastery in Clay 2005," The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"South End Art Hop 2005," Maltex Building, Burlington, Vermont.

"Ceramics 2005," The Guilford Handcraft Center, Guilford, Connecticut.

"Earthworks Rhode Island," South County Art Association, Kingston, Rhode Island.

"Clay on the Wall- 2005 Clay National," Texas Tech University, School of Art, Lubbock, Texas.

"Clay Studio: Thirty Years of Excellence," The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Red Heat: Contemporary Work in Clay," University of Tulsa School of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Ceramic Wall Works," Solo exhibition, Vermont Governor's Office, Montpelier, Vermont.

2004

"Ceramics Biennial 2004," New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH. First Prize

"Vermont Selections," Axel's Gallery, Waterbury, Vermont.

"South End Art Hop 2004," Maltex Building, Burlington, Vermont.

"Jersey Shore National," m.t. burton gallery, Surf City, New Jersey.

"Horizons," Vermont Secretary of Administration, Montpelier, Vermont.

2003

"Mastery in Clay 2003," The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"South End Art Hop," Old Gaslight Laundry, Burlington, Vermont.

"Associate Artists of The Clay Studio," Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ.

Elizabeth & Main Gallery of Art, Gorham, Maine.

"Feats of Clay XVI," Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation, Lincoln, California. Tile Heritage Award.

"Avante-Garden," Target Gallery, Torpedo Arts Factory, Alexandria, Virginia. Best of Show.

"Associates Artists' Group Exhibition," The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2002

"Mastery in Clay: New Work," The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Pushing Clay," University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine.

"Feats of Clay XV," Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation, Lincoln, California. Merit Award.

"Artist's Response to September 11th," Gifford Medical Center, Randolph, Vermont.

"Expressing the Inexpressible," Mist Grill Gallery, Waterbury, Vermont.

2001

"Take it Home," Studio Place Arts Gallery, Barre, Vermont.

"South End Art Hop," Wannamaker Restoration, Burlington, Vermont.

"Come As You Are," Rose Street Gallery, Burlington, Vermont.

1999

"What You Look Like," Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts, Burlington, Vermont.

Bibliography

"Another Year in the Hopper" Seven Days, September 20, 2006.

"Hopped Up" Seven Days, September 13, 2006.

"Trio of Artists Welcome Spring…" Shelburne News, May 4, 2006.

"Baby's Got a Gun," Tampa Weeklyplanet, April 26, 2006.

"Redefining the Norm," St. Petersburg Times, April 2006.

"Craftforms: A Show With Verve," Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2005.

"New York Art Galleries," Promenade Magazine, Summer 2005.

"The Biennial Celebrates the State of Clay," N.E. Crafts Connoisseur, Summer 2005.

"Emerging Artists 2005," Ceramics Monthly, May 2005.

"Plate mosaics by Cristina Pellechio," Vermont Sunday Magazine, March 6, 2005.

"Cristina Pellechio's Ceramics Exhibited at Governor's Office," The World, February 16, 2005.

"Feats of Clay," Ceramics Monthly, September 2003.

"Ceramics Fire Up Exhibition," Sacramento Bee, April 24, 2003.