They're crafty

A valedictory exhibition from nine SPC students

by Leon Nigrosh

EARTH, WOOD & FIBER
School for Professional Crafts Class of 2001, at The Well, 95 Prescott Street, Building C, through February 23.

Since its inception more than 20 years ago, the School for Professional Crafts (SPC) at the Worcester Center for Crafts has grown in scope and popularity. Originally created as an al-

ternative -- or a bridge -- to higher education for high school grads, today it serves a more mature clientele who are often seeking a second career. The current exhibition, organized by nine students about to graduate from the SPC, is in the gallery at the Artist Well Cooperative on Prescott Street. The space had been graciously offered to the students by members of the co-op, many of whom are recent SPC graduates themselves.

For people who have only been practicing their respective crafts for a year and a half, the works on display are as varied and unique as the individual exhibitors. Ximena Muñoz is an industrial designer who came from Colombia, South America, specifically to study ceramics at the SPC. She is showing several examples of her claywork, produced with different techniques. One object is a stately rectangular covered jar, hand-built in porcelain and wood fired. Another, more whimsical work is her slipcast two-spouted teapot that pours from either side, which is accompanied by two teacups which nestle into individual stands. Upon graduating this spring, Muñoz expects to apprentice at a Pennsylvania tileworks before returning home to set up her own clay studio while she continues to work in industrial design.

Almost coincidentally, Muñoz's roommate came from Thailand specifically to study ceramics at the SPC. Panjama Plengarun, a practicing architect, is showing several slipcast tea sets, among them Espresso for 8 and Espresso for 2. The former comes with matching organic-shaped teapot while the latter has a stand to hold the cups. In both cases, whimsy plays a part as well - the cups are also rattles. Plengarun talks of returning home to open a coffee shop/restaurant. She wants to make all the ceramic dinnerware and accessories so that customers can not only enjoy a good meal, but they can purchase the plates and cups as well.

Jeanne Arsenault is showing a large wall plaque, Lotus Flower, which is made up of raku-fired tiles and a gourd-shaped tea pot slipcast from her own hand-sculpted mold. She's heading to Vermont to set up her own studio and kiln. The fourth clayworker, Gavin Lague, has several hand-built or slipcast tea sets. Upon graduation, he may continue teaching claywork to children.

After having served in the military, Bobbi Taylor came to the SPC to study textiles. Her entry in this exhibition is a woven cotton sweater with hand-dyed specialty yarns that have been stitched to form an abstracted landscape. Patricia Sims has three children and has been sewing for years. For this exhibit, she shares her Scarf of Frogs, a pieced length of hot yellow challis overrun by hand-stamped frog images. Obviously enjoying the complexities of textile weaving and dying, Sims also is showing a stylish contemporary Chef's Jacket and Toque in bright reds and purples, set against white cotton. She is looking forward to doing commissioned clothing, using unique fabrics from her own studio.

Working with an ethnic flare, Catherine Fraser incorporates real cowry shells into her woven linen pillow, laced with copper metallic threads. She hopes to open a studio/gallery that will feature her own work and that of other artists. Jonathan Hoffman, a working stone mason who "pretty much stumbled across the SPC," is learning more about his second love, wood. He's showing a walnut and maple 3-legged stool and a carved captain's chair. He wants to study more about furniture making while continuing to build stone walls.

The most elegant and refined works in this exhibit are Emily Spadoni's simple leather and cherrywood chair and stool. The plain weave leather strips perfectly complement the well-defined (and expertly joined) wood portions in both objects. Spadoni had studied fine art but she "had the need to learn how things were put together and [she] thought that wood would be the place to start in terms of good old joinery." She plans to go on to earn a degree, possibly in furniture design.

If the student works in this exhibition are any indication, we should keep on the lookout for things to come from these budding artisans after graduation.

The Well is open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Call 508-797-3160.