News and Updates
August 30, 2022
After a wonderful spring and summer - with works added to the collections of the Asheville Art Museum and the Flint Institute of Art - I am looking forward to the many events coming up this spring. The solo show at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design has been extremely well received and we've had lots of fun with both public and private tours and events. This spring we'll have discussions around brewing tea in Yixing teapots, a workshop at the NC State Crafts Center accompanied by a ceramic trompe l'oeil and pate de verre exhibition with presentation and workshop.
Next up will the the American Craft Council online Pop Up Marketplace featuring my pate de verre works and a few clay and glass combos. Then I'll have my first full national showing of pate de verre and cast glass at the esteemed Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show in November. Details for all of these are on the Exhibitions page.
December 15, 2021
As the solstice and the end of the calendar year approach, I feel grateful for the many opportunities that arose during this past pandemic year and for the many more that are on the forefront of 2022. The bulk of 2021 was spent as a part-time commuting and part-time living artist in residence at Starworks Center for Creative Enterprise in Star, North Carolina. There I was able to explore in multiple mediums in their state-of-the-art glass hot shop and well-equipped clay studio. I made lots of new friends and lots of new mistakes as I pushed myself with new materials. My favorite discovery was pate de verre (paste of glass) and I've started a new body of work to continue explorations there. I enjoyed it so much that I've even added a page to the web site to show and sell the new creations.
Looking ahead to 2022, I have the honor of ringing in the new year with a solo show at the fantastic Sokyo Gallery in Kyoto, Japan. It opens January 7 and is presented in cooperation with Jason Jacques Gallery. Next up is the 18th Teapot Biennale at Craft Alliance in St. Louis where I will have several works on hand in a group exhibition curated by teapot master Fong Choo. Fong and I will be there the entire opening weekend to engage with visitors, and he and I will give a teapot workshop on January 22. In mid-February a tour group from the James Renwick Alliance will be coming down from Washington, DC to visit the area and I will host a studio visit and dinner, exhibit new work, including pate de verre. April begins a solo show at the Gregg Museum of Art in Raleigh and it will be there until early December. We'll do a bunch of programming during its run, and I'm sure it's going to be lots of fun. I will also be involved in Glassfest and Firefest, both at Starworks in the spring. And some other fun things are in the making for the summer.
Wishing a wonderful holiday season and happy and healthy New Year to everyone.
Peace,
Eric
October 29, 2021
I just learned that I’ve been selected as the recipient of the National Sculpture Society’s Stanley Bleifeld Memorial Grant award for 2022. It is awarded annually to an artist with a body of work inspired by nature and will be presented during the Sculpture Celebration Conference which is scheduled next June 3-5 at Chesterwood in Stockbridge, MA. More info about the National Sculpture Society and the conference is at nationalsculpture.org
September 9, 2021
A shout out of thanks to John O'Hern and our friends at American Art Collector for the wonderful coverage in the September issue of the exhibition The Illusions of Permanence presented by Galerie Fledermaus and Jason Jacques Gallery in Chicago this month. See the article at https://www.americanartcollector.com/issues/191/eric-serritella
June 30, 2021
With the pandemic restrictions easing, the art world is finally getting back up and running again. As a result, many exhibitions are coming together and it will be a busy summer. The amazing Lisa Schiff will feature two sculptures in her group show, "Ridiculous Sublime" opening in Tribeca in New York City June 30th. Next up will be three works invited to the prestigious Changchun International Symposium in China, opening the beginning of August. And then the summer ends on a high note with a solo show at the prestigious Galerie Fledermaus. Arranged in cooperation with Jason Jacques Gallery, it is my first full exhibition of work since before the pandemic. More info on all can be found on the Exhibitions page.
June 30, 2021
The sculpture Emergence is featured in the July issue of American Art Collector magazine, hot off the presses this week. A wonderful description of my work was written by the intuitive and articulate John O'Hern. Grab a copy or see it online at American Art Collector.
January 17, 2021
I was honored to have received grant funding from North Carolina Arts Council and administered by Durham Arts Council to continue developing new works in glass as an artist in residence at STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise in Star, NC. Plans are to complete a glass casting to combine with my ceramic trompe l'oeil. The plan to to have it included a solo show at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design in Raleigh opening in 2002. I'm looking forward to bringing the efforts they've supported to fruition.
Autumn 2020
I am currently an artist in residence at Starworks NC where I am spending time in their state of the art glass hot shop, as well as the amazing clay studio. The residency is funded in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant, administered by Durham Arts Council. It will be interesting to see what comes out of it! There is a fun video of some prototype testing in the glass hot shop on their web site.
October 24 - November 30, 2020
This year's VIRTUAL tour will be open from October 24 to November 30th, giving you over 5 weeks to explore, enjoy and purchase art from over 80 of the area's talented artist members. The online virtual gallery contains work from all participating artists, and many artist studios are available for virtual or in-person visits. Visit the web site at ocagnc.org for more info. Artists will be posting videos from their studios showcasing new work and their process.
I will be open for visitors by appointment and will be following all social distancing and CDC guidelines. Please call, text or email me with some available times you'd like to visit and we'll arrange for you to come by. There is plenty of new work, as well as some old favorites. And I will continue to work with you during the pandemic to make artwork financially accessible. I look forward to hearing from you.
June 4, 2020
Just had a shout out from the incomparable Jason Jacques Gallery as their current Spotlight Artist. Here's a link to their post. The gallery also has a new exhibition up, Reopening, running through July 17, 2020.
June 4, 2020
Escape Teapot was recently highlighted in the print version of Carolina Country magazine as part of Cedar Creek Gallery’s National Teapot Show XI. It’s online now at Cedar Creek Gallery.
June 4, 2020
Plans are in place for a new group exhibition to open July 3 at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, NC. The gallery reopens June 3 so in-person viewing will be possible in July, although there will not be the typical grand opening event in order to continue to safely operate in today's environment. More information will be coming soon to their website.
May 4, 2020
Cedar Creek Gallery's much-anticipated annual teapot show features teapots from 150 artists in a vast range of materials including glass, metal, pottery, wood, fiber, and mixed media. Traditional, contemporary, functional, conceptual, whimsical, fantastical, comical, outrageous . . .the possibilities are infinite. Included are Escape, an Yixing-style trompe l'oeil teapot, as well as a non-trompe l'oeil surprise titled Shadow. The exhibition will initially be posted online with plans to be open for visitors as the health conditions improve. More information at Cedar Creek Gallery.
April 1, 2020
The online exhibition, Honoring Trees, is now open for viewing at Honoring the Future's web site. The exhibition includes work of 14 leading contemporary artists. The show is curated by Founding Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Lloyd E. Herman and Fran Dubrowski, Director of Honoring the Future. "Art can unite and uplift us in turbulent times," explains Dubrowski. "The Corona pandemic is a grim, but powerful reminder of the need to come together to solve complex scientific challenges." Honoring Trees invites us to reflect on the slendor of trees, the challenges climate change and human stresses pose to trees, and our opportunity to resond with creativity and courage. To see the online exhibition, visit Honoring Trees.
October 23, 2019
I am honored to have the teapot Oishii included in the upcoming 2020 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale International Competition at the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan. I lived in Yingge in 2004 and spent a lot of time at this museum during my five-month artist residency, including time volunteering as an English-speaking docent during the museum's first biennale. It’s a thrill to now have a teapot as part of this prestigious exhibition. It will open November 20, 2020 and run through May 23, 2021. More info at public.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw
March 11, 2019
I am honored to have the trompe l'oeil teapot, Flow, receive the Joyce W. Pope Grand Prize during the opening of the North Carolina Artists Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh. Many thanks to the Raleigh Fine Arts Society, CAM Raleigh and independent curator and show juror Chad Alligood.
February 13, 2019
Two great shows are already underway for 2019, and I was able to attend both openings and meet many appreciators of nature and art. Arboreal at Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech University opened to great reviews (pictured here). The opening was very well attended and created lots of buzz. I was fortunate enough to be there doing final lighting when an art class came through and I had the opportunity to speak to them, as well as presenting during the evening’s reception.
Next was Jason Jacques 30 for 30 which was also well attended in celebration of Jason’s 30 years in the biz. Many of New York’s art elite were in attendance and it was a fabulous night. The gallery published a book for the event, 30 for 30: Thirty Years on the Hunt. It includes features on each of the 30 contemporary and historic artists in the show. Each is researched and written by prominent art historians and features a forward by Garth Clark.
A few shows have been added to the roster, including North Carolina Artist Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC sponsored by the Raleigh Fine Arts Society opening in March. Work will be in two shows this spring and summer at Chester Gallery in Connecticut. The first, Pop and Beyond, is a sale of a collection of gouaches, serigraphs, lithographs and sculptures by historic artists including Andy Warhol, as well as Jim Dine, Sam Francis, Adolf Gottleib, Keith Haring, Robert Indiana, Wolf Kahn, Sol LeWitt, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, and Donald Sultan. Following will be a trompe l’oeil and realism show, In Our Nature. My sculptures in both shows will appear courtesy of Jason Jacques Gallery.
January 16, 2019
Time to catch up the News page on what’s going on. Last year started with a solo show at Jason Jacques Gallery in New York. It received some wonderful coverage, including a New York Times recommendation.
A big portion of 2018 was then spent creating a large pair of sculptures commissioned and headed to the west coast. 2018 concluded with a successful first year in my newly completed studio and on the Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour here in Chapel Hill. It was wonderful to have so many visitors interested in the arts.
2019 is already shaping up to be a very busy year. It starts in January with Arboreal at Moss Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. Curator Margo Crutchfield visited the studio and hand-picked five works for the show. They will be on display along with a wonderful cadre of exceptional artists’ works celebrating trees. I’ll be at the opening on the 24th and will give a short talk at the reception.
The next day I fly to New York to celebrate Jason Jacques’ 30-year anniversary in the arts at his opening of 30 for 30: Thirty Years on the Hunt. I have been represented by Jason since 2012 and am honored to have a piece amongst the 30 chosen. They will show along with other contemporary artists’ works and selected artworks from his historic collection. It promises to be a fun-filled evening of fine art and company.
This summer I will have a solo show at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina as part of W.O.W. (Wood Only Work). This gallery-wide celebration of wood as an art form will coincide with the American Association of Wood Turners Conference in Raleigh.
Other upcoming showings include the 2019 Art of Clay National at the North Carolina Pottery Center in clay-historic Seagrove opening this February, ArtFields in Lake City, South Carolina this spring, works at the Chapel Hill Town Hall as a part of the area’s support of the arts this fall, and then the Open Studio Tours again in November.
January 1, 2019
Honoring the Future is now publishing a quarterly Climate Art Beat calendar of 10-15 current “must see” art exhibitions. Their mission is to harness the power of art to educate, empower and engage the public on climate change. Among other things, they honor the future by giving voice to today’s artists whose work recognizes a changing climate. See current listings at Climate Art Beat.
August 15, 2018
In cooperation with Jason Jacques Gallery I will feature select works at Asheville’s iconic Blue Spiral 1 Gallery. My first showing will be in Reverie, a group show with artists Jim Connell, Duy Huynh, and Kirsten Stingle. Together we will present elegant, often surreal works, providing an opportunity to be transported into a dream-like space. Pictured is their ad in Ceramics Monthly.
April 24, 2018
Blowing Rock Art & History Museum will open Handcrafted: North Carolina Clay on April 28, 2018. The exhibition is guest curated by founder emeritus of BRAHM and North Carolina potter, Herb Cohen. North Carolina has long been recognized for its skilled potters and iron-rich red clay. Potters throughout the state would pull their material directly from the earth and use this clay to form jugs, jars, bowls, platters, and vases, all by hand. Then and now, these utilitarian vessels exist with a sense of humanity, history, and purpose unique to the craft-enriched past of the south. These traditions have both persisted and expanded in potteries and clay studios across the state. Handcrafted presents ceramic vessels and sculpture made by over 40 contemporary North Carolina potters and artists. The works are functional and decorative with a broad range of scales, techniques, concepts, and forms. Together, this exhibition takes a look at the diversity of contemporary ceramics in our state, as well as the stories and relationships these artists have with their work and one another.
Exhibiting artists in Handcrafted include Steve Abee, Michel Bayne, Glenn Bolick, Lula Owens Bolick, Cynthia Bringle, Lisa Clague, Herb Cohen, Josh Copus, Cristina Córdova, Donna Craven, Adrienne Dellinger, Susan Filley, Carol Gentithes, Terry Gess, Mark Hewitt, Lynn Jenkins, Nick Joerling, Daniel Johnston, Fred Johnston, Kate Johnston, Matt Jones, Eric Knoche, Stacy Lambert, Leah Leitson, Jeannine Marchand, Bob Meier, Ben Owen III, Bayle Owens, Pamela Owens, Travis Owens, Vernon Owens, Jane Peiser, Akira Satake, Pat Scull, Ken Sedberry, Jenny Lou Sherburne, Eric Serritella, Liz Summerfield, Charlie Tefft, Kathy Triplett, and Julie Wiggins.
The exhibition will be open to the public from April 28 - July 22, 2018. A reception will be held during their Summer Exhibition Celebration on Thursday, May 24 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.
April 24, 2018
Split Birch Log Teapot (2010) was recently added to the permanent collection of the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. The teapot is presently on exhibition in Tricks of the Trade, Illusions in Craft Based Media. I am honored for it to be a part of the museum’s growing assemblage of contemporary art.
February 21, 2018
Good press continues for In Focus, a solo show at Jason Jacques Gallery. I had a wonderful visit with the incomparable Daniella Ohad who featured the exhibition on her eponymous contemporary design BLOG. Check it out at Daniella on Design. The show also received positive coverage in Wall Street International.
February 16, 2018
I am feeling proud of a New York Times recommendation in this week’s Arts section for In Focus, a solo show at Jason Jacques Gallery. Here’s what it said:
12 Art Exhibitions to View in NYC This Weekend
‘In Focus: Eric Serritella’ at Jason Jacques Gallery (through March 10). The ceramicist Eric Serritella surrounds himself with the objects of his inspiration: trees aplenty in a forest near Chapel Hill, N.C. There, in his studio, he crafts woodland-themed stoneware delights that can trick you into thinking you’re gazing upon Mother Nature’s handiwork. Mr. Serritella’s pieces have been exhibited at the Met and the Smithsonian, and now they’re on view at Jason Jacques Gallery. His work ranges from one-foot-high seemingly weather-beaten logs to striking trees that are six to seven and a half feet tall. On Wednesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., the artist will guide a tour of the exhibition and discuss his process. (by Danielle Dowling).
The full listing page can be seen online at The NY Times.
Here’s a blurb from the gallery's press release:
In Focus: Eric Serritella opens February 7th and is the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work at Jason Jacques Gallery since 2013. A renown contemporary ceramist, Serritella specializes in hand-carved trompe l’oeil sculptures that mimic birch and weathered logs and trees with uncanny realism.
“Serritella’s extraordinary creativity in reinterpreting natural forms make him one of the leading clay artists working today,” says Jason Jacques, principal of his eponymous gallery.
Serritella’s current work in the exhibition is inspired by his response to nature and created in his new studio situated in the forests of North Carolina. Within this focused presentation at the gallery, the artist pushes the boundaries of his medium with stoneware trees as well as work inspired by traditional ceramic wares.
“With a long and respected artistic career, whose work is admired by both collectors and curators alike, Serritella continues to captivate new audiences with his command of material, form, and technique,” says Jason T. Busch, director of the gallery. “His new work advances his already accomplished portfolio with a scale and complexity of shape and realism.
Eric Serritella will be on site to provide an in-depth tour of the exhibition, and the process of making his work, on February 21st, 6:00-8:00 pm. The exhibition is on view through March 10th.
November 2017
My new studio is now fully operational and it’s AMAZING. Lots more room. Tons of natural light and an incredibly inspiring view. An artist couldn’t ask for more! I always enjoy having visitors, so get in touch if you’re travelling near Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC.
November 2017
Late spring and summer brought a series of wonderful opportunities to show work. There was of course the honor of a solo show with Jason Jacques Gallery as he was the first-ever ceramics gallery invited to show at the prestigious Frieze NY art fair.
After that Salon 94 included the sculpture Whisper in their S94 show Uptown at the historic Levy House in Manhattan.
Agnews Gallery premiered my favorite piece of the year, Ghosts of the Muse, at Masterpiece London (pictured). It sat below one of my hero’s work, a L.C. Tiffany window and was the anchor for the amazing 10-foot tall painting Eve by Solomon J. Solomon (1908).
Back at Jason Jacques Gallery, several sculptures, along with some Rick Owens furniture, lent support to the exhibition, Das Werk: Gustav Klimt Collotypes and Avant-Garde Austrian Pottery.
With autumn is in full swing, the next up is Basel/Design Miami in Florida in early December. Then 2018 will begin with FOG Art+Design art fair in San Francisco in early January, a spring trompe l’oeil group exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA and then likely a solo show at Jason Jacques Gallery in Manhattan. More on those as information becomes available.
April 2017
I am thrilled to be Jason Jacques Gallery’s featured artist at the exclusive art fair Frieze New York the first week of May. This year Jason Jacques Gallery is the first ceramic arts gallery ever invited to participate in this extraordinary art fair. He’s created an incredible custom booth and commissioned new work that I’ve created specifically for the show.
From Jason’s e-blast:
Jason Jacques Gallery is pleased to participate in the 2017 edition of Frieze New York. This international art fair spanning over four days brings together the world’s leading modern and contemporary art galleries, innovative curated sections, a celebrated series of talks, and site-specific artist commissions, all in a bespoke structure overlooking the East River in Randall's Island Park.
Our original booth, designed by Digifabshop, will include a gigantic spiderlike structure encasing the sculptures and ceramics on view, creating a one-of-a-kind exhibition experience. The show will feature a combination of important late 19th and early 20th century European art pottery, as well as a selection of stoneware sculptures by contemporary American ceramist Eric Serritella. The outstanding artists represented in the exhibition share a common interest in creating works that draw inspiration from the natural world as well as organic forms and materials. The pieces on display represent remarkable achievements in both style and technique, exemplified by masterful uses of glaze and unmatched attention to detail.
The recent work of contemporary ceramist Eric Serritella resonates with the historic masterpieces of the Carriès School also presented at our booth, as it also incorporates figurative, organic shapes. Specializing in hand-carved, trompe l’oeil vessels that take the shape of birch and weathered logs, this is Eric Serritella's first major exhibition since 2015. His work was specifically commissioned for Frieze. Serritella’s work has been exhibited internationally and is held in prestigious museum collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
December 2016
I have just learned that the teapot acquired by The Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2014 has been put out on exhibit as part of Connections – A New Permanent Collection Show. It will remain there for at least one year and likely longer.
With the museum housing a huge collection of art, not every piece is out on public display. I am honored that the teapot will be shown for an extended period. The piece can be seen in the historic Renwick Gallery of The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.
September 2016
In publication news, John O’Hern, an old friend and long-time curator and scholar of realism recently wrote a feature on my work for American Art Collector. I am able to provide a PDF of what I consider the clearest understanding of where I come from as an artist. The PDF of the story is provided courtesy of American Art Collector magazine.
I also have a story included in a new book, Craftspeople in Their Own Words by David Bacharach. It brings together 80+ stories written by 75 craftspeople describing their lives in the studio, on the road, or at various American craft shows from the 1960s to the present. It is available on Amazon.com as a Kindle e-book. The book can be purchased directly from Amazon or via Generosity.com with the opportunity for sales to benefit the Craft Emergency Relief Fund.
August 2016
The Marks Project is the first on-line searchable research hub for American studio ceramic artist working during the period 1946 to present. The Marks Project is endorsed by makers, curators, and collectors.
There is no cost to register your marks and be listed. And you can include the marks of significant influences in your careers, including teachers, mentors and friends who are no longer with us.
Add your legacy to this valuable clay resource. And feel free to share it with your friends and on social media to help all American ceramic artists become part of history.
For more information visit www.themarksproject.org
April 2016
I have the honor of speaking and teaching as the 2016 James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist in clay. The workshop will be held Saturday, April 16 from 9:30 AM until 12:00 noon at Blue Fire Studio. The presentation Mind into Matter will be on April 17 from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM at the Grand Salon of the Renwick Gallery. It promises to be a really fun weekend with lots of art talk to be had. Plus, it’s an opportunity to visit the newly renovated Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and meeting new lovers of art.
November 30, 2015
I’m looking forward to the opening of A Fine Timber: Wood and Transformation in Our Time and giving the presentation Mind Into Matter at the Appleton Museum of Art. I will also teach a one-day workshop there entitled Opened Earth – The Beauty Within. This workshop will explore exposing the inner beauty of raw clay.
December 30, 2014
A ceramic trompe l’oeil birch teapot from 2011 titled Stretch was recently added to The Contemporary Art Gallery at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While I don’t know yet when it will be on display, I am thrilled and honored to have work included of one of the world’s most prestigious public art collections.
October 10, 2014
I am looking forward to presenting my PowerPoint, From Mind to Clay —Building a Body of Work from Life’s Journey, at the Mint Museum, Randolph in Charlotte, NC on January 21, 2015. It will be of interest to both collectors and artists curious about how life’s experiences impact the creative process.
October 8, 2014
An article recently appeared in a leading Chinese decorative arts magazine, Design 360°. A PDF has been provided courtesy of the publication. ©2014 Design 360°
July 28, 2014
I am thrilled to share that Charred Split Birch Log Teapot has been purchased by The Smithsonian American Art Museum and has accessioned into their permanent collection at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC. I am both excited and honored to have my work included in this prestigious American museum.
September 29, 2014
Sassy Birch Teapot was recently published on the title page and inside 500 Teapots, Volume 2 by Lark Books
November 26, 2013
It’s been almost a year since our move from Central New York State to the South. North Carolina has been very welcoming to me as a new artist. I had a piece in the North Carolina Museum of Art's auction in June and participated in the prestigious Potters’ Market Invitational show at The Mint Museum in Charlotte this September.
Birch Stump Teapot won the Delhom Service League’s Purchase Award which placed it in The Mint’s permanent collection.
As many of you know, I am renting studio space from nationally known porcelain artist Susan Filley. While we both had apprehensions after years of each having our own private spaces, it has turned out to be a wonderful situation and we both are benefiting from the arrangement. We occassionly even get to sit and brew some Taiwanese Oolong tea together. Ceramics Monthly featured a story on it. A PDF of the article is provided here, courtesy of the magazine. ©2013 Ceramics Monthly.
I also had my first cataloged solo exhibition this summer at Jason Jacques Gallery in Manhattan. The show was a great success with many works being place in wonderful new collections.
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