To my dear supporters, friends and family:
What a dynamic year 2017 was. From starting production in my studio, tucked deep in the Knik Valley, to being featured in two exhibitions--one international competition, and one solo show. I want to thank each and every one of you for your interest, support and encouragement.
As many of you know, my work is directly inspired by being outside. Each breath of fresh air, mountain vista and each bead of sweat changes my state of mind, energy, exertion and attitude, and in turn, I channel that experience into my studio and work, as simply as arriving in my studio with an attitude of living life to the fullest and as directly as changing the clay with every single touch. Part of the reason that 2017 was such an exciting year is because I have--somewhat remarkably--situated myself in a place where I find daily inspiration. Not just inspiration for my studio work, but inspiration for living life--and in turn a harmony within my studio practice.
Last year’s production started off with Pink Mugs, a project that raises funds for global women’s health through the International Women’s Health Coalition and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Northwest. From its launch in February of 2017, Pink Mugs has raised $1,050 toward global women’s health. Moreover, some of those donations were strategically made during matches of double--or triple the donated amount, bringing the Pink Mugs donation total to $1,684! This is an on-going project, and I am excited to see what we’ll do to help the women of the world in 2018.
Following the launch of Pink Mugs, I had the honor of traveling to South Korea with a friend and assistant to display my piece, Coriolis in the 9th World Ceramics Biennale for which I won the Bronze Prize. Installing the work included remotely coordinating a local, Korean assistant and the purchase and delivery of local clay to the museum, a week-long stay, and a timely installation over the course of five week-days in Icheon-Si, South Korea. You can see a visual story of the process by clicking here, and a write up and interview produced by the Korean Ceramic Foundation here. As a winner of the Biennale, I also was published in Ceramics Monthly’s Annual Yearbook, and received a front-page write up in our local paper, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.
With the summer came outdoor adventures and a studio practice fueled by small commissions here and there, ultimately leading me into a somewhat serendipitous opportunity to coordinate a show at the Pioneer Collective at Pioneer Square in Seattle. Arriving in the beautiful, corner space allowed me to build a site-specific rendition of Coriolis--an opportunity that I haven’t had since my time at Cranbrook. 100 South King Street was my largest installation yet, built on-site to mimic the shape and cast of the downtown building’s west-facing windows. Coinciding with this opportunity to push my piece further, I was honored to prep the clay, carefully selected with the enthusiastic help of the Clay Art Center in Tacoma, alongside two ceramic students at the University of Washington’s kiln yard. Following the exhibition, the 800 pounds of clay were donated to a local studio to be re-purposed into new work.
Fueled by the momentum of 2017’s wide-variety of experience and inspiration, I am looking into 2018 with my head up and a drive to make this year better than the last. May each of your lives be filled with the motivation, support and encouragement that you in turn give daily.
Cheers!
As always, you can follow my progression via
instagram: @alidavanalmelo
https://www.facebook.com/ava.ceramics/
