ON VIEW AT LSU MOA: JULY 8–OCTOBER 17, 2021

LSU Museum of Art (LSU MOA) in Baton Rouge, LA is pleased to open on July 8, 2021, Form & Fire: American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard Collection, an exhibition featuring a group of over 100 American studio ceramic works on long-term loan and are a promised gift by bequest to the LSU Museum of Art from E. John Bullard. This collection will be studied over time by the public and students in support of LSU's top-ten ranked ceramics program. This collection comprises artworks by 69 artists, including important figures in ceramics history such as Andrea and John Gill, Vivika and Otto Heino, Ken Ferguson, Wayne Higby, Roberto Lugo, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, Don Reitz, Daniel Rhodes, Richard Shaw, Charles Smith, Paul Soldner, Akio Takamori, Robert Turner, Peter Voulkos, Kurt Weiser, Marguerite Wildenhain, and more.

Most of these works are functional wares whose design, surfaces, and glazing activate our senses; the sculptural and visual/tactile experience is heightened through the hands of these master artists. The materials and techniques are unique in each work, while also acting in dialogue with history and each other. Ceramic art was reconsidered and recognized for artistic and historic achievement in 20th-century America. These artists' aesthetic achievements rival the achievements of any other artistic medium.

In some cases, this collection contains multiple works by individual artists, showing a range of forms, styles, and glazing techniques. These works are important in the broad context of modern and contemporary art history. This collection will add significant depth to our ceramic holdings; the addition of these works expands the collection beyond the Newcomb collection, further into studio ceramics of the 20th century with important developments in scale and style. They join other works in the collection including ones by Walter Anderson, Piero Fenci, Sin-Ying Ho, Pres Kors, Shadow May, Robert Milnes, George Ohr, W. Steve Rucker, Sharon Smith, Akio Takamori, and Michaelene Walsh.

LSU MOA encourages you to contemplate these works in the broad context of modern and contemporary art history. The clay of the earth has been formed and fired and the magic of the kiln is evidenced within each work. This exhibition is curated by Daniel E. Stetson, Executive Director of the LSU Museum of Art. LSU MOA thanks the following sponsors for making this exhibition and catalogue possible: Partner Sponsors Catherine Burns Tremaine and Becky and Warren Gottsegen; Supporters Debbie de La Houssaye and Lake Douglas and Jacki and Brian Schneider (as of June 2021).

ABOUT THE COLLECTOR E. John Bullard is Director Emeritus of the New Orleans Museum of Art. His distinguished career as Director and CEO at NOMA spanned 37 years. In retirement his artistic love has manifested in an abiding interest in ceramics and in a short seven years his collection has grown to around 1,000 objects.

CELEBRATE CLAY PROGRAMS AT LSU MOA
Virtual and In-Person Artist Talks & Demos. FREE to attend! Register at https://bit.ly/lsumoacelebrateclay

Join us back in the galleries and on Zoom for this program series featuring guests and ceramic artists from Form & Fire and The Boneyard. By registering, you will get email invites to all programs listed below:

• JULY 8 ON ZOOM: Artist Talk with Kurt Weiser at 5:30 p.m. Join LSU MOA for a virtual talk with artist Kurt Weiser, featured in Form & Fire, as we celebrate the opening of LSU MOA’s two ceramic exhibitions. Free to attend. Register to receive Zoom invite the day of the event via email.

• AUGUST 1 AT LSU MOA: Artist Talk & Demo with Lisa Orr from 1-5 p.m. Join us for a live ceramics demonstration and artist talk with visiting artist Lisa Orr, whose work is featured in both Form & Fire and The Boneyard during Free First Sunday. Free to attend. Masks are required to attend in-person programs at LSU Museum of Art.

• AUGUST 26 ON ZOOM: Ceramics Talk with Garth Johnson at 5:30 p.m. Hear from Garth Johnson, Paul Phillips & Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY, to learn more about ceramic works featured in these two exhibitions at LSU MOA. Free to attend. Register to receive Zoom invite the day of the event via email.

Visit LSU Museum of Art’s Facebook and Instagram pages @lsumoa regularly for program announcements and exhibition updates. For more information: www.lsumoa.org

ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART

LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education, serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.

LSU Museum of Art is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President and Metro Council. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund, members, and community partners. Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Art Bridges and Junior League of Baton Rouge. Thank you to the following sponsors of Free Friday Nights and Free First Sundays at LSU MOA: Louisiana Lottery Corporation and IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon, for sponsoring free admission and Louisiana CAT for sponsoring programming.

VISITOR INFORMATION

The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 Lafayette Street on the Fifth Floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. General admission is $5 each for adults and children age 13 and over. Admission is free to university faculty and students with ID, children age 12 and under, and museum members. Active duty military members, first responders, and their families receive free admission with ID as part of the Blue Star Museums program. Masks are required during museum visitation and LSU MOA no-touch digital gallery resources can be accessed here: www.lsumoa.org/digital  Museum Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.; and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Free admission occurs on the first Sunday of each month and every Friday night from 5-8 p.m. For more information: visit www.lsumoa.org, call 225-389-7200, and follow the museum on social media @lsumoa for exhibition and program updates.

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