11/22/2024
ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: Marianne Wilson a Fayetteville native and artist recently back after years of teaching art abroad in Bahrain, Myanmar, China and Japan. She will present recent acrylic paintings and a large body of work made mostly in the pottery Mount Sequoyah Clay Studio and her painting studio in the Sequoyah Building. She will have examples of pots that run the gamut of ceramics’ possible firing range: low fire raku and terra sigillata with horsehair, medium temperature functional pots fired in an oxidation atmosphere, and high temperature pots fired in the wood kilns at Little Mulberry Pottery in Ozark, Arkansas. Marianne has an interest in historic and contemporary ceramics, especially Chinese and Japanese tea ceremony ware. Many of her pots are inspired by forms traditional in Japan, such as the small teapots and ash glazed “ikebana” vases that emulate the piece she acquired on her first trip to the village of Shigaraki as an undergraduate exchange student in Japan. Chawan teabowls for making matcha, or powdered green tea are an integral part of her ceramic practice now. Most are thrown on the wheel and altered to achieve an irregular and asymmetrical form. Surfaces are often carved or scraped when trimming the bowl. Much of her pottery is made in the spirit of the Japanese tea ceremony and the simple functional ware typical of “mingei” folk art. Marianne’s pottery is functional with the exception of the low fire raku and some horsehair vases. However, she has made tea caddy’s using horsehair singed the pot with white burnished slip (terra sigilatta). She has enjoyed these works for the unexpected results reminiscent of drawings with black, gestural marks or black ink painting on a white ground.
The Wonderland Arts Market is a festive event held as part of the Festival of Trees, hosted by Mount Sequoyah. This holiday market features local artists and serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit, with a special donation bar set up to spread holiday cheer and support the cause. It’s a perfect opportunity to shop unique gifts while giving back to the community!
