LEWISTON – The works of Buffalo-based sculptor Bethany Krull will be featured in the next exhibition of the TopSpin series at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University, with an opening reception planned from 2 to 4 p.m. next Sunday.
Krull’s exhibit, “Where Are the Wild Things?,” runs through May 4. She will speak at 3 p.m.
Krull’s porcelain and mixed media animal sculptures illustrate humanity’s complex relationship with the rest of the natural world. Her work has been included in many regional, national and international exhibitions, including: “Beyond the Brickyard,” at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Mont.; “The Ceramics Biennial” at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester; and “Hot Rookies” at the Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennial in Seoul, South Korea. Her most recent museum solo show was held at the Meadows Museum in Shreveport, La.
“The TopSpin Series highlights regional, emerging or re-emerging artists in Western New York,” said Michael J. Beam, the museum’s curator of collections and exhibitions.
This is the first time Krull’s work has been shown at the Castellani. After graduating from Buffalo State College in 2004, Krull received her master of fine arts degree from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007 and then served residencies at Genesee Pottery in Rochester; The Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pa.; and the Archie Bray Foundation. She maintains an active studio in Buffalo.
Krull said, “ ‘Where Are the Wild Things?’ investigates the integration of nonhuman animals into our own built environments, specifically the home and its surroundings. The home can be seen as a place that functions to hold nature at bay, keeping everything wild and unpredictable outside its walls. However, there are always creatures that find their way in and take up residence, whether unwanted or invited.”
Beam said he is excited to show Krull’s work. “Her work is quite interesting, and it’s not just work on pedestals, but small environments are created that you can walk around,” he said. “Some of her white porcelain has a flat finish, and some has a beautiful glaze, but they are devoid of natural color, and you bring to the work whatever you’d like.”
The Castellani’s TopSpin series features a broad range of visual expressions, varied in media as well as message. Tops Markets has sponsored the series since its inception.
“Our museum picks three regional artists each year for the TopSpin series, and we get nearly 100 applications a year,” Beam explained. “This is open to all artists – you can be 18 or 80. ‘Emerging’ doesn’t mean just out of college. This series gives artists an opportunity to exhibit in a regional/national museum, the Castellani, and it breaks the cycle of elitism some museums have, where you have to have shown your work in a museum in order to exhibit in a museum.”
Krull’s exhibit is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the State Legislature.
This year’s TopSpin series also includes the work of Liza LeBarge, from May 18 to Aug. 24; and Alexandra Spaulding, Sept. 7 to January 2015. Contact Beam at 286-8286.
Krull’s exhibit, “Where Are the Wild Things?,” runs through May 4. She will speak at 3 p.m.
Krull’s porcelain and mixed media animal sculptures illustrate humanity’s complex relationship with the rest of the natural world. Her work has been included in many regional, national and international exhibitions, including: “Beyond the Brickyard,” at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Mont.; “The Ceramics Biennial” at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester; and “Hot Rookies” at the Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennial in Seoul, South Korea. Her most recent museum solo show was held at the Meadows Museum in Shreveport, La.
“The TopSpin Series highlights regional, emerging or re-emerging artists in Western New York,” said Michael J. Beam, the museum’s curator of collections and exhibitions.
This is the first time Krull’s work has been shown at the Castellani. After graduating from Buffalo State College in 2004, Krull received her master of fine arts degree from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007 and then served residencies at Genesee Pottery in Rochester; The Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pa.; and the Archie Bray Foundation. She maintains an active studio in Buffalo.
Krull said, “ ‘Where Are the Wild Things?’ investigates the integration of nonhuman animals into our own built environments, specifically the home and its surroundings. The home can be seen as a place that functions to hold nature at bay, keeping everything wild and unpredictable outside its walls. However, there are always creatures that find their way in and take up residence, whether unwanted or invited.”
Beam said he is excited to show Krull’s work. “Her work is quite interesting, and it’s not just work on pedestals, but small environments are created that you can walk around,” he said. “Some of her white porcelain has a flat finish, and some has a beautiful glaze, but they are devoid of natural color, and you bring to the work whatever you’d like.”
The Castellani’s TopSpin series features a broad range of visual expressions, varied in media as well as message. Tops Markets has sponsored the series since its inception.
“Our museum picks three regional artists each year for the TopSpin series, and we get nearly 100 applications a year,” Beam explained. “This is open to all artists – you can be 18 or 80. ‘Emerging’ doesn’t mean just out of college. This series gives artists an opportunity to exhibit in a regional/national museum, the Castellani, and it breaks the cycle of elitism some museums have, where you have to have shown your work in a museum in order to exhibit in a museum.”
Krull’s exhibit is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the State Legislature.
This year’s TopSpin series also includes the work of Liza LeBarge, from May 18 to Aug. 24; and Alexandra Spaulding, Sept. 7 to January 2015. Contact Beam at 286-8286.