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Another is David Pier, also of California, whose green porcelain pitcher has a retro-'60s vibe. And Oregon artist Chris Antemann's "Silkworm Haus," made of porcelain, China paint and decals, is a sight to behold: The small house has worms coming out of it and a nude figure of a woman sitting on top. "It's fun to see their work 10 years later," Peake says. Some of the artists Peake has known even longer, such as Dave Deily and Jamie Matthews, both of whom are instructors at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, and both of whom bought potter's wheels from her when they were students at North Hills High School. Matthews shows five mugs coated in a beautiful oxblood glaze in the exhibition, and Deily displays a deep brown, double-walled vase that is notable for several reasons, not the least of which is its flawless execution. Deily and Matthews aren't the only ones included in the show who have a connection to Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. Amanda Wolf also teaches there. Her "Recurring Changes," a lamp made of stacked teapots, adds a touch of whimsy to one corner. And Sharif Bey, another artist who was bit by the clay bug while a freshman in high school, knew nothing about ceramics until he took a class at the Guild. Bey went on to graduate from the art program at Slippery Rock University and earn a master of fine arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship while enrolled in a doctoral program at Penn State University in 2003 and currently teaches ceramics at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. In this exhibition, he displays one of his signature bead pieces, titled "Circle," which features a series of large, earthenware beads that turn into heads as they move around the necklace. During her 35 years in the ceramics business, Peake has forged friendships worldwide. Perhaps the most far-flung example in this show is represented in the works of husband and wife Miao-Fang Lin and Brian Misavage. They live in Taipei, where Misavage teaches ceramics at Mingchi University of Technology. Lin displays a rather wacky-looking vessel titled "Dancing" that looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss storybook, while her husband shows one of his salt-fired clay sculptures he calls "Hozho" that looks like a rock formation one would find in a cave. There are several more artist-educators included in the exhibition, such as Mary Martin, who teaches at Winchester Thurston School in Shadyside; Laura DeFazio, of California University of Pennsylvania; and Yoko Sekino-Bove, who teaches at the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley -- which says a lot about influence. This being an exhibition of works by younger artists, there are also pieces by students on display, such as several works by high school students who attend the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Downtown, and a curious-looking "Birdbath" by Brandon O'Hara, an art student majoring in ceramics at Edinboro University. O'Hara is
a student of respected ceramicist Steven Kemenyffy, who will
be included in the next exhibition, which will showcase ceramic
works by "40 artists over 40" and
opens Dec. 1.
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