March 26, 2pm at St. James Cathedral: The Project Room hosts a conversation in the St. James Cathedral Chapel with ceramicists and collaborators Nicholas Kripal and Jeffrey Mongrain, whose site-specific work is temporarily installed as a response to the imagery and architecture of the Cathedral. Addressing the current TPR theme, Beginnings, the conversation will explore the relationship between the cathedral and contemporary art, and how these artists turn their new ideas into successful collaborations with sacred spaces. Joining the conversation is St. James Cathedral Director of Music Dr. Savage and St James Director of Liturgy Corinna Laughlin. Visitors will also hear from Seattle ceramicists Jessi Li and George Rodriguez, whose new piece “Stations of the Cross” was created for the chapel at St. James.
This program is in conjunction with The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ annual conference.
Location: 804 Ninth Avenue, Seattle. The Chapel is located adjacent to the main cathedral on the South side
About the Artists:
Nicholas Kripal is Professor of Art and Chair of the Crafts Department, Tyler School of Art, of Temple University. He received his M.F.A. degree from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and his B.F.A. degree from the University of Nebraska, Kearney. His awards and grants include a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, 1999, Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Fellowships 1987,1992,1997
Jeffrey Mongrain grew up in the small northern Minnesota town of International Falls, traditionally the coldest place in the continental United States. As a ceramic artist he circumvents the traditional use of clay in his work by using the medium to explore content. Many of his objects have a relationship with the Victorian buildings of Glasgow, Scotland where Jeffrey lived and taught for seven years. Jeffrey Mongrain holds an MFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University and has had solo exhibitions in Europe and the U.S. He is currently the head of the ceramics department at Hunter College, CUNY.
