Grounds For Sculpture To Show Powerful Ceramics Exhibitions By Roberto Lugo And The Color Network

Grounds For Sculpture announces two exhibitions on contemporary ceramics opening in May 2022. Debuting new work, a solo exhibition of American artist and social activist Roberto Lugo will display his signature combination of traditional and contemporary iconography and techniques.

In partnership with The Color Network, Grounds For Sculpture will simultaneously present Fragile: Earth, a group exhibition of sixteen BIPOC artists who meditate on social, environmental, and individual perceptions of fragility through the medium of clay. Together these exhibitions support Grounds For Sculpture's institutional strategy, which uses key components of curatorial work, collections, and exhibitions as a catalyst for transformation across the organization, addressing issues of inclusivity, access, and equity.

"Grounds For Sculpture has always been a platform for contemporary practitioners of sculpture, and this spring, we will take a focused look at the underrepresented medium of ceramics and shine a spotlight on BIPOC artists working in this field," said Gary Schneider, Executive Director of Grounds For Sculpture. "These exhibitions reflect our commitment to present works by contemporary sculptors, understanding that sharing contemporary art reflects the greater world, challenges perceptions, and inspires new possibilities."

ROBERTO LUGO: THE VILLAGE POTTER

May 22, 2022 - January 8, 2023

Master ceramicist Roberto Lugo creates multicultural mash-ups, reimagining traditional European and Asian porcelain forms and techniques with a 21st-century street sensibility. Lugo often captures portraits of leading figures in contemporary culture, from Sojourner Truth to The Notorious BIG, in this luxurious medium. The artist will be in residence at Grounds For Sculpture throughout the winter of 2022, creating a new series of works for the exhibition Robert Lugo: The Village Potter. In partnership with The Seward Johnson Atelier and the Digital Atelier, Lugo will create a monumental work that will provide opportunities for visitors to physically interact within the form-representing a first for the artist to see his visual language presented at that scale. In addition, Lugo will create a series of works which will be fired on site.

"There's a distinct separation of classes that happened in the history of ceramics-at one point porcelain was considered more than expensive than gold," said Roberto Lugo. "In my exhibition at Grounds For Sculpture, I want to communicate to people that ceramics are for everyone and that no medium should be reserved for any single group of people."

Roberto Lugo: The Village Potter is co-curated by Faith McClellan, Grounds For Sculpture Director of Exhibitions and Collections, and Gary Garrido Schneider, Executive Director. An additional exhibition within the gallery, curated by Lugo, will explore the theme of mentorship in the development of his practice, by including works by both artists who have influenced his work and those he has mentored, such as Malcolm Mobutu Smith, Alfredo Carlson, and Tina Flood. The gallery will also feature a drop-in creative space offering visitors of any skill level an opportunity to work with clay.

Roberto Lugo: The Village Potter is supported in part by New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism, and the Edna W. Andrade Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.

FRAGILE: EARTH
May 22, 2022 - January 8, 2023

In partnership with The Color Network, Fragile: Earth features sixteen BIPOC artists working in clay and using the medium to uncover deeper truths of society. When unfired, clay is soft, flexible, and forgiving; when fired, it is solid and strong but can easily shatter. This exhibition explores vulnerability as strength, the faults of a strong façade, and the fragility of entities often taken for granted, such as nature and government, amid ongoing global health and social crises.

Guest curated by Assistant Curator for the Museum of Arts and Design Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, the exhibition will feature ceramic works by Natalia Arbelaez, Ashwini Bhat, Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Syd Carpenter, Adam Chau, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Magdolene Dykstra, April Felipe, Raheleh Filsoofi, Salvador Jiménez Flores, Anabel Juárez, Anina Major, Jane Margarette, Mariana Ramos Ortiz, Virgil Ortiz, and Sarah Petty. Artists were selected from within The Color Network as well as an open call to ensure the broad artistic community is represented.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of artist-led programs, including intersections with trauma-informed art sessions, ESL/Spanish workshops, urban gardening, professional development for artists, and a fundraising event to support the mission of The Color Network.

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