Delaware Valley University hosted a special exhibit and gallery talk Sept. 20, celebrating the work of ceramic artist Jim Lard.
The wood-fired porcelain and stoneware ceramics show titled, “com-ple-men-tar-i-ty,” will run through Nov. 2 in the university’s Life Sciences Building.
“We are excited to show the work of Jim Lard in the Life Sciences Building gallery as part of the University’s Arts on Campus initiative,” said DelVal Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Admission Linda Lefevre.
“DelVal is planning to offer additional exhibits, and we hope to enrich the campus and the community by bringing in a variety of artists.”
Delaware Valley University’s Arts on Campus initiative is designed to encourage appreciation of the arts and their role in society through on-campus exhibits, lectures and special events; serving the students, faculty, staff, alumni and residents of the community.
Conversations about an AOC initiative started several years ago and involved faculty, staff, students and administration, and input from the community. That conversation continued to evolve, leading to the current mission.
DelVal previously exhibited the work of Plumsteadville artist Emily Thompson and held a juried student photography show.
The university is planning for four exhibits per year, with opportunities for the summer still under discussion.
“We decided to include fine arts crafts into the work,” Lefevre said.
“Jim and I worked for a number of years together at another college on courses and a program to prepare fine arts craftsman working in ceramics, glass and jewelery to manufacture and sell their work. We also worked together on the establishment of Radius, a fine arts craft shop at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.”
Lard opened his 45-minute talk with a discussion of abstract art and how a piece or work can move the viewer. He compared and contrasted a number of paintings and talked about the artists’ intent.
He then went on to compare and contrast ceramic work and showcased many Japanese master ceramic artists. He showed slides of the Anagama kiln that he constructed at his home.
The group of 35 to 40 was engaged and stayed long after the lecture to ask questions about firing and glazing and aesthetics.
Lard, who is from Carlisle, earned his MFA from Louisiana Tech University, where here studied both furniture design and ceramics. He has taught at Harrisburg Area Community College since 1993, where he was a department chair from 1995 to 2002.
Lard’s work can be found in numerous public and private collections. His most recent commission, for a wall relief, can be seen at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey.
The exhibit will be open to the public at no cost through Nov. 2.
Guests do not need to register in advance. The work will be on display on the second floor of the Life Sciences Building.
Future shows planned by the university are: “Lou Schellenberg – Contemporary Landscape Painting: Rural Pennsylvania”; a group exhibit of Bucks County artists, guest curated by Lisa Tremper Hanover, former executive director of the Michener Museum; and the second annual Juried Student Photography Exhibition.
