October 25, 2022 12:00pm EDT
A new exhibition entitled “Touchstone: A Half-Century of Craft” opens this October at Fallingwater’s Speyer Gallery and celebrates Touchstone Center for Craft’s landmark anniversary. Join us for an engaging roundtable as participating artists discuss how Fallingwater served as a source of inspiration for their new works on display. Working in a diverse range of media, these artists are longtime instructors at Touchstone and reflect the center’s commitment to beauty, good design, technical skill, and innovative expression.
About the Presenters
Jo Campbell Amsler
Jo Campbell Amsler has been using willow in her basketry work since the early 1980s. Jo’s work has been featured in magazines and books and has been in exhibits across the United States. As a teacher of basketry, she has been a co-organizer for several retreats – The Willow Gathering and Willow Weekend. She is a past board member of the National Basketry Organization, which focuses on connecting both traditional and contemporary basket makers across the US and beyond. In recent years, she has hosted a number of basketry tours to the UK, Spain, France, Denmark, and Italy, visiting with basket weavers in those countries and learning new skills with willow and other natural materials.
Kevin Crowe
Kevin Crowe has been a studio potter for 40 years. He operates Tye River Pottery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia. His work ranges from 4″ tea bowls to 48″ jars which are fired in an anagama wood fired kiln for seven days. He has taught workshops throughout the United States and in England and Wales, focused on large forms and wood firing.
Glenn Horr
Glenn Horr is known for his attention to detail and fine craftsmanship, and he creates a wide range of functional and decorative hardware for homes and enjoys working with other designers on special commissions. He has been sharing his knowledge and making custom forged work since 1978. Glenn demonstrates for various blacksmithing groups and has shown his work in numerous craft shows and exhibits, most recently in “Re-Joined: A Collection of Forged Works,” in Johnstown, PA.
Nick Ireys
Nick Ireys is a metal sculptor working in Baltimore MD. He uses a unique style of combining metal and glass to create organic objects both sculptural and functional. He has extensive journeyman experience traveling and working around America and Europe. Nick received a BFA in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University and a MFA from Southern Illinois University. He has taught at University of Gothenburg, Estonian Academy of Art and Southern Illinois University as well as participated in shows such as the American Crafts Council show, The Philadelphia Museum Craft show, Craftforms, and Niche Awards.
Robin Menard
Robin Menard shares her love of nature through her art and teaching. A lifelong artist, Robin is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She has a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where she is a core drawing instructor in their Botanical Illustration Certificate program. Robin offers workshops throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society, and the Colored Pencil Society of America.
Yoko Sekino-Bové
Yoko Sekino-Bové was born in Osaka, Japan. After receiving an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Oklahoma, Yoko moved to Washington, Pennsylvania, and started working from her home studio. Her porcelain work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and – most importantly, in many private homes (mainly kitchens) all over the world. She approaches ceramic art as a way to share stories, using function as a design element to enhance the experience. Her ambition in art is for her work to serve people in many different ways, bringing joy and excitement.
Scott W. Perkins
Scott W. Perkins is Fallingwater’s senior director of preservation and collections. He has also organized annual exhibitions pertaining to the preservation and conservation of the house, its history and its collections.