Exhibition Features Work from Throughout Professor’s Career
The public has the unique opportunity to view a collection of ceramic artworks spanning Buffalo State design professor and ceramics program coordinator Robert Wood’s 28-year career in an exhibition at the Kenan Center House Gallery, 433 Locust St. in Lockport, New York.
Extraordinary Forms IV: The Ceramics Legacy of Robert L. Wood opens Sunday, May 3, with a reception from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibition runs through June 7 and includes the work of 12 alumni of Buffalo State’s ceramics program according to a recent article in the Ken-Ton Bee.
Gerald Mead, Buffalo State Design Department lecturer and art collector, is curating the alumni show and selected the alumni represented in the exhibition.
“Bob was an ideal individual for this tribute exhibition because he has distinguished himself as a highly accomplished artist as well as a widely respected educator dedicated to training the next generation of ceramic artists and educators,” Mead said.
Thirty-seven of Wood’s clay and mixed media sculptures will be featured.
“I decided to arrange the show by decades so people could see my thought process through the years,” Wood said. “Putting the show together provided a time of reflection on my artistic career, each piece a point in time, telling the story of my artistic life. I felt like I was reconnecting to old friends. It’s interesting to see the evolution of the work over time.”
Scott Losi, ’97, ’02, one alumnus whose work is included in the exhibition, came up with the idea to honor Wood and his contributions—both through his art and his inspiration to students.
“I view Bob as being responsible for where I am today,” said Losi, who teaches art at Pioneer High School and continues to create ceramic pieces. “When I first walked into the ceramics studio as a student, I could tell it was a healthy place with a strong sense of community. There are so many artists who came out of the program, including several included in the exhibition, who have gone on to earn national recognition for their work.”
Alumni participating in the show graduated from the program between 1991 and 2014 and have successful artistic careers. Some live and teach in the area; others are scattered through the country.
“The gallery initially just wanted to feature the work of nine alumni, which I thought was not nearly enough to represent the immense talent of our graduates.” Wood said. “I was able to talk them up to 12, but there are so many other talented alumni out there who certainly deserve inclusion.”
Current Buffalo State students from the ceramics, fibers, metals/jewelry, and wood/furniture programs also will have their work exhibited simultaneously in the Kenan Center as part of the 45th annual 100 American Craftsmen show, May 29–31.
“It’s nice to see how so many representative parts of Buffalo State’s Design programs will be coming together in one place at one time,” Wood said.
Admission to the Kenan Center Gallery is free, although donations are appreciated. For more information, call (716) 433-2617 or visit kenancenter.org.