Toledano Shares Artistic Travel Experience, Inspiration

Last summer Colleen Toledano, assistant professor of design, spent four weeks working in collaboration with plaster masters at Laufen in Bechyně, Czech Republic, the largest producers of ceramic bath fixtures in Europe, to produce an artisan ceramic sink. 

She will share her experience working at the factory as part of the “Artists on the Road: Travel As Source of Inspiration” series on Thursday, October 23, at 12:15 p.m. in Upton Hall 230. It is free and open to the public.

Toledano was one of seven artists worldwide invited to participate in the 26th International Ceramics Symposium of Bechyně 2014, which the Secondary School of Ceramics and the Laufen sanitary wares factory hosted.

"My interest in technology was a perfect fit for the nature of art production possible at a multi-acre facility, the largest of its kind in Central Europe," Toledano said. "I was granted unprecedented access to facilities and materials and had to focus only on producing a ceramic sink of my own design. This was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from factory technicians and other resident artists."

During her time there, the factory technicians made several sinks from Toledano’s design, and they will continue to do so. This fall her basin will be shown as part of the Laufen artists' collection at design expos in Prague, Czech Republic, and Milan, Italy.

The “Artists on the Road” series, now in its second year, is co-sponsored by the Design Department and the International and Exchange Programs Office and features three professors/artists this semester. In October, Brent Patterson, assistant professor of design, spoke about his service trip to the Andes of Bolivia with students. On November 12, Alice Pennisi, associate professor of art education, will present “Wherever I’m Not is Home” at 12:15 p.m. in Upton Hall 230.

For further information on the series, contact Carol Townsend, associate professor of design and coordinator of design foundations, at (716) 878-4986.