ROLL CALL: Wood Art from Current Teachers and Students

June 1– July 15, 2007


(Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA) The Wood Turning Center is proud to announce the creation of ROLL CALL, an exhibit bringing together work by students and faculty from college wood art programs. This is the first time for this theme and the first time these eight schools have shown their work together. Come in to view these fledgling artists before they launch their careers and see the work of their practicing artist/teachers who serve as their role models. The opening reception for Roll Call takes place on June 1st from 5pm to 7:30pm.

A handful of furniture and turning programs in college art departments across the country help nurture and define the role of wood as an art medium. Amidst the dematerialization of most art media, wood continues as a strong concentration among students wanting hands on experience and meaningful relationships with objects. These programs serve as conduits for the passing of traditional idioms- both technical and aesthetic - as well as promoting critical discourse that will influence the future of the medium and its cultural import.

Juried by participating faculty members, Roll Call features work produced in an academic studio environment and as such offers a unique blend of broad influences, learning modes and critical voices. These young artists question assumptions regarding ‘craft vs. art’ as well as boundaries between “wood art” and “studio furniture” in new and challenging ways.

The participating schools include:

• Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pennsylvania
• Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan
• University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia

Students and faculty representing the eight schools include:

• Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA
Benn Manns, Derek Weidman, Michelle Eckert, Ward Stevens and Mark Sfirri (faculty)
• Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA
Megan Snyder, Todd Steffy, and Karen Ernst (faculty)
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Ronald Bowser, Nicole Dudley, Eric Hoover, Matthew Nauman, Tenley Schmida, Andrew Scott, Michael Stadler, Christopher Weiland (faculty) and Steve Loar (faculty)
• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown, PA
Trevor Kent, Oliver Pettinato, Crystal Heiland and Bob Marsh (faculty)
• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Brigit Bruning and Amy Forsyth (faculty)
• Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI
Greg Cejka, Joseph Graci, Renee Kirchenwitz, Alexander Pollock, Chris Kurszewski and William Leete (faculty)
• University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Jason O'Brien, Jason Saul, Marcy Vanderburg and Jake Antonelli (faculty)
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Gareth Griffith, Jon Delp, Lewis Irving, Terah Sullivan and Doug Finkel (faculty) .

Installation Photos