Visual Art Currently Hanging
posted by on July 24 at 11:00 AM
Catherine Cook’s Thunderhead (2007), oil on board, 44 by 44 inches
Peter Olsen’s Bowl (2006), wood-fired stoneware, 4 by 16 inches
John Taylor’s Seven Sin Series – Gluttony (2007), stoneware, slip, stain, glaze, 29 inches tall
At Tacoma Art Museum. (Museum site here.)
These three pieces are in this year’s Neddy Fellowship Awards exhibition at Tacoma Art Museum. The Neddy Awards have been going on for 13 years, and each year, one recipient wins for painting, and one recipient wins for another (rotating) discipline. The award is $15,000, and this year’s winners are Randy Hayes for painting (one of his strong earlier works is seen here) and Akio Takamori for ceramics. Those are good choices.
I don’t mean to be churlish, but the three artists listed above are not good nominations. The Neddy Awards, according to their own materials, honor “artistic excellence, innovation, unique vision, and a passionate commitment to his or her art and community.” Perhaps the above artists are exceptionally committed to some community that I don’t know about, but otherwise, they fall dead flat. Their works are not excellent, and they’re not even close to innovative or unique. Their inclusion—and the fact that they make up nearly half of this year’s Neddy choices—is a permanent stain on the awards.
Until now, the awards were administered largely by Sherry Shari Behnke. This year, she stepped down, leaving other family members in charge.
Word to the family: Not just anybody can do this. Either talk Shari into coming back, or do your homework next time. Otherwise, the Neddy Awards are headed for disrepute and, worst of all, meaninglessness.
Jen, when you get all art opinionated and sassy, a little bit of my homosexuality melts away. Keep it up and I'll be buying you a ring.
And to top it off, I couldn't agree more with your assessment. I'm going this Saturday to check it all out for myself, but online studies of the nominated artists' work has me solidly in your camp.
God, Jube, what's with the fawning over Jen of late? It's like every post lateley.
@2, as strange as the concept must be to you, Ida (Aunt Ida? Ida "Queers are Just Better" Nelson?), when I agree with someone I let them know it. When I don't, I let them know that, too.
Don't you think it would be wrong to snark Jen gratuitously when what she says is something I agree with?
I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for her to find my position on something wrong, and for me to feel likewise.
Until then, I (HEART) Jen Graves.
Couldn't agree more. I've always enjoyed this show, but it wasn't up to snuff this year.
Jube,
Don't you know that SLOG is the exclusive province of Haters of Great Stranger Writers? Haven't you been following the assholes who constantly hate on ECB and Mudede? Get with the program already, Jube!
@5, I see what you're trying to say, Cookie, but I am usually one of the people voicing opposition to ECB and Charles. I try to temper my comments about their work down a few notches from hate, but I'm not always a fan...
Ida just seems to suggest that I should have some sort of static opinion about Jen and, I guess by extension, any other Slogger. That's the height of intellectual laziness, IMHO.
Yay! Peter Olson's ceramics are awesome! Yay! Jen noticed him! Sweet! Next, discover Christopher Mathie's raku things: http://www.mathiepottery.com/
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