Liz Zlot Summerfield
Miniature Power

MudFire Gallery presents the work of seven ceramicists with a focus on the power of the petite. Featuring sculpture, decorative wall pieces, and functional works, the exhibit revels in art that is precise and restrained.

The artist reception and exhibit opening will be held Saturday, July 14, from 5-9 pm. The exhibit and sale will be on display through August 4, 2007.

About the Artist

Liz currently resides in Western North Carolina with her husband, Scott Summerfield and daughter Roby Leigh. They both work out of their studios located on their farm in Bakersville.

Liz grew up in northern California and moved to Boulder, Co where she completed her BA at the University of Colorado. Next she spent three years in Smithville, TN working in the studios at the Appalachian Center for Crafts. She worked in clay and fibers. Liz attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to complete her Masters of Fine Arts in 2001.

Liz currently works as a full time artist from her home studio. She exhibits her work nationally through exhibitions and galleries.

Liz Zlot Summerfield
Artist Statement

I find function a vehicle for expression while also allowing approachability to my work. Creamers and sugars, salt and pepper sets, and lidded containers are my primary subjects. My work is small and intimate in size. These handheld objects are constructed with slabs that softly drape over one another creating three-dimensional drawings throughout the surface of the piece. These lines are kept visible to accentuate the process of the making.

The beauty of utilitarian objects is that they are capable of functioning away from their primary context but also retain their inherent sense of function. A pot, box, or tool may function primarily as a useful object and later retire its usefulness and function as an aesthetic object such as in a collection. In either context, the object has a specific purpose, whether it is to contain or sit among others of its kind. Within a collection, everyday objects gain importance as members of a whole; they start to become more than the sum of their parts and have potential to give value to valueless objects.

I view my work as an ever-growing collection, where I am the maker of objects that are similar but also defined by their subtle differences. I draw inspiration from my own personal collectibles such as antique aprons and hand made boxes. As with many collections I strive to imbed my work with a sense of nostalgia, memory, and past time.

Liz Zlot Summerfield Resume

Education

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Masters of Fine Arts-Ceramics, 2001-2004.

Appalachian Center for Crafts, a division of Tennessee Technological University, Smithville, TN. 1998- 2001.

University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Bachelor of Arts-Ceramics 1992-1997.

Exhibitions

2006, 30 Something: A Group Exhibition of Local Emerging Artists, Toe River Arts Council, Spruce Pine, NC.

2006, San Angelo Ceramic Competition, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX

2006, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, East Petersburg, PA. Juried Exhibition. Juror Tom Coleman.

2006, Crisp, Mudfire Clayworks, Decatur, Georgia. Invitational Exhibit

2006, Through Women’s Eyes, by Women’s Hands, The Women’s Center, Chapel Hill, NC.

2005, Building Community, Lake Norman Art League, Huntersville, NC. Juried Exhibition. Juror David J. Brown.

2005, Fall Celebration of Arts, Toe River Arts Council, Spruce Pine, NC.

2005, A New Look, River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN. Group Exhibition.

2004 A Marriage of Materials, Sunset River Marketplace, Calabash, NC.

2004, Fall Celebration of Arts, Toe River Arts Council, Spruce Pine, NC.

2004, College Bowl, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN.

2004, Refresh, Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition.

2003, It’s Only Clay, Bemidgi Community Arts Center, Bemidgi, MN. Juried Exhibition.

2003, Minnesota Clay, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN. Invitational.

2003, Mandatory, Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. Group Exhibition.

200,1 Ewers, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, MI. Juried Exhibition.

2000, Best of Tennessee Crafts 2000, Tennessee Association of Craft Artists, TN. Juried Exhibition.

1999, Holiday Festival Invitational, Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville, TN.