Itinerary: The 2013 Gangjin Experience and International Ceramic Artist's Tour

To understand this, begin at the beginning click here.

The 2013 Gangjin Experience and International Ceramic Artist's Tour brings together two of the most comprehensive ways to Experience Korean ceramics.  The Gangjin Experience, although housed in "Celadon Land" and at The International Gangjin Celadon Festival goes far beyond celadon.  The exhibit is looking for your personal work of any kind and style.  The workshops include many artists who work in diverse styles.  The tour visits some of Korea's best ranging from Intangible Cultural Assets to some of the best teaware artists in the world to some of Korea's finest contemporary ceramic artists.  Along the way participants will find additional opportunities to to exhibit and the opportunity to study personally with ceramic masters in Korea.

Following is a brief tentative itinerary.  We will provide additional information to the accepted applicants.  One note of caution to those who are thinking about waiting until 'next year'.  We don't know if there will be a next year for these combined events.      

2013 Itinerary (Tentative) The Gangjin Experience
and International Ceramic Artist’s Tour
All Itineraries are ‘tentative’ because we experience last minute changes with some of the artists we intend to visit.
July – August 2013
Note: These dates are not yet verified.

July  27  Arrive in Korea go to Hotel
July  28  Travel to Gangjin
July  29  Gangjin Festival Opens / International Exhibit Opens
July  30  Gangjin Workshops
July  31  Gangjin Workshops
Aug. 01  Gangjin Special Tour including tea area, onggi and
Aug. 02  tour begins Move to Hadong and Sanchung-goon visit Min Young Ki, tea area and other artists
Aug. 03 Move to Gimhae visit Clayarch Gimhae Museum  and other special events
Aug. 04 move to Gyeongju visit Park Byung Teak, Bulguk-sa[1], Gyeongju National Museum
Aug. 05 move to Daegu, move to Park Jong Il studio move to Mungyeong along way visit Kim Dae Woong contemporary ceramic artist.  Visit several artists in Mungyeong
Aug. 06 Mungyeong Teabowl Village visit cultural treasures Chun Han Bong,  Kim Jong Ok and a number of other outstanding ceramic artists.
Aug. 07 Move to Icheon and Yeoju   In Yeoju visit KOCEF museum, visit pottery supply store, lunch at Park Chan Soo’s MOKA Museum ICT Buddhist woodcarver, visit Kim Il Mann Onggi ICT, Pierced porcelain artist Jeon, Seong-Keun, Ceramic artists Kim Jong Hun and Moon Ji Young
Aug. 08 In Icheon visit KOCEF museum, Lee Kyu-tak Punchong potter and Lim Hang Teak porcelain painter and more
Aug. 09  Move to Seoul Visit Sangho Shin Studio, National Museum and Leeum Museum
Aug. 10  Free day
Aug. 11  Free day and leave for home or continue your journey.

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Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers 

 

Louis Mendez 1929-2012

After reading this memorial post, please return to the beginning. 

 

Louis Mendez 1929-2012

Mary and I were shocked and greatly saddened at learning of the death of our friend Louis Mendez.  We want to join the friends and family of Louis in mourning his passing.

Louis was an exceptional artist and an insightful and generous person.  We are certain that he will be missed by all who knew him. 

There is a line from a famous verse that reads:

There is a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

We join Louis's family and friends in weeping for his passing, laugh when we remember good times together, mourn his death, but we must also dance with joy for having had him in our lives. May he rest in peace.

Obituary New York Times

MENDEZ--Louis, 1929-2012. The exuberant artist/educator, Louis Mendez, died peacefully at the Jacob Perlow Hospice Inpatient Unit at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, just two weeks shy of his 83rd birthday. Louis Ernest Mendez was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan of Puerto Rican, Spanish and Irish heritage. He spent his early years in Spanish Harlem and his teenage years in Goshen, NY, where his high school teachers recognized his unusual talent in drawing and sculpture. Louis went on to earn BFA ('52) and MFA ('54) degrees from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, where he became a protege of Professors Charles Harder and Daniel Rhodes, influential figures in the mid-century American studio ceramics movement. After college, Louis was hired by fellow Alfred alumnus, David Gil, as the first designer at Bennington Potters in Vermont. He later worked as a designer at Lenox China in Trenton, NJ, before entering the field of education, teaching first at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, then at the Philadelphia College of Art, and ultimately at the Ohio State University in Columbus, where he was an Associate Professor of Art and Chairman of the Graduate Faculty in the Ceramics Department. Aside from these professorial appointments, he taught more casually, but with no less enthusiasm, at numerous venues, including New Jersey City University and the Ceramic Education Center (NJ), Brookfield Craft Center (CT), Art+Clay (NM), Valle de Bravo (MX), Juniata College, (PA), and with special joy at the 92nd Street Y 60+ Program in New York City. From the 1960s onward his output included no only pottery, but masks, wall-reliefs, mosaics, and free-standing sculptures both large and small. Louis developed his signature "Spanish Handbuilding Technique," an approach to ceramic hand building that allowed construction and firing of large sculptural works in clay without the use of an armature, a development that helped to transform ceramics from "craft" to "art." Mendez exhibited in many important venues in the USA, including the Museum of Art and Design, the Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, Taller Boriqua, the Brooklyn Museum, the Everson Museum, the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, and the Silvermine Guild of Artists. International exhibitions include group shows at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Internazionale Biennale dell' Arte Contemporanea (Florence, Italy), the Gangjin Festival (Korea), and a one person show at the Museo Regional Michoacano (Morelia, Mexico). His work is included in the collections of the Museum of Art and Design (New York), the ASU Museum at the Herberger Institute for Design + the Arts in Tempe (AZ), the Mint Museum of Craft & Design (North Carolina), the Columbia Museum of Art (SC), the Gangjin Ceramics Museum (South Korea), and the Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art at Alfred University, among others. Louis is survived by his wife Dianne, son Aaron, daughter-in-law Mieko and two grandchildren; his sister Victoria Blanco-Alfiero; his sister and brother-in-law, Donna and David Dunning; three nephews and one niece. In lieu of flowers, the family asks friends to consider a donation to one of the following: Alfred University; send gift with a note stating that the gift is in memory of Louis Mendez to: University Relations, 1 Saxon Drive, Alfred University, Alfred NY 14802. The 92nd Street Y; make check payable to 92nd Street Y with a note indicating that the gift is "In Memory of Louis Mendez for HB Senior Program." MJHS Foundation; note that the gift is f/b/o the Jacob Perlow Hospice Inpatient Care Unit at Beth Israel Hospital in Memory of Louis Mendez.

Published in The New York Times on August 5, 2012

Some photos of Louis

 You can see more images of Louis's work on his website:

Please return to the blog.

South Korea's Amazing Ceramics & the Itinerary

You are aware that I am Korean American but you may not be aware that I was not born in Korea.  When I first visited Korea now many years ago I did so to study Korean ceramics and work in a studio in Korea.  At that time we knew very little about Korean ceramics.  Few books on Korean ceramics had been written and in many ways Korea was still recovering from the effects of the Korean war even though it was several decades after the cease fire that ended that conflict.  What I discovered was a beautiful land and a beautiful people.  I also discovered a rich ceramic culture that in terms of contemporary ceramics was beginning to 'take seed' and grow.  

Over the years, that ceramic culture seed has grown tremendously and the Korean government, both nationally and provincially, has embraced it.  South Korea is about the size of the state of Indiana in the USA and the countries of Portugal or Hungary in Europe.  As witness to the great interest in ceramics held in this rather small country Korea has built 9 major complexes, and many local museums as well - dedicated to ceramics alone.  Each of the the 9 major ceramics complexes is larger than many national museums in the world.  There are so many possible ceramic museums and areas to visit that we can't visit all of them even if the tour were much longer.  

These major ceramic museum complexes include our host the Gangjin Celadon Complex that is composed of several areas including two large museums and a large production studio and wood kiln area.  One museum houses, among other displays, Gangjin's International Ceramic Artist's Collection that those international artists who participate in the Gangjin Experience have an opportunity to be part of.  While Gangjin's complex is dedicated to historic ceramics, across the country in Gimhae is the exciting ClayArch Museum dedicated to both historic and contemporary architectural ceramics.  This complex is more than a museum as it regularly houses international artists providing them with the opportunity to create significant works and is an educational center for architectural ceramics.  Perhaps the most interesting ceramic complexes are those related to the World Ceramic Exposition that takes place biannually.  These museums are open year round and house work by perhaps the best and most interesting international ceramic artists in the world.  Yeoju features functional work, Icheon features contemporary ceramics and Kwangju features industrial ceramics. 

Then there are also 9 additional National Museums dedicated to the arts of Korea.  These include the Gyeongju National Museum that primarily houses work from the 3 Kingdom's and United Silla Periods and the National Museum of Seoul that houses the arts of Korea throughout its history. 

The internationally recognized Korean company Samsung has also built a wonderful museum that houses both contemporary and historic works.  The Leeum Museum of Art is one of the finest museums anywhere.

In addition to museums, Korea has nurtured the development of villages dedicated to ceramics.  Among them are Gangjin our host that is famous for both its historic and contemporary celadon, the Oe-gosan Onggi Village in Ulsan,  The Mungyeong teabowl village in Mungyeong and the pottery villages of Yeoju, Incheon and Kwangju all important ceramic villages during the Goryeo and or Joseon (Choson or Yi) Dynasty.  I have been told that Yeoju and Icheon combined have about 1000 ceramic artists.

But underlying all of this are the individual ceramic artists.  One ceramic artist I spoke with estimated that Korea has about 50,000 people working with clay in some way.  Remember the size of this country.  That is not to say that they are all accomplished artists but even if only 10% were producing work of reasonable quality that is still a large number of ceramic artists for a country the size of Korea.

Korea's artists can be thought of as falling into several groups.  There is a rather small group of artists who work to continue the historic and traditional ceramic work of Korea.  Among these are those designated as Human Intangible Cultural Assets who pass on a particular historic art style from one generation to the next.  Because Korea has a strong tea culture and tradition, tea should not be ignored as we travel through Korea.  Many Korean ceramic artists have dedicated their lives to creating quality functional tea ware in many forms.  Then there are ceramic artists who work in a functional yet contemporary manner using traditional and historic Korean ceramic processes.   We will find artists working in personal yet functional contemporary manner.  Like most countries there are also many artists working in a contemporary manner with clay that is both personal and experimental.  We will visit some of these very interesting artists.

One of the more interesting aspects of Korean ceramics are the variety of kilns used in Korea.  This link will lead you to a slide show on one of our other web sites featuring some of these amazing kilns.  Thanks for your patience and trust.  Ask those who have joined us in the past or learn more about the exhibit.

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[1] Bulguk-sa is a famous Buddhist Temple.  “Sa” means “temple” in Korean.

This Itinerary could change as final arrangements are made and schedules of artists change.  We may also add one day.

Would you like to learn about these events another way?  Click onto these various links.

Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers 

The Gangjin International Ceramic Exhibit

This summer Gangjin will invite between fourteen and twenty international ceramic artists to participate in an exhibit, a series of ceramic workshops and an optional tour.  The invitations will come after an adjudication process of your work.

Gangjin is simply looking for quality ceramic work and makes no limitations on type, style, glaze etc.  Prior exhibits have been diverse.

This is a link to the posting of an earlier exhibit on our website  Recently these exhibits are being displayed in the main gallery under glass. Use the back button there to return to this site.

Accepted artists are responsible for getting work to and from the exhibit.  This should not be a problem since artists will also be attending the accompanying workshop.  For prior exhibits, work accompanied the artists on their plane.  Usually just one piece is accepted.

Representatives from Gangjin will transport artists to Gangjin after arriving at the Incheon/Seoul airport.  Participants arrive at the international airport, stay overnight nearby and travel by bus to Gangjin the following morning.  It is a 5-8 hour ride depending on traffic.  Airfare is not provided by Gangjin.

Gangjin will provide accommodations, meals, transportation and a series of free workshops with exceptional Korean ceramic artists while in Gangjin.  The non-profit International Ceramic Artist's tour of South Korea follows our participation in Gangjin.  Gangjin along with Morning Earth Korea are subsidizing a portion of this tour.  If there is sufficient interest there is a possibility of extending that tour to Japan or China also at no profit.

The Exhibition Selection Committee in Gangjin, Korea will adjudicate this exhibit and workshop opportunity.

The dates of the exhibit are in late July or early August.  Contact us for this year's specific dates.  As stated, exhibiting artists are responsible for their work both to the exhibit and its return.  If you are on the tour, your work will be delivered to our hotel in Seoul prior to your home departure. 

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Would you like to learn about these events another way?  Click onto these various links.

Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers 

Testimonies On Gangjin and the Tour

No matter what I may say about the Gangjin Experience and tour, those who have actually been there and traveled with us say it best.  Following are a few of the statements we received.

 

To Arthur and Mary,

Participating in the Gangjin Celadon Festival was one of the most inspiring experiences in my ceramics career.  I feel very privileged to have taken part in the tour facilitated by Morning Earth, and it was a deep honour to meet, and see working, such accomplished ceramists as those we were lucky enough to visit.  Thank-you Gangjin and Morning Earth!

Elise Bishop, New Zealand

Having never been to Korea before, I was excited and somewhat unsure of what to expect.

The entire trip was a fantastic learning experience with a fun group of like minded artists.  Arthur and Mary provided a wide variety of activities as well as in depth clay experience.  We participated in several workshops and got to know many Korean potters, all who were kind and generous people.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, including the great friends we made.

Good Luck!

Rachel Garrison, USA

Thank you very much about everything you did. It’s feeling now like a really good dream that I dreamt… the Gangjin occurrence. But it is not dream and I did take a part in all this beauty. Thanks a lot!!! I told and I’m telling everybody about this amazing opportunity that I had and that they not allowed to miss, I believe next year you will have a hard time to choose who will join your journey. You will have lot of potters.

Thanks again, feel free to upload my pictures.

Shaked Kaplan, Israel / Canada

One evening her 'friends' convinced Shaked to teach us Israeli Belly dancing.  A great spontaneous time was enjoyed by all.

I was one of the lucky 20 invited guests to the International Ceramics Workshop at the 37th Gangjin Celadon Festival in the summer of 2009.  Arthur and Mary Park of Morning Earth Pottery were responsible for the entire happening which was an extraordinary experience for me.  During those two weeks, we were celebrated, had our work beautifully displayed, got instruction from master potters in Korean ceramic techniques, and toured throughout the country with emphasis on ceramics.  Those two weeks were life changing and eye opening for me.  Arthur and Mary Park couldn't have been more accommodating and knowledgeable.  I couldn't recommend this experience more highly.

Sincerely,  Larry Stern, NY, USA

I met Arthur and Mary Park at the Mungyeong Chassabal festival while I was on a trip to Korea to visit my daughter.  

I knew I had to go back and was thrilled to be invited to be a part of the Gangjin International Celadon Festival in 2009, and the accompanying tour.

The Gangjin festival organizers were generous with their accommodation of the group, subsidizing the stay, providing thought provoking workshops daily and exhibiting our work in splendid fashion in the main building and in the excellent exhibition catalogue.

Arthur and Mary, using their knowledge, arranged so many wonderful opportunities; museums, visits to well known artists studios, wonderful meals and entertainment, shopping.Korean/English translation was an integral part of the trip.  I will keep in touch with my new friends from Australia, Israel, the USA, Korea and Canada. I have so much to learn from them and from Korea, as I continue my exploration of clay.

Next time I go Korea I plan for the time to be a study trip.

Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful experience.

Heather Hannaford, Canada

 . . . The festival was a celebration of Korean culture, alive with color, food, traditional crafts, warm friendly people, parades, dances, flowers, tea, and much more, and of course ceramics, especially celadon. . . 

I was amazed to see the respect that people had for ceramics and the artists. Young children were eager to throw pots on the wheel; they seemed engaged and knowledgeable while visiting The Celadon Museum.The following week we went on a bus tour with Arthur and Mary Park.  The tour was partly subsidized by Gangjin City, US Travel and Morning Earth Tours. It was terrific. I loved being in the company of fellow artists. . . .

Many of the people we visited live in remote villages and small towns.  We were welcomed with their hospitality and generosity. We got to see parts of Korea that most tourists never see. . . .I would definitely recommend ceramic artists to apply for next year's exhibit and tour. Good luck.

Nuala Creed,  Ireland/ USA

To read more by Nuala, click here: Nuala.

. . . Whoever is reading this Testimony is obviously interested, so don’t wait another second to fill in the application as this will be a life changing experience to anyone who loves CERAMICS.

Robyn Gill, Qld, Australia

To read more by Robyn, click here: Robyn

I also recently found this link posted by Cheryl Tall

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Would you like to learn about these events another way?  Click onto these various links.

Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers 

Full Testimony Robyn Gill, Qld., Australia

After a 3 month AIR in Jingdezhen, China 2008 I was overwhelmed when I received notice that I had been selected to participate in the 37th Gangjin Celadon Festival.  Only 20 Artists are selected from around the world.  This tour included Artists from the U.S. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Europe and this experience has been the highlight of my Ceramic career.  We met and worked with so many different Artists.

After the Festival we toured South Korea with the group and visited many National Treasures and their Studios.  No matter where we went in South Korea everyone was so giving and friendly.  I will never forget the hospitality we all received during the two weeks in South Korea.

One of the last days in South Korea we visited the Studio of Mooto Jeon Seong-Keun in Yeoju and when we were inside I realized that I had first seen his work in a publication in China and one of my pieces selected for the Gangjin Exhibition was inspired by his work.

My husband & I continued on to China where I did another AIR @ Sanbao Ceramic & Art Institute.  After a couple of days Arthur informed me that I was lucky enough to be invited back to Korea to study Porcelain Carving with Mooto Seong-Keun (Korea’s top Porcelain Carver).  We were welcomed into their Studio, home and dinner table.  I am so privileged to have spent this time with Mooto and I have many cherished memories, new ideas & new ways to Carve Porcelain.

It is impossible to say everything about all the Korean people we met and worked with, but I am sure they all know how much we appreciated their never ending Friendship & Hospitality.

All the friendships we have made with the other Artists selected for this tour is the other bonus of this trip.

Humungous thanks to Arthur & Mary without whom this amazing trip would not have been possible.

Whoever is reading this Testimony is obviously interested, so don’t wait another second to fill in the application as this will be a life changing experience to anyone who loves CERAMICS.

Thank-you Gangjin and Morning Earth!

Robyn Gill, Qld., Australia

We know that you are interested in seeing what Robyn did under Master Jeon.  Who knows, you may be the next to study with Master Jeon or another artist.  But of course we can’t promise that will happen.

Robyn Carving and Robyn’s Carving

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Would you like to learn about these events another way?  Click onto these various links.

Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers 

Full Testimony Nuala Creed, Ireland/USA

In August 2009 I had the privilege of going to Korea as a exhibiting artist in the Gangjin Celadon Festival. It was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Nuala Creed with Darwin from another exhibit

 

I was one of twenty visiting artists. We were from the U.S. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Europe.  For the week of the festival all our living expenses were paid for by the city of Gangjin.  That included meals, hotel and transport to and from the festival. The festival was a celebration of Korean culture, alive with color, food, traditional crafts, warm friendly people, parades, dances, flowers, tea, and much more, and of course ceramics, especially celadon. We met and had workshops with some of Korea's best-known ceramic artists. In turn we each gave a demonstration at the festival that attracted a large group of people who chatted to us as we worked. We had students as our interpreters as we demonstrated. People waved and talked to us as we wandered about the festival. Much of our communication was with body language that was fun and creative.

I was amazed to see the respect that people had for ceramics and the artists. Young children were eager to throw pots on the wheel; they seemed engaged and knowledgeable while visiting The Celadon Museum.

The following week we went on a bus tour with Arthur and Mary Park.  The tour was partly subsidized by Gangjin City, US Travel and Morning Earth Tours. It was terrific. I loved being in the company of fellow artists.  We visited Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Korea, and Mungyeong, a very important tea bowl village, also Yeoju, Icheon and Kwangju the three cities featured in the World Ceramic Exposition.  Arthur and Mary arranged for us to visit many of the Human Cultural Treasures of Korea. (These are artist that are so skilled and respected in their craft that the government recognizes them, and gives them financial assistance towards their living expenses.) Many of the people we visited live in remote villages and small towns.  We were welcomed with their hospitality and generosity. We got to see parts of Korea that most tourists never see.  We also visited Buddhist monasteries in the mountains. And a tea plantation, with an incredible hike. Korea is indeed picturesque. It also has amazing museums that are well attended. Our tour ended with three days in Seoul. It’s a big city with much of interest to do and see. We stayed in a lovely hotel near Insadong art market and gallery district.

I would definitely recommend ceramic artists to apply for next year's exhibit and tour. Good luck.

Nuala Creed,  Ireland/ USA

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Would you like to learn about these events another way?  Click onto these various links.

Welcome       Registration      Itinerary

The Gangjin Experience       Testimonies

The Exhibit       Some Questions and Answers