This fall Felix Kulpa Gallery is pleased to present "Earth & Space", a solo show of Jenni Ward's newest ceramic installations. Jenni Ward is a sculptor, art instructor and owner of Earth Art Studio in Aptos CA. In 2005, she opened Earth Art Studio; a sculpture studio offering clay and mixed media sculpture classes and workshops for children, teens and adults. Throughout her teaching career she has worked extensively with many youth and senior art programs. She is also the creative engine behind the humanitarian group HOPE Art, which brings art to the youth of Haiti. In addition to teaching, she has been creating, showing and selling her own sculptures since graduating from University of Hartford-Hartford Art School with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1998. She exhibits her sculptures locally, nationally and participates in the Santa Cruz County Open Studios. Meet the artist at the First Friday reception September 2nd from 5pm-9pm.
"My work focuses on how organic forms interact and engage with the space they encompass. I create abstract arrangements with references to the biological world of seeds, pollens, bones, shells and entomology that explore the tensions of opposing forces. The results evoke contrary feelings of unshackled captivity, organized randomness and the density of negative space; these pieces strive to achieve a sense of beauty in their asymmetrical balance. At times I work in multiples. The forms are often configured in simple geometric compositions to counter their organic nature. Using clay as my primary medium, I develop these pieces with commonalities of shape, color, texture and movement that often result in a series of work." -Jenni Ward
Felix Kulpa Gallery is located at 107 Elm Street, Santa Cruz, and is open Thursday – Sunday, 12-6 pm. The September 2nd opening reception (5-9 pm) coincides with the Santa Cruz First Friday event and is free and open to the public.
