Jack M.Coelho has been a ceramic artist for 40 years and a fine arts educator for 26 years. Mr. Coelho's artwork has appeared in Ceramics Monthly and Craft Horizons magazines and has been included in regional and national juried exhibitions. His artwork can be found in collections worldwide.
Mr. Coelho has received state, regional and national recognition as an outstanding Fine Arts Educator. He has served as Fine Arts Curriculum Chair in two school districts in Oregon and has taught on the middle school, high school, community college, art institute, and university levels. In addition, Mr. Coelho has led accredited ceramics and art history workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Jack describes his current work as three-dimensional paintings which combine deeply personal, revelatory content with images rendered in an almost whimsical, cartoon like fashion.
"All of the sculptural work presented in 
this show resulted from my experiences traveling, studying, and teaching in Mexico. I became intrigued by the creativity, resourcefulness and celebratory nature of the Mexican people and especially enchanted with the 19th century, spiritually inspired, folk art forms called “retablo” and “ex-voto”. So taken by the charm and simple honesty of this genre I have appropriated the word “retablo” and incorporated it in the title of this series of wall relief sculptures- “Nuevo Retablos”.
"If the field of artistic ceramics can be thought of as a continuum, with functional pottery at one extreme and the free exploration of clay as a means for creative self-expression on the other, then I would have to say that I work the extremes. Being the potter, one has no choice but to be a ceramic “purist”. Things simply won’t function as they should if the media are mixed; acrylic paint won’t do for the inside of bowls. However, things are different way out on the other end of the ceramic continuum. And that is the territory I have been exploring with my ceramic sculpture."
Lily Flores also creates images in an almost whimsical, cartoon like fashion, only in two dimensions on canvas.
"My creations are an extension of a deep sense of melancholy of the games and stories I played out as a child. What happened to those dreams? Those feelings that were developed for make belief friends, those play full scenarios that took a full days time. My art keeps this part in me alive, and my hope and motivation is to try and keep this part alive in everyone. There is not one explanation for my paintings, there are many, I have learned more about my art work through other people's interpretations than my own. It is the viewers self expression, their imagination, their vitality and inspiration I wish to stimulate. I am only a channel who's voice speaks the universal language of endless wonder."
Opening reception will be on Friday, October 7th from 5-8 pm with wine, snacks and LIVE MUSIC by Matthew Kriemelman and friends.
"The Black Bowl" George H. Seeley
etching by Allart Van Everdingen
