Previous AA2A Artist

Ann Kelcey

Artform:
Ceramic and mixed media artist
Year:
2015-16
Location:
Clun Shropshire
Influences:
Archaeology
Project summary:

I am a ceramic and mixed media artist, operating from  my home studio/workshop in Shropshire. I set up my business - Kelcey Ceramics - after graduating from Hereford College of Arts with BA(Hons) Contemporary Applied Arts in 2008. Intending only to attend one module of Wolverhampton University's BA ceramics course in 2009, I enrolled on their MA Art & Design Ceramics course - so much for good intentions! And now I'm back again! 

The opportunities I was offered through the MA course were life (and work) changing. A three-month residency at the V&A Museum in the ceramics studio with other MA colleagues, introduced me to the idea of working in heritage settings. Participation in a European Research project, which was looking at Creativity & Craft Production in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe (CinBA) culminated in the on-line CinBA Live exhbition (www.cinba.net/exhbitions) - this led to an invitation to the CinBA Live ceramic artists to exhibit in the Santorini Bienalle of Arts 2012, which led to the first of many holiday destinations with my husband to places associated with the CinBA project.

After the CinBA Live exhibition I was invited to a meeting of the CinBA partners in Copenhagen, to talk about my creative responses to Bronze Age artefacts and motifs, and later to join artists who were selected for the CinBA 'Contemporary Maker Engagement Project' on a return visit to the National Museum of Copenhagen. I was also invited to take part in a archaeological excavations in Hungary, which I have continued to do on an annual basis.

The V&A residency and the CinBA project were contributory factors in gaining a place on the Visual Artists' Professional Development Programme with Shropshire Council/Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.  Through this, a group of us formed the re:collect artists' group, exhibiting together in Rowleys House Museum, Shrewsbury ('Object Lessons') and then in the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery ('Curiosity, re:collect Interventions'). My work for this exhibiton, three sculptural pieces in response to pre-hstoric artefacts, plus an interactive element for visitors to the museum, has been retained b the museum.

The 'Curiosity, re:collect Interventions' exhibition, was funded by grants from the Arts Council England, Shropshire Council, and the Friends of SM&AG. As well as each artist's individual artwork, we constructed a Cabinet of Curiosities, which has been touring different venues, with new artwork being made in response to each venue. 

The principle focus of my place as an AA2A artist will be to explore different techniques for applying print on ceramics, and later to examine print in the wider context of mixed media. Exciting times!

I am a ceramic and mixed media artist, operating from  my home studio/workshop in Shropshire. I set up my business - Kelcey Ceramics - after graduating from Hereford College of Arts with BA(Hons) Contemporary Applied Arts in 2008. Intending only to attend one module of Wolverhampton University's BA ceramics course in 2009, I enrolled on their MA Art & Design Ceramics course - so much for good intentions! And now I'm back again! 

The opportunities I was offered through the MA course were life (and work) changing. A three-month residency at the V&A Museum in the ceramics studio with other MA colleagues, introduced me to the idea of working in heritage settings. Participation in a European Research project, which was looking at Creativity & Craft Production in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe (CinBA) culminated in the on-line CinBA Live exhbition (www.cinba.net/exhbitions) - this led to an invitation to the CinBA Live ceramic artists to exhibit in the Santorini Bienalle of Arts 2012, which led to the first of many holiday destinations with my husband to places associated with the CinBA project.

After the CinBA Live exhibition I was invited to a meeting of the CinBA partners in Copenhagen, to talk about my creative responses to Bronze Age artefacts and motifs, and later to join artists who were selected for the CinBA 'Contemporary Maker Engagement Project' on a return visit to the National Museum of Copenhagen. I was also invited to take part in a archaeological excavations in Hungary, which I have continued to do on an annual basis.

The V&A residency and the CinBA project were contributory factors in gaining a place on the Visual Artists' Professional Development Programme with Shropshire Council/Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.  Through this, a group of us formed the re:collect artists' group, exhibiting together in Rowleys House Museum, Shrewsbury ('Object Lessons') and then in the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery ('Curiosity, re:collect Interventions'). My work for this exhibiton, three sculptural pieces in response to pre-hstoric artefacts, plus an interactive element for visitors to the museum, has been retained b the museum.

The 'Curiosity, re:collect Interventions' exhibition, was funded by grants from the Arts Council England, Shropshire Council, and the Friends of SM&AG. As well as each artist's individual artwork, we constructed a Cabinet of Curiosities, which has been touring different venues, with new artwork being made in response to each venue. 

The principle focus of my place as an AA2A artist will be to explore different techniques for applying print on ceramics, and later to examine print in the wider context of mixed media. Exciting times!

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