Format: PDF, total pages: 103
Proceeds from the sale of this object will benefit Artaxis, a 501(c)3 non-profit art organization. Please contact us at contactartaxis@gmail.com if you have any questions.
About the Artist / Organizer:
Casey Whittier received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
She is interested in the metaphorical and philosophical power of visual art and the ways in which the ceramic material creates direct connections between the geology of the earth, basic human needs, and complex metaphysical desires.
Whittier teaches ceramics and social practice at the Kansas City Art Institute and works from her home studio. Whittier was named a 2020 Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly Magazine. She serves as President for Artaxis.org. More of her work can be found at www.caseywhittier.com or via Instagram @caseywhittier.
About the project:
Project: Cup is the culmination of many conversations, suggestions, and smaller ideas that I have floated (mostly as jokes or in brainstorming sessions) with friends, artists, and unsuspecting members of the public at coffee shops, art studios, and libraries. The inspiration for this multi-disciplinary project came from many years of using, thinking about, talking about, making, and teaching others to make cups.
Project: Cup is the sum of its many parts. Each artist added something more to the project than I initially imagined.
While the discipline of studio Ceramics and the Cup were the organizing principals, one of the primary goals of Project: Cup was to create interdisciplinary opportunities for expansion and exchange in a community setting using an event or workshop format. I wanted to put theory into fun, energetic, experimental practice in a public space. I chose to design the events with the participating artists rather than designing the events myself and filling roles.
Project: Cup events had a variety of tangible and intangible outcomes:
People met new people. We created opportunities and harvested ideas. We collaged together donated objects from all over the US in a wild and beautiful craft/anti craft sculpture workshop. Artists discussed inspiration and research in approachable ways that they hadn’t before. Poets received cups from Potters and Potters heard original poetry read back to them that they had never imagined. We
moved, rolled on the floor, became aware of our body and space and habits as we passed cups and sounds and movements back in forth between strangers. We made stories, heard stories, shared stories. People drew together, remixed each other’s ideas, and shared tools, tips, and encouragement. We learned about the historical design and use of cups all over the world. Put in the context of the development of different drinking rituals and libations, we saw examples of our cup ancestors at their finest, wildest and everything in-between. Project: Cup asked
questions and tried new things in real life, with real people, with really good, weird, and wonderful cups.
Innumerable “Thank You’s” and gratitude to those who made it happen:
Kimi Kitada, Hope Lian-Vinson, and Charlotte Street staff were critically important to the success of each event at Charlotte Street.
Kevin Wilson designed and built the Cup Library pedestals and the display.
Lawrence-based ceramic artist and fellow Artaxis Board Member, Bobby Tso, traveled with Casey to each studio visit. Bobby provided the technical equipment and audio editing as well as a few good jokes.
T. Maxwell Wagner took photos of every event and has expertly documented the cups that are part of the Project: Cup Library. Max’s vision, expertise, and openness to the fun and challenging aspects of this community work have been invaluable.
Lisa Maione did all the design work for this book. Lisa expanded the reach of this project and it’s coherency exponentially. I am deeply grateful to have her as a partner in this project.
About the podcast:
Project: Cup's artist studio visit will be part of Season1 of the artaxis conversions in a podcast format
Check out the podcast here: https://artaxis.org/conversations/