Artist: Rebecca May Verrill

Rebecca May Verrill, MAINE
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Inspired by organic plant life set against the rigidity of a metropolitan landscape; the determination of plant life to thrive and succeed through brick and stone, Rebecca’s signature abstract plant designs are individually cut out by hand for use as stencils, then layered, carved and further embellished with textures, masking and various printmaking techniques on her wheel thrown and handbuilt ceramic forms.

Concerned with making a lower impact on the environment, Rebecca chooses to mix a percentage of locally dug earthenware into her claybody and low fire her ceramics in an electric kiln. 

She believes that the structure of the natural world need not be confined within the limits of our imagination; so much more exists beyond the surface.

EDUCATION
2011-2013 State University of New York at New Paltz, Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics

1996-2000 Franklin Pierce University, Bachelor of Arts, English and Fine Arts

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

2017-2015 Visiting Ceramic Artist, Scarborough High School, Scarborough, ME

2014-2016 Adjunct Ceramics Instructor, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, ME

2014 Adult Ceramics Instructor, Portland Pottery, Portland, ME

2013-present Resident Artist, Bayside Clay Center at Running with Scissors, Portland, ME

2014 Ceramics Enrichment Instructor, Breakwater School, Portland, ME

2011 Ceramics Workshop Instructor, Red River Valley Charter School, Questa, NM

2010-2011 Pottery Instructor, STEM grant, Taos Academy Charter School, Taos, NM

2006-2011 Pottery Instructor, Taos Clay, Taos, NM

2006-2009 K-8 Elementary and Middle School Art Teacher, Yaxche School, Taos, NM

2008-2009 Art Director, Artist in Residence Coordinator, Yaxche School, Taos, NM

2005 Artist in Residence, Yaxche School, Taos, NM

2002-2003 K-5 Itinerant Elementary Art Teacher, MSAD # 44, Bethel, ME

2001-2002 K-6 Itinerant Elementary Art Teacher, MSAD # 17 , South Paris, ME

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:
2016 Instructional Ceramics Assistant, Arrowmont School of Craft, Gatlinburg, TN

2015 Technical Ceramics Assistant, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME

2014 Technical Ceramics Assistant, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME

2012 Ceramics Studio Assistant, Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, Maplecrest, NY

2012 Ceramics Studio Graduate Assistant, State University of New York at New Paltz, NY

2011 Internship to College Teaching, State University of New York at New Paltz, NY

2009-2011 Owner, Sole Proprietor, Mud Woman Designs Studio and Gallery, Taos, NM

2003-2004 Clay Studio Manager, Taos Clay, Taos, NM

2000-2001 Youth Care Counselor, Art and Wilderness Therapy, The DreamTree Project, Taos, NM

1996-2000 Ceramics Studio Technician and Manager, Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2016 Cup: The Intimate Object IX, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC

2015 Fired Up, Maine Ceramic Artist Exhibition, The Harlow Gallery, Hallowell, ME

2015 Haystack Faculty and Technical Assistant Exhibition, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME

2015 Dirty South Mug Competition, juried by Tom Coleman, River Oaks Art Center, Alexandria, LA

2015 Drink This!, Workhouse International Ceramic Cup Show, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA

2014 Haystack Faculty and Technical Assistant Exhibition, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME

2014 Collective Fire: Women Who Fire with Wood, Molly Cantor Pottery, Shelburne Falls, MA

2014 Tabletop International Ceramics Exhibit, The Art League @The Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA

2014 Small Favors IX, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

2013 BORROWED: MFA Thesis Exhibition, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY

2013 SUNY Spring Student Exhibition, SUNY Albany, NY

2012 Meal in The Field, Phillies Bridge Farm Project, Gardiner, NY

2011 New works/July Woodfire, Rottenstone Gallery, Arroyo Seco, NM

2010 Alumni and Faculty Fine Art Exhibition, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH

2009 Wabi Sabi: Ceramic Invitational, Durango Arts Center, Durango, CO

2008 Miniatures Show, Roswell Museum, Roswell, NM

2008 1st International Exhibition of Ceramic Whistles, Genus Loci Matera, Civic Museum, Matera, Italy

2007 Taos Open, Taos Convention Center, Taos, NM

2005 For the Love of Clay and Wood, Bent Tree Gallery, Taos, NM

2004 Celebration of Clay North, Maravilla Contemporary Craft Gallery, Taos, NM

AWARDS:

2015 The Parker Poe Scholarship, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine

2014 The Golden Rule Scholarship, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine

2012 Research and Creative Projects Award Grant, SUNY New Paltz, New York

2011 Research and Creative Projects Award Grant, SUNY New Paltz, New York

2008 International Exhibition of Ceramic Whistles; 3rd Place for Outstanding Technical Achievement Genus Loci Matera, Matera, Italy

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, member

Potters Council, member

American Craft Council, member

Americans for the Arts Action Fund, member

Maine Crafts Association, member

Maine Potters Market, member-owner