His cup runneth over
The Montclair Art Museum has opened a new wing, and commemorating
the event are ceramic mugs designed by William McCreath of Fine Arts.
McCreath has had several of his creations, including a variety of plates,
bowls and sculptures, sold in the Museum Store. So when it came time for
a special piece to commemorate the museum's new wing, Ellen Rosenberg,
the store's merchandise manager (pictured with McCreath), asked him if
he'd be interested. He saw it as another opportunity to express himself
as an artist.
"Artists
want to share forms and ideas with people," he said. "Designing
these ceramic cups was a wonderful opportunity to do that."
Using porcelain clay, McCreath created three designs in jade, bronze and
purple, which coincide with the museum's earth-tone colors. "I created
designs that have impressions that allow the fingers to fit into the cups
as a sort of handle," he said.
His creations were exactly what the museum was seeking. "We were
looking for something that had texture and would be comfortable to hold,"
said Rhonda Sturtz of the Museum Store. "We also wanted the design
to have a Native American look to it."
In his designs, McCreath combined history with his love of clay. "I
was attracted to three textured patterned designs," said McCreath,
who has been at Montclair State for 35 years. "Since at least 5000
BCE, we have had many ceramic designs. Although my work did not come from
any specific design, it came from a combination of influences and my love
of clay itself."
McCreath has had seven solo exhibition shows at the State Museum in Trenton,
the Newark Museum and the Greenwich House of Pottery in New York City.
He also has participated in more than 80 group shows, and has public collections
in Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan and the United States.
The cups, which are imprinted with the museum logo and name, are available
for $25 in the Museum Store. "We are very happy with them,"
Sturtz said. "They are lovely mugs."