FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	  	  Contemporary Craft Announces Edward Eberle Retrospective, Opening 9/9/16Career Survey to Cover Three Decades of Work by Prolific Pittsburgh Ceramic Artist	  PITTSBURGH, PA – June 6, 2016 – The Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC) is pleased topresent the first career retrospective of work by Pittsburgh-based ceramic artist Edward Eberle(b. 1944, Tarentum, PA). Edward Eberle Retrospective will open to the public on Friday,September 9, 2016 and will be on view at SCC’s Strip District gallery through Saturday, March11, 2017.
Over the past three decades, Eberle has explored and tested the limits of porcelain, with hisprolific body of work ranging from classically inspired vessels to altered and deconstructedsculptures. The retrospective brings works from the mid-1980s to the present into dialogueallowing visitors to discover the timeless and intriguing work of a true master. Comprised of 45works, the show highlights the evolution of the Eberle’s exquisite forms and fragmented,dreamlike imagery by featuring both his trademark porcelain work, as well as a series of workson paper. Audiences will see paper-thin, wheel-thrown, vessels of both closed and open forms, aswell as more conceptual pieces from the early 2000s. The exhibition culminates with examplesof the artist’s most recent mixed media sculptures and large paper cylinders.

“Looking back at earlier work has been reveling,” notes Eberle. “I see that some periods havebeen particularly strong, and I’m learning from them all over again. I’m appreciating where thework has gone, but I’m very careful not to look back too hard. My work has to be right now, inthe present. I keep the Retrospective at a distance, while still appreciating it.”Using black and white terra sigillata to embellish the surface and create contrasting images,patterns, and textures, Eberle then paints his works with elaborately interlinked human, animal,and celestial forms. “As soon as that black hit the white, I knew what I had been hunting for,” theartist recalls discovering what would become his signature method. “And I had been hunting fora long time.”Eberle’s ceramics are influenced by the Oribe and Kutani periods in Japan, the black-on-whiteMimbre bowls Southwestern New Mexico, and Pysanky (Ukranian Easter eggs.) His paintingand sculpture influences include the work of Picasso, Miro, Duchamp, Klee, and de Kooningamong others.
- more -EdwardEberle, 2	  	  “Ed is a seminal figure in the contemporary ceramics field,” says Janet McCall, executivedirector of SCC. “At the hand of this master artist, something as delicate as porcelain feelsmonumental. While his work has no explicit narrative, the stream of consciousness of hisimagery feels timeless and almost mystical.”ABOUT EDWARD EBERLEBorn in Tarentum, PA in 1944, Eberle received his B.S. in 1967 at Edinboro State College(Edinboro, PA). After completing his M.F.A. at New York State College of Ceramics, AlfredUniversity (Alfred, NY) in 1972 under the guidance of master artists—Ted Randall, DanielRhodes, Val Cushing, Bob Turner and Bill Parry in Sculpture and John Wood in Drawing—Eberle joined the faculty at Philadelphia College of Art (Philadelphia, PA). He was laterhired as an Associate Professor in Ceramics and Drawing (1975-1985) at Carnegie MellonUniversity (Pittsburgh, PA). In 1985 he established a studio in the Millvale, PA where heworked as a studio artist in ceramics and drawing for 26-years until 2010. He has been in hiscurrent studio, located in the Homestead section of Pittsburgh, since 2012. In addition tonumerous solo shows in New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, his work is represented innumerous museum collections including two solo exhibitions at the Carnegie Museum of Art(1980 and 1991) and one exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art (1999).

RELATED PROGRAMSuPresent at CreationFriday, October 14, 2016 – Saturday, February 18, 2017BNY Mellon Center Satellite GalleryOrganized in conjunction with the Edward Eberle Retrospective, the companion exhibitionPresent at Creation will feature contemporary works by four artists who have been directlymentored and impacted by Eberle’s energy and virtuosity. Through their individual art practicesErica Nickol, brothers Jeff and Jonathan Schwarz, and Ian Thomas are forging new avenues forcontemporary art using a visual language that combines craft and personal narrative.
All four artists are passionate about art’s potential to offer insight into their creative process aswell as increased opportunity for learning. A strong and important complement to each artist’sstudio practice is an interest in teaching and engaging with diverse audiences in local, regional,and national communities.
Erica Nickol creates sculptures that combine porcelain with found objects and steel, wire, rope,and wood. She uses the contradiction of the precious, often translucent porcelain with the detritusfound in America’s rust belt to share her narrative. After obtaining a B.Arch. from the Universityof Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) in 2005, Nickol completed a M.F.A. in Ceramics from theUniversity of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA ) in 2011.
Jeff Schwarz received his B.F.A. from Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, PA) and hisM.F.A. from Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY). Using cultural references from both rural and- more -EdwardEberle, 3	  	  urban environments, the artist explores contemporary ceramic forms—both sculptural andfunctional—that play on tension, movement, stillness, and energy.
Jonathan Schwarz received his B.F.A. from Edinboro State College (Edinboro, PA) and anM.F.A from Kent State University (Kent, OH). Schwarz’s recent works are an investigation intothe simple act of making. Using only his hands, Schwarz creates forms that interrelate and relyon one another to exist.
Ian Thomas earned his B.F.A. in Ceramic and Painting studies at Slippery Rock University(Slippery Rock, PA) and an M.F.A. in Ceramics at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX). Aself-proclaimed pluralist, he explores traditional and nontraditional ceramics, sculpture,printmaking, painting, and installation. Metaphoric and anthropocentric, his work couplesintimate narratives and sociological observations.
uThe Space Between Salon SeriesDates to be announced; see contemporarycraft.org for up-to-date detailsContemporary Craft Main GallerySCC's new salon series invites two thought leaders representing multidisciplinary and diverseviewpoints to discuss the role of creativity within their respective fields. The moderated talksprovide a friendly place for open dialogue about differences and commonalities, resulting inexpanded understanding and mutual respect. The Space Between salon series references theceramic work of Edward Eberle, whose career-long use of black and white motifsconjures provocative questions of these iconic polar opposites, while exploring the inspiringspace between them.
uYouth Bridge: Connecting Through ClayDates and locations to be announcedSee contemporarycraft.org for up-to-date detailsThroughout the exhibition, SCC will offer a clay-based youth mentoring program titledYouthBridge: Connecting Through Clay. Designed to bridge educational, cultural, and economicgaps, the program is inspired by the personal story of SCC’s 2016 Summer Artist in Residence,Christian Morris. As a young black man growing up in an industrial park in Leetsdale, PA,Christian experienced trauma, felt marginalized, and was unable to succeed in school until hewas introduced to art. YouthBridge will take place in the community and will focus on ceramics,as well as the production of a video chronicling Morris’ story.
Christian Morris’ time at Contemporary Craft signals a conscious effort to encourage greaterdiversity in arts professions and opportunities. “Thought leaders like Darrell Kinsel of BOOMConcepts have increased our awareness of the absence of black men in arts programming,” saysJanet McCall. “Like many arts organizations, we are committed to increasing racial equity withinthe field. We’re excited for the energy and vision Christian will bring to SCC, and hope hispresence and contributions to the community inspire future artists of color.”- more -EdwardEberle, 4	  	  EXHIBITION CATALOGUEA companion catalogue will be produced with reproductions of works in the show along with afeature essay by Peter Held, an internationally renowned specialist in contemporary ceramics.
The publication will provide a lasting document of the exhibition and Eberle’s extensive career.
Hardcopies will be for sale in SCC’s Store, and the catalogue can also be accessed online atwww.contemporarycraft.org.

TRAVELING SCHEDULEThe exhibition will travel to The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA following its run at SCC.

FUNDERSEdward Eberle Retrospective This exhibition is made possible by the Jack Buncher Foundation,The Fine Foundation, Cohen & Grigsby, Ted Rowland, BNSF Railway Foundation, and mediasponsors WESA and WYEP. Additional support is provided by the Allegheny Regional AssetDistrict, the Elizabeth R. Raphael Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments,Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Richard King Mellon Foundation, and the WindgateFoundation. (As of July 2016)ABOUT CONTEMPORARY CRAFTPresenting contemporary art in craft media by regional, national, and international artists since1971, the Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC) offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing onmulticultural diversity and non-mainstream art, as well as a range of studio workshops,community outreach programs, and a retail store. Through its mission of engaging the public increative experiences through contemporary craft, SCC offers meaningful art opportunities formore than 145,000 people a year through four core values: providing vital support forartists; filling critical gaps in public education; sharing cross cultural perspectives; and using artto build community. SCC is located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip District of Pittsburgh,PA. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The satellite gallery is locatedin the “T” station lobby of BNY Mellon Center in downtown Pittsburgh, and is open daily from6:00 am through midnight. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in the Drop-InStudio are always free to the public. Contemporary Craft is committed to making its exhibitions,programs, and services accessible to the public. For questions related to accessibleaccommodations, please contact us. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org orcall 412.261.7003.

###Please contact Norah Guignon at nguignon@contemporarycraft.orgfor additional details or high res images.	  EdwardEberle, 5