The work of resident clay artist at Stumptown Art Studio is being featured for the Thursday, August 4 opening reception from 6-9 p.m. during Whitefish Gallery Nights. Renato Faustini has put together a show of “Primordial Pottery”.
Exploration of ancient vessels and their elaborate decoration has given the Brazilian-born artist great respect for the artistry and creativity of the aboriginal people from around the world. As a child, Ray had easy access to the secrets of his aunt’s backyard jungle and a boy’s messy freedom to coat his hands in earth and water. Influenced by the first people, the ceramic artist still feels connected through time and spirit with his ancestors. “We are all working from the same mound of clay,” he says. “It’s magical.”
Ray studied at Arizona State University, where he fine-tuned his technical skills in clay. He is also an architectural designer and proprietor of Faustini Art. He notes that the leap from earth and water to the digitalized world of architectural design is not as radical as it may seem. Ray finds the process of designing dwellings and making pottery fundamentally the same. Whether hand-coiling or using state-of-the-art architectural software, it’s still about creating a product that’s beautiful, symmetrical and harmonious with its intended environment. “At their essence,” he says, “pottery and architectural design are both outward expressions of inward energy and organic reflections of their designer.”
Stumptown Art Studio, a non-profit community art center is located at 145 Central Avenue in Whitefish. “Primordial Pottery” is on display through August 29 and can be seen Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon- 5 p.m. During open hours, the center is open for paint-your-own-pottery, glass fusing and mosaic making. Programs include classes and workshops for adults and children, outreach to schools, nursing homes and the Veteran’s home, exhibits, local artist sales, a clay co-operative, public art and much more. For more details please call 406-862-5929 or visit www.stumptownartstudio.org
Whitefish Gallery Nights 