All Things Spirited
The “Art of the Drink” opens Wednesday at the Butler Art Center.
This juried show encompasses two exhibits — Beer Label Inspired Artwork and Handcrafted Drinking Vessels.
Pottery works from scores of artists — even one from Canada — have been accepted for the drinking vessel part of the show.
More than 15 entries from a variety of artists have been accepted for the two-dimensional beer label-inspired segment.
“Butler County hasn't had an exhibit like this before,” said Christy Culp, organizer of the pottery pieces.
“The show really came together because Alex Coggon wanted to hold the beer label art show,” Culp said. “When I heard she wanted to do this type of show, it made perfect sense to make it a dual show with beer label images and the vessels for drinking the beer and all things spirited. I don't think the Art Center has ever done this type of exhibit before.”
Entries of drinking vessels came from Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, of course Pennsylvania, and even Calgary, Alberta, among others.
“I wanted to open it up to more than just the Western Pennsylvania community,” said Culp, herself a potter, “because I've done shows like those before, and potters really work with each other over the Internet, sharing skills and techniques that we do.”
Karen McKee of Plum submitted wine cups for the exhibit.
“I chose ceramic wine cups because I wanted to steer the public and buyers of art/fine craft away from the general conception that wine must be put into a crystal goblet to be enjoyed,” McKee said. “It is after all the 'art of the drink!'”
The juror for the pottery was Didem Mert, a graduate of Edinboro University who lives in Cincinnati.
Culp teaches at Deer Lakes High School and the Butler Art Center, where classes for children and adults are available.
“My goal is to build a clay community, to make potters here,” she said.
All the drinking vessels — from carafes, to flight sets for beer or whiskey tastings, to every cup imaginable, will be for sale.
There's even a warming set for Japanese-style sake.
“My goal is to sell them all,” said Culp. “It's a functional art form, art that you're buying that you can use every day or for a special occasion.”
Coggon said the beer label-inspired pieces haven't appeared on any bottles — yet.
“For now they are just inspired artworks. Hopefully in time we'll be able to offer to make true labels out of them, but for now they're simply artworks,” Coggon said.
She said the pieces were interpreted and created in the style of each artist and in media ranging from digitally created to watercolor.The judge for this 2-D segment of the exhibit is Tony DiMauro, a professor at Indiana (Pa.) University.“The Art of the Drink” runs from Wednesday to Nov. 3 at the Art Center, 344 S. Main St.The reception for the show will be on its last day, 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 3, so artists can attend and pick up their pieces if necessary.Four breweries will offer beer tastings for those of drinking age: Reclamation Brewing, Butler Brew Works, Recon Brewing and Cellar Works Brewing.“The goal is to promote arts and expose Butler County to a kind of art that people maybe haven't seen before,” said Culp. “It's going to be a great show.”The Art Center is open regularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.Admission is free. Call 724-283-6922 or visit ButlerArtCenter.org.“Support your local art and artists — you will be surprised how good it feels to hold a vessel knowing someone else's hands made it,” McKee said. “It's a personal connection between maker and user.“Every morning I have a cup of coffee with a different artist. That quiet reflection on the artist and the art centers me for the day.”
