Sculptor team awarded grant

An unusual collaboration between arts and industry will benefit artists who received a grant through the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

The husband and wife team of Norwood Viviano, assistant professor in the Department of Art & Design at Grand Valley State University, and Sarah Lindley, associate professor of art at Kalamazoo College, were awarded a New Directions Initiative Grant of $13,000 to work on a new sculpture series. The newly formed collaborative team will work in the John Michael Kohler Art Center's competitive Arts/Industry Residency Program, which has benefited hundreds of artists since its inception in 1974.

As artists-in-residence at the Kohler Company pottery, iron and brass foundries, and enamel shop, located near Cheboygan, Wis., they will be able to explore forms and concepts not possible in their own studios. Viviano will learn slip casting and Lindley will learn about 3D computer modeling. Their proposal was accepted as one of eight from 192 residency applications for 2010.

During 10 weeks this summer, Viviano and Lindley will work on their projects alongside Kohler employees on the factory floor. They will be creating sculptural works that respond to the dynamic history of the factory itself and its relation to the surrounding village that grew as a result of its presence.

"We plan to create up to three 'industrial landscapes' comprised of multiple slip cast china clay components," said Viviano. "We will work together using both hand skill and three-dimensional computer prototyping technology to create the original forms for our slip casting molds."

The artists' say their project content encompasses new territory for their work, which previously focused on issues of gender, personal narratives, and domestic environments. Some of the work created will remain in the Permanent Collection of the John Michael Kohler Art Center and Kohler Co.

For more information, contact Norwood Viviano at (616) 331-3383.