Cultural Center announces Mini Pop-Up Polymer Clay Exhibit in the Gallery
Opens Saturday, May 27, 2017 (10am-3pm)
Come meet Visiting Artist Keith Andrews 

Mini Exhibit features polymer clay figures created during workshop with Arts Retreat visiting artist, Dr. Keith Andrews on May 17, 2017. Participants in the two hour long workshop held at the New York Mills Cultural Center were exposed to the properties of polymer clay, an easy to use, inexpensive and safe material. The workshop was led by visiting artist Keith L. Andrews, a sculptor whose home-base is Guatemala Central America. The Exhibit opens Saturday, May 27th and will remain up through June 24th as part of the Annual Regional Adult Show in the Gallery. Stop by the Center on Saturday, May 27 between 10am-3pm for a chance to meet and visit with Visiting Artist and Workshop Instructor Dr. Keith Andrews.

Polymer clay – which is available in virtually any crafts store – doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Doll makers and craft jewelers make beautiful objects with it, but “serious artists” don’t use it. That’s a shame because it has many advantages and could be appropriate for many small scale artistic projects. One of the advantages of polymer clay that other sculptural media lack is the huge number of colors available; form and color can be dealt with simultaneously. This non-toxic clay takes detail well and after baking is very hard.

Each participant made one small object (except for the youngest prodigy, Ava Schwanz, who made two). These creations are presented here along with a few pieces made by the instructor during his short residency in the Center. Note the way in which the medium allowed each creator to express her or his particular priorities and outlooks.

All of the participants had fun in the short workshop and several may work in the medium again in the future.

A special thanks to visiting artist Keith Andrews for his time in teaching this workshop and arranging for this mini pop-up exhibit to be on display in the Gallery at the Cultural Center.

Artist-in-Residence at the Cultural Center in May 2017, workshop instructor Dr. Keith Andrews is a sculptor and aspiring humanist who lives in Tallahassee, FL. He works in diverse media including oil-based clays cast in bronze or resin/fiberglass. Polymer clay and other elastomeric polymers are the primary media for Andrews’ small figure work. His most recent work has been collaborative with other artists. To learn more about Keith, visit his website at: www.keithlandrews.com