Summertime and the Living was Artistic

Danielle Quintana
The Paw Print

ALAMOSA (September 16) – Packing up her excitement and creativity, Jenny Gawronski headed across seas for two ceramic residencies for the summer of 2013.
Gawronski, Adams State University assistant professor of art, spent the first six weeks in Vallauris, France.
She visited multiple museums in Paris gathering ideas for work of her own. She also traveled to London and visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, a decorative Arts Museum. “I love historical silver work and Sevres Porcelain. It was really inspiring.”
Back in Paris, Gawronski took a private lesson making French Macaroon Cookies. The experience motivated her to design and create elegant serving dishes for them.
The culture and lifestyle in Tel Aviv, Israel offered additional artistic expression. She spent a great amount of time in the Benyamini Contemporary Ceramic Center, which promotes ceramic arts in a vibrant atmosphere for professional artists. She developed and created her own ceramic work and taught a master class.
However, art and ceramics wasn’t the only experience she enjoyed. The quality of the food and the connections she made with people also inspired her work. “The people I met in Tel Aviv were very friendly and welcoming.”
It was important for her to travel to Israel to reconnect with her Jewish heritage. “I was inspired by the decorative nature of the ritualistic objects used in Judaism.”
Gawronski enjoyed site seeing, meeting new people, and trying new things. She said she came back with great ideas for her work and many new memories.