Winter 2010: Spirit Women and Story Pots

Marva Pitchford Jolly is a Chicago-based artist, educator, social activist, and tenured faculty-member at Chicago State University, working in both the Art and African American Studies departments. A self-taught master ceramicist, Jolly’s work is heavily influenced by traditional African techniques and life in her native Mississippi. Her “Spirit Women” are figurative representations of the women in her life, and an artistic expression of their spiritual energy and transcendence. On her hand-built pots, Jolly uses primarily earth-toned glazes over textural surfaces with muted backgrounds and abstract painted images. Her most recent work also incorporates found objects such as nails, rags, and beads.

January 27 - April 14, 2010