Artist Statement
My sculptures are about the human body and how it relates to others, to the environment, to mystery, and to God. But they are not limited to the human form. There are elements of plant structure, reptilian references, separation and struggle.
The ideas for my sculptures, whether from my dreams or my drawings, often originate from unconscious memory, from an unknown space. My abstracted figurative works are about bodies who are conjoined in a perpetual dance or struggle to separate or merge. As these ideas are realized in three dimensions, they become lyrical, sensual, and visceral.
I am fascinated by identity, where we come from and who we think we are. I draw inspiration from other people’s stories, contemporary and ancient, and create characters with interior lives of struggle and hope.
For me creating these sculptures is like filling a void. As I build up the clay little by little, as the form takes shape, filling up the space in front of me between my hands, I am sometimes surprised or delighted by this new being. The relationship between me and the clay is somewhat like a dance. My hands shape the clay and as the clay takes shape, it informs my next move.
My sculpture is about movement, memory , and storytelling and, because my work is often intuitive, it makes visible an inner world of feelings, emotions and memory that I had not been fully aware of before.
To see more of my work and process photos go to Instagram: @cherylhorning_sculpture
Publications and Presentations:
National Sculpture Society, 86th Annual Awards Exhibition Catalogue, 2019
Slide Presentation and Art Discussion, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY, May, 2018
ARTalk, Art School of Columbia County, Ghent, NY, April 2018
Artist in Action: Demonstrating sculpting a head, Saratoga Springs Public Library, Oct. 2017
“Making Room for Everyone” Art Review /Preview, Times Union, Albany, NY, May 18-24, 2017
Work included in Lark Ceramics Books, 500 Figures in Clay, Volume 2, February 2014, Juror, Nan Smith
Capital Region Living, Arts and Theatre, April 2014
Guest Artist, Sculpture 101, The Sage Colleges, Albany, NY 2013
Teaching:
Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Schuylerville, NY, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023
Studio Assistant for Leslie Ferst's Sculptural Ceramics Class, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 2006, 2007
Awards/Grants/ Commissions
Portrait for Howes Caverns, Howes Cave, NY
Three Portraits for Permanent Collection "She Did What?!" The Bolton Museum, Bolton Landing, NY
MSClayworks Invitational, Gumtree Museum of Art, Tupelo, MS
8th Annual Upstate Invitational, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY 2020
Best in Show, 8th Juried Upstate Artists Exhibition, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY 2019
Selected to participate in a juried grant-funded, Critical Forum, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY 2019-2020
Honorable Mention, 2018 Member's Show, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
First Prize, 7th Annual Members Juried Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror:Peter Pincus
Member Oakroom Artists Group, https://oakroomartists.wordpress.com Schenectady, NY June, 2018
Honorable Mention, Fence Show Select, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY, 2018
Selected to participate in a juried grant-funded workshop: Business of Art Extended Series , Arts Center of the Capital Region. September 2017- May 2018
Second Prize, 6th Annual Members Juried Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror: Jeff Shapiro, 2017
Second Prize, 5th Annual Members Juried Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror: Jessica Putnam Philips, 2016
First Prize, Juried 3rd Annual Members Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror: Anat Shiftin, 2013
Scholarship from Skidmore College to participate in a Marc Leuthold workshop, 2006
Exhibitions
2023
"Everyday People/ Portraits Real and Imagined" Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Blue Lake NY (Solo show)
"MSClayworks Invitational". Gumtree Museum of Art, Tupelo, Mississippi
"Critical Forum" Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
"In Season" Blooming Artist Gallery, Clifton Park, NY
"Art Biologic" Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY. May 19th - June 10th, 2023
"Oakroom Artists Group Show" Blooming Artist Galley, Clifton Park, NY April 14th - May 16th, 2023
"Abstract/ Organic" Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Schuylerville, NY , 2 person show
2022 February/March 18th, 2023
"Show #7" Clement Art Gallery, Troy , NY, 2 person show
Oakroom Artists Show, Bottle Museum, Balston Spa, NY
2021
10th Annual Upstate Artist Show, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
Oakroom Artists Show, Schenectady, NY
Member's Show, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center
2020
8th Annual Upstate Invitational, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
2019
8th Juried Upstate Artists Show, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY Juror: Jon Gernon
3 person show: Oakroom Artists Gallery, Schenectady, NY
National Sculpture Society 86th Annual Awards Exhibitions, Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY
Winter Group Exhibition, Oakroom Artists Gallery, Schenectady, NY
2018
Albany Center Gallery, Members' Show, Albany, NY
First Prize, Juried 7th Annual Members Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror Peter Pincus
The Female Form from Burma and Beyond, Art at Leeds, Catskill, NY
Fence Show Select, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
Migration, Movement, and Memory, Art School of Columbia County, Ghent, NY
2017
6th Juried Upstate New York Artists, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY, Juror, Robert Gullie
Second Prize, Juried 6th Annual Members Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror, Jeff Shapiro
“ Show of Heads” Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
“By the Skin of Your Teeth” Scarlett Seven Gallery, Troy, NY
“Open Spaces” Saratoga Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY ( 4 person show)
2016
5th Juried Upstate New York Artists, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
Second Prize, Juried 5th Annual Members Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Juror, Jessica Putnam Philips
“Small Works 2016” The Shirt Factory Gallery, Glens Falls, NY
2015
4th Annual Juried Art Show, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
“Art Attitudes” Round Lake Auditorium, Round Lake, NY
“Natural Expression: an Exploration by Four Sculptors” The Small Gallery, Cambridge, NY
2014
“Looking at Ourselves: Contemporary Figurative Ceramic Sculpture” Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD
“Art Alive” Round Lake Auditorium, Round Lake, NY
‘Witness’ The Small Gallery, Cambridge, NY (One person show)
4th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center
“ Once Upon a Time” The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY, (two person-show)
Upstate Artists: 3rd Annual Juried Show, The Laffer Gallery. Juror: Paul Hobart
Vasefinder International, Juror, Roberta Griffith
2013
First Prize “Juried 3rd Annual Members Exhibition” Schacht Gallery , Saratoga Clay Art Center,
Juror, Anat Shiftan
“Upstate New York Artists”, The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY, Juror, David Miller
2012
“Regional Juried Artists” The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
“Juried Members Show: Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Schuylerville, NY,
Juror, Matt Wilt
2011
“Juried Members Show” Schacht Gallery, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Schuylerville, NY “Holiday Show: Small Works by Gallery Artists” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
2010
“Holiday Show: Small Works by Gallery Artists ” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
“Spring Show” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
” Season Opener” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY (one of three featured sculptors)
“10x10=$100” Mimosa, Saratoga Springs, NY
2009
“Winter Show: Small Works by Gallery Artists” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
“Hudson River” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
“A Moment… A Memory” Mimosa Gallery, Saratoga Springs, NY
“Fence Show Select” Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY