Office of Cultural Affairs

NEWS

Appalachian State University

PO Box 32045

Boone, NC 28608-2045

828-262-6084 (ph)828-262-2848 (fax)

December 14, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information Contact: Brook Bower, 828-262-7520

To download high-resolution images for the Turchin Center, visit

Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Collaborates with the Department of Art’s Ceramics Students

BOONE, NC— Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and Department of Art celebrate a new collaboration with intermediate ceramic students enrolled in Art 3040 Clay II: Mold Making & Casting Class taught by Lynn Duryea.

Professor Lynn Duryea stated that “We're very excited about the tile works recently installed at the Turchin Center by students Shirley Robinson and Jaime Mckay. These site-specific installations were executed in the intermediate tile, mold-making and casting course, a very recent addition to the clay curriculum in the Department of Art and the brainchild of Lisa Stinson, Ceramics Professor. Working in conjunction with the staff of the Turchin Center, the students generated tile panels for particular places on the buildings exterior.”

Jaime Mckay is a Junior Studio Art major within the department. The work is entitled “Confluence” and can be viewed in the Kay Borkowski Sculpture Garden. Jaime shared with the Turchin Center staff that “This project was a great learning experience. Not only did we get to experiment with creating ceramic tiles, we had the opportunity to learn the steps of installation. The process of presenting sketches and proposals, to picking a site, and physically installing was very new to us and was an overall great project to have our work displayed.” This installation represents community and what we can accomplish when we work together. “When visiting the site for the first time there was discussion of the different buildings coming together to form the Turchin Center and how it brought, not only the art community but people in the Boone community together. The figures in the piece represent the idea of people joining together to create something larger than themselves. The design of the installation plays off the grid layout and colors of the Turchin Center.”

Shirley Robinson is a Senior Art Management major within the department. Her work entitled “Embodiment” is comprised of three individual tile works creating a triptych installation, which can be viewed on the from the plaza underneath the glass bridge, across from the Turchin Center’s main entrance. Shirley’s piece offers commentary on the physicalities underlying human existence. “Underneath our skin we are made up of the same elements. No matter what ethnicity or religion or walk of life we come from we have the same flesh and bones. The moment we break this unity death is sure to come and humanity will cease to exist.”

The challenge for students Jaime Mckay and Shirley Robinson was to design, implement and

install a tile piece working with the exterior of the Turchin Center facility in consultation with Hank Foreman, Director and Chief Curator and Brook Bower, Assistant Curator. The Turchin Center is pleased to house these student installations and looks forward to future collaborations with this class. These two, semi-permanent, tile installations were finalized and installed on Tuesday, with assistance from the center’s installation team headed by Cassie McDowell, Exhibitions Coordinator with help from gallery assistant Dianna Loughlin.

“Embodiment” by Shirley Robinson is located across from the main entrance underneath the glass bridge and “Confluence” by Jaime Mckay is located within the Kay Borkowski Sculpture Garden. The installations will be on view until late spring 2010.

The Turchin Center is located at 423 West King St., in Boone. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, and noon-8 p.m., Friday. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday and observes all university holidays. There is no admission charge, although donations are gratefully accepted.

For additional details about the Turchin Center or the upcoming exhibition program, please call 828/262-3017 or visit

- ### -