Art of the Lakes Tour Stop
Three Artists at EAC
The Art of the Lakes Studio tour will be held on July 15 through July 17th. This tour is a scenic, drive-yourself tour through the beautiful countryside with hills, lakes, valleys, and small towns. Many of the studios are tucked away on gravel roads scattered throughout Ottertail and Douglas counties in West-Central Minnesota. Look for the yellow signs to help guide you to your destination. The Evansville Arts Coalition is pleased to be hosting three talented artists for this tour at the Evansville Art Center – Visual Artist Lyssa Lovejoy and Ceramic Artists Phil and Kate Smith.
Pottersmiths’
Phil and Kate Smith run a pottery studio and showroom at their home near Lake Miltona.
They call themselves The Pottersmiths’. Though they share a long journey as potters and spouses, run a studio, fire together, and have been married since the mid-’70s, their work is distinct. Kate makes beautiful functional work from porcelain and stoneware. Phil’s clay has whimsy and an ability as a medium to trigger emotive responses from users. His work serves to communicate as a short story without words.
Both Kate and Phil had careers outside of ceramics, Kate retired as a Registered Nurse and Phil retired from the State of Minnesota as a Senior Program Administrator.
In the ‘70’s, Kate studied ceramics at the University of Minnesota with Tom Lane, Curt Hoard, Warren Mackenzie and many accomplished ceramic artists at the Northern Clay Center and the community at large. She maintained a studio at the Northern Clay Center for more than 12 years, where she fired kilns and occasionally taught classes.
Phil picked up clay in the 90s. He took classes and participated in workshops at Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis. He’s taken classes and participated in workshops at Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota., for over twenty years. They both graduated from the Minnesota New Institute of Ceramics, have made extended visits to Sèvres – Cité de la céramique, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, and the National Museum of South Korea, in their study of ceramics. The Smiths have traveled throughout Northern Europe focusing on the Arts and Ceramics in particular. Their work has been in multiple exhibitions and they enjoy presenting work to the public at festivals and art shows across Minnesota. Phil and Kate are both proficient in firing with a variety of methods. They are founding members of the Alexandria Arts Guild and Kate has been a board member since its inception in 2018.
Perhaps of most interest, during the Covid shutdown, Phil and Kate built a wood burning kiln. Changing the atmosphere with the minerals from wood and adding soda to their kiln makes the work distinct, giving it a soft look for Kate’s and more of an aged look for Phil’s architectural designs. They had their first kiln opening last month and it was a success!
Lyssa Lovejoy
Lyssa is a mid-career, full-time artist who works in many mediums in visual arts, primarily painting and drawing.
She exhibits her arts in various venues and galleries all over the United States, teaches classes and workshops, and takes limited, specialized commissions.
Lyssa learned her craft at the feet of her father, a well-known, self-taught black American artist, Jimmy Lovejoy who has roots to the area. In addition to her father, Lyssa studied with and is influenced by various well-established artists, including Deanna Persson, who is known for abstract art; Joanne Bird, who is a multicultural, Native American artist; Arthur Wright, known for collage; and Candace Hunter, a mixed media artist and activist.
Lyssa Lovejoy’s work tells a story through layered meaning and purposeful details, and her subject matter is diverse, from dynamic equestrian scenes to portraits, expressive abstracts and reverent wildlife. She uses her art to foster resilience in people and help them to understand their own stories. Lyssa has trained with Pathways in Minneapolis, which has been a catalyst to deepen her experience using the arts to heal. She runs programming in county correctional facilities, organizations that provide trauma support, and schools. Lyssa works out of her studio in Evansville, Minnesota.
Lyssa is a firm believer that art fuels art and that it is a forever type of school. She is not glued to any one medium or subject. Lyssa creates her work with watercolor, chalk, oil sticks, and acrylics, among others. She feels that working on multiple pieces while building a series allows her to create connections among them and is important for fluidity and creativity to not get stuck as an artist. This process allows Lyssa to leave space for what moves her at the moment.
Lyssa’s is also the featured artist in the EAC Gallery for the month of July.
Be sure to stop at the Evansville Art Center while on the tour to visit with and view the work of these artists. Perhaps you will find just what you want for gifting or for yourself. Hours are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Evansville Art Center is located at 111 Main Street, Evansville, Minnesota.
More information about the Art of the Lakes Studio Tour may be found here.