Teaching Philosophy - Education - Exhibitions - Personal Experience - Workshops - Honors and Awards -
Collections and Commissions - Memberships - References
Ceramic artist Steven Dark’s work is well known on the Gulf Coast for his always irreverent take on traditional vessel forms and a dark self-deprecating humor that expresses itself in his recent series of caricature heads.
In his over twenty year career, Steven has largely disdained functional pottery in favor of object making that reveals a one of a kind aesthetic, wherein the object, whether it be a satiric self-portrait as an anthropomorphized chicken or a simple vessel is created out of an inner need to express himself in defiance of the demands of a market sometimes unable to appreciate the need for the funky and unusual.
Dark uses a mostly limited palette and references to a folk art tradition to create works that have a presence sometimes humorous and sometimes somber, expressing the seemingly disappearing idea that art is made to satisfy the demands of the soul of the artist and not to please the vagaries of popular taste.
Donan Klooz
Curator of Exhibitions
Mobile Museum of Art
During the past thirty years, the art of Ceramics has experienced a renaissance due to technical and conceptual innovations. I have witnessed my discipline successfully shed its functional pottery past and become increasingly accepted by the other "high art" disciplines such as painting, sculpture, photography, etc. When I began my study of the medium, academia placed great emphasis upon technical and aesthetic aspects with little regard for the conceptual. In the 1980s and 1990s, the conceptualist approach reigned supreme, oftentimes subjugating the importance of the technical and the aesthetic. Luckily, ceramics has weathered its revolutions and counter-revolutions to strike a holistic balance in the past decade. I, like my discipline, have benefited from exposure to these philosophical extremes. The three warring camps of the technical, aesthetic, and conceptual aspects inform my art-making and my teaching style.
I believe that a foundations program should encompass a broad range of topics including subject matter and content investigation, media exploration, formal analysis and expressive aesthetic issues. I know that foundation-level ceramics classes work best when the technical and aesthetic aspects are emphasized. The manipulation of clay is intimidating enough without having instructors further complicate the experience with heavy conceptual aspects. Toward orienting students to the medium, simple throwing and hand-building make for a comfortable beginning experience. When presented in an enthusiastic and inspirational manner, these techniques will provide students with the crucial tools for a lifetime of idea development and refinement.
Intermediate and advanced classes would then emphasize individual stylistic and conceptual development. Beyond teaching the discipline, I try to instill within my students life-long critical skills and the ability to teach themselves beyond the classroom. I stress to them the importance of staying informed of the latest developments in the field.
In three-dimensional design courses I follow a format that addresses formal analysis, problem solving and the application of principles through production assignments. It is very important to me to interrelate the three-dimensional arts with the real world. I constantly address issues universal to the visual arts.
With regard to the art appreciation classes I teach, I attempt to provide the non-art majors with the broadest range of issues and experiences possible. I begin with a thorough introduction to the basic elements of design, stylistic diversity and technical considerations of the various mediums. I follow this with a chronological survey of the history of visual art, including the art of indigenous peoples and outsider art. I end the semester with lectures on the nature of art criticism and contemporary aesthetics.
All of my classes, whether foundation, intermediate or advanced, are supported by hands-on demonstrations, lectures and reading assignments. I pride myself in being sensitive to each student's level of aptitude and interest. I target these individual levels by presenting information in the three styles of learning stated by Edward T. Hall in The Silent Language: the formal, informal and technical. My teaching effectiveness has been greatly increased by learning to present information relative to each student's receptivity to the "right/wrong" binary system, a modeling method, or step-by-step instruction. Consequently, my studio instruction yields a variety of directions that reinforce student inclination and diversity while accomplishing curricular goals.
Ultimately, Ceramics and Sculpture are fundamentally related as the three-dimensional arts, and any academic program that acknowledges and interrelates these disciplines will result in students who can produce mature art works regardless of medium. Unlike many ceramic instructors, I am not centric to the discipline. I don't want my students to think of themselves as ceramic artists as much as I want them to think of themselves as artists who happen to work in clay.
Master of Fine Arts, Ceramics 1992
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ceramics and Sculpture, 1989
University of South Alabama, Mobile, AlabamaBritish Studies Program, Watercolor Painting, London, England,
University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 1988
2003
Yellow, third in a series of annual exhibits exploring the primary colors, Gulf art space, Fairhope, Alabama (invitational)A Regional View: Art in the Southeast, the Atlanta Artists Center, Atlanta Georgia (juried)
Mobile Art Association Annual Juried Exhibition, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile Alabama (juried)
George Ohr Festival of Art, Biloxi, Mississippi (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama (juried)
Mobile Outdoor Art and Craft, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs Mississippi (juried)
Three Rivers Festival of Art, Covington, Louisiana (juried)
2002
From Earth and Fire, An Exhibition of Works in Clay, curated by Bertice McPherson, Center for the Living Arts, Mobile, Alabama (group)Mobile Art Association Annual Juried Exhibition, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
Three Rivers Festival of Art, Covington, Louisiana (juried)
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)
Mobile Outdoor Art and Craft, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
Grand Festival of Art, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Spring Show, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
2001
Three Rivers Festival of Art, Covington, Louisiana (juried)Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)
Mobile Outdoor Art and Craft, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Spring Show, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
2000
"Steven Dark Ceramicas", National Bank Gallery, Parana, Entree Rios, Argentina (solo)Slide Presentation and Lecture, School for American English, Parana, Entree Rios, Argentina (solo)
Three Rivers Festival of Art, Covington, Louisiana (juried)
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)
Mobile Outdoor Art and Craft, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Spring Show, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
1999
Art with a Southern Drawl, Mobile College, Mobile, Alabama (juried)The Best of Mobile, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
A Bunch of Guys Named Steve, Cathedral Square Gallery, Mobile, Alabama (invitational)
Alabama Clay Conference, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama (invitational)
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fiesta Arts Fair, San Antonio, Texas (juried)
1998
Art with a Southern Drawl, Mobile College, Mobile, Alabama (juried)The Best of Mobile, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
Alabama Clay Conference, Jefferson Davis Community College, Brewton, Alabama (invitational)
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, Georgia (juried)
Magic City Art Connection, Birmingham, Alabama (juried)
1997
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
Pleasure Island Art Association, Spring Show, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
1996
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
Pleasure Island Art Association, Spring Show, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
1995
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
Pleasure Island Art Association, Spring Show, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
1994
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi (juried)Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama (juried)
National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Fairhope, Alabama (juried)
Pleasure Island Art Association, Spring Show, Gulf Shores, Alabama (juried)
1993
The Best of Mobile, Fine Arts of the Museum of the South, Mobile, Alabama (group)
East Meets West, Bruce Gallery, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,
Edinboro Pennsylvania. (Two-man show)Southeastern-Juried Exhibition, Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, Alabama (juried)
1992
Ancienents, Bates Gallery, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,
Edinboro, Pennsylvania (solo installation)Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Student Art Exhibition, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania (group)
National Conference on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Juried Student Exhibition,
Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (group)1991
September Celebration/Best of Mobile, Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, Alabama (group)Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Clay Club, Bates Gallery, Edinboro, Pennsylvania (group)
October Evenings, Meadville Council on the Arts, Marketplace Gallery, Meadville, Pennsylvania (group)
Erie Art Exposition International, Tulio Center, Erie, Pennsylvania (juried)
Panorama, Erie Summer Festival of the Arts, Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pennsylvania (juried)Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Student Art Exhibition, Edinboro University,
Edinboro, Pennsylvania (group)1989
The Second International Ceramic Festival, Mino, Japan (juried)September Celebration/Best of Mobile, Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, Alabama (group)
Alabama Clay Conference, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama
Adjunct Art Instructor, Faulkner State Community College, 1999- present
Art Instructor, Continuing Education, through Faulkner State Community College, Tile Glazing
Chairperson, Visiting Artist Program, Cathedral Square Gallery 1998-2002
Curator, A Bunch of Guys Named Steve, an exhibition of eight Alabama potters,
Cathedral Square Gallery, Mobile Alabama, 1999.Owner, Manager, and Resident Guru, Pottery Central, Gulf Shores, Alabama, 1993 present
Co-Owner and Exhibitor, Cathedral Square Gallery, Mobile, Alabama, 1996 present
Ceramics Teacher, Project Enhance (for gifted high school students), Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, 1991-1992Studio Technician, Ceramic Department, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, 1990-1992
Slide Librarian, Art History, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania. 1990-1992
Mold Maker for working production molds, Campbell's Factory Studios, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, 1991
Ceramics Teacher, Eastern Shore Academy of Art, Fairhope, Alabama, 1989
Studio Technician Undergraduate Assistantship,
University of South Alabama Ceramics Studio, Mobile Alabama, 1987-1989Summer Apprentice, Sea Oat Studio, Gulf Shores, Alabama, 1986
2003
Pottery Workshop, Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens, (M.A.R.C.), Pottery workshop given: Mobile, Alabama2002
Pottery Workshop, Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens, (M.A.R.C.), Pottery workshop given: Mobile, AlabamaFirst Lady's Children's Art Festival, Four-day workshop, teaching fourth and fifth grade children of rural Alabama how to throw on the potter's wheel: Lori Allen Siegelman, First Lady, Founder and Chair, Montgomery, Alabama
Patron Purchase Award, Kentuck Folk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama 2003
Award of Merit, Mobile Outdoor Art and Craft, Mobile Alabama 2003
First Place in Fine Art, National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama 2003
Award of Merit Azalea City Outdoor Art and Craft Festival Mobile Alabama2002
First place in Three-Dimensional Design National Annual Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama200 1
Technical Assistant Grant, Alabama Craft Council, Montgomery, Alabama 1999
First Place in Three-Dimensional and Mixed Media, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Showcase of the Arts,
Mobile, Alabama 1999Second Place in Three-Dimensional a Day in the Park, Laurel, Mississippi 1998
First Place in Three-Dimensional, Pleasure Island Festival of Art, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1997
Patron Award, Art Patrons League, Outdoor Art and Craft Fair, Mobile, Alabama 1997
Second Place in Three-Dimensional, Art Patrons League, Outdoor Art and Craft Fair, Mobile, Alabama, 1997
Purchase Award, National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1996
Purchase Awards (Two), Pleasure Island Festival of Art, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1996
Merit Award, National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama, 1996
Art Patron Award, National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1996
Purchase Awards (Two) Pleasure Island Festival of Art, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1995
Holiday Inn Art Patron Award, National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1994
Art Buyers Award, Art Patrons League, Outdoor Art and Craft Fair, Mobile, Alabama 1994
Award of Merit, The Outdoor Art and Craft Fair, Mobile, Alabama 1994
First Place in Pottery and Raku, Art on the Green, Ft. Myers, Florida 1993
Museum Purchase Award, Mobile Museum of Fine Art, Mobile, Alabama 1993
First Place in Ceramics, Art in the Park, Edison Festival of Light, Ft. Myers, Florida 1993
Third Place in Three-Dimensional, Allegheny West, Erie, Pennsylvania 1992
Bruce Manville Morrison Memorial Fund Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Achievement, 1991
Best of Show, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Spring Art Show and Sale, 1989
Merit Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Art Show and Sale 1988
Achievement Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Purchase Awards (Three), University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Art Show and Sales 1988
Achievement Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Show and Sale, 1988Merit Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Art Show and Sale, 1988
Purchase Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Art Show and Sale 1988
Merit Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Fall Art Show and Sale 1987
Purchase Award, University of South Alabama Student Art Association Spring Art Show and Sale 1987
"Altar Piece in Copper Red", National Collection, Mino, Japan
"Amphora" Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama
Pleasure Island Art Association, Gulf Shores, Alabama, member and board member 1997 -present
Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Shores, Alabama 1997 -present
Cathedral Square Gallery co-op, Mobile, Alabama 1996-present
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Mobile, Alabama 1996-present
American Ceramics Society, 1990-1994
Erie Art Association, 1991-1993
Mobile Art Association, Mobile, Alabama, 1986-1989
Student Art Association, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 1985-1989
Grievance Committee, University of South Alabama Art Department, Mobile, Alabama 1988-1989
Dr. Nancy Chandler, Vice-president of Instruction
Faulkner State Community College
1900 Highway 31 South
Bay Minette, AL 36507
251 580-2101
nchandler@faullmerstate.eduGeorgine Clarke, Director of Visual Arts
Alabama State Council for the Arts
201 Monroe Street
Montgomery, AL 36130-1800
334-242-4076 ext. 250
georgine@arts.state.al.usJoe Schenk, Director Mobile Museum of Art
P.O. Box 8426
Mobile, AL 36689
251-208-5202
jschenk@mobilemuseumofart.comProfessor Donna Nicholas
119 Valley View Drive
Edinboro, PA 16412
814-734-5001
nicholas@erie.net
Post Office Box 4691 Gulf Shores, Alabama 36547-4691