It’s with a touch of whimsy that Debra Brehmer talks about the upcoming ceramics exhibition at Portrait Society Gallery.
“[Magic] is at the heart of the show,” says Brehmer, the gallery’s owner. “The expressive qualities of clay stretch so far and can become so many things that take on so many surfaces and forms that it is a little magical – because it’s this goopy, earthy stuff.”
She’s aptly calling the show “Magic Mud,” running Nov. 22-Jan. 10. In it, Wisconsin works will be shown alongside ceramic artists from Chicago-based Project Onward – a studio for artists with disabilities – to create a survey of modern pottery. This type of collaboration is at the core of what Brehmer set out to do when she opened the gallery 16 years ago.
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“I try really hard to build a gallery that consciously brings together a diverse population of artists, because I feel like that’s a more interesting world,” Brehmer says. “And that’s the world I want to live in.”
Works will range from functional pieces like plates and mugs to largescale sculptural works. Brehmer is especially excited to showcase works from Project Onward artists like Alita Van Hee, who integrates her poetic writing into expressive figurative sculptures finished off with a chippy glaze. Brehmer is also a fan of John Behnke’s large and fanciful bird sculptures as well as Ruby Bradford’s cat sculptures, which highlight the more natural properties of clay.
“It’s a rare chance to see a cross section of what’s being done in the contemporary ceramics world,” Brehmer says.
Another partnership will turn the gallery into a stage on Nov. 23. Magic Mud Out Loud is a live production from Milwaukee-based Pink Umbrella, a professional theater company with a focus on actors and artists with disabilities. During the show, Pink Umbrella actors will perform poetry in response to the works in the exhibition.
For Brehmer, these new connections are one of the most exciting things about the exhibition. “We’re building bridges,” Brehmer says. “I really love it when everybody makes new connections across divides.”
