CONCORD, MASS.- Lacoste Gallery announces its exhibition Through the Eyes of a Collector from February 3 – 28, 2018. This exhibition offers an insight into the art collecting practices of Steve Alpert, an avid ceramic art lover and collector of more than 40 years. Mr. Alpert has brought together a group of diverse ceramic artists to illustrate the breadth and depth of today’s contemporary ceramic art. These works of art represent his vision informing the newer generations of ceramic art fans and collectors on how to begin an astute ceramic art portfolio. The works range from studio pottery work to figurative and sculptural ceramic art. Mr. Alpert is the former board member of MFA Boston, former Board Chairman of ICA and the Founder and former Chairman of Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University.

Michael Ashley is a studio potter based in Tupelo, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with an MFA in Ceramics and is the Head of Ceramics at Belvoir Terrace, MA. His works are currently exhibited along with ceramic legends Don Reitz, Akio Takamori and Peter Voulkos at the exhibition “Personalities in Clay” at the New Orleans Museum of Art through May 13, 2018.

Ashwini Bhat, originally from India now based in California, has won a multitude of awards in the field of ceramics. Bhat has recently returned from Japan after completing a residency at The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. She has been selected to participate in a group show “Intercultural Connection” at this year’s NCECA annual conference in Pittsburg, PA. Her works are sculptural interpretations of her views on feminism in context with her background and her exposure to the Western ideals.

Rick Hirsch is an established ceramic artist working in sculptural interpretations of the vessel. He is also a ceramic educator of over 40 years, notably as a founding member of Program of Artisanry at Boston University. His works are collected at the Daum Museum, MFA Boston, Honolulu Museum of Art, China Art Academy Museum, Sorlandets Kunstmuseum Norway, Benaki Museum Greece and many other distinguished national and international institutions.

Jeff Kell received his MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology and has taught at his alma mater for over 20 years in ceramics and 3D Design. Kell has received awards and grants from the Chicago Athenaeum, Genesee Valley Council for the Arts, AZ Award in Toronto and Wallace Memorial Library Purchase Award at the RIT, NY. His works are humorous visual allegory of identity, politics and social issues.

Eva Kwong’s biomorphic ceramic works are based on her view that “the same but not the same”1 in which we are the same but with idiosyncrasies. She is an artist, art educator and has a long established career in ceramic art. Her works are collected at Cleveland Airport, Crocker Art Museum CA, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Moreans Arts Center for Clay FL, Finnish Craft Museum, Finland and Archie Bray Foundation, MT. Kwong is currently the Visiting Faculty at the Ohio State University and artist in residence at the Akron Soul Train Artist Residency, Ohio.

KyungMin Park is an Assistant Professor of 3D Studio Art at Endicott College MA. She received her BFA from Alfred University and MFA from University of Georgia. Her works are figurative sculptures navigating the tension between expressiveness and restraint. She will be one of seven leading ceramic artists exhibiting at the 74th Scripps College Ceramic Annual, 2018 “Stories Without Borders: Personal Narratives in Clay”. Other artists included are Roberto Lugo, Zemer Peled, Steven Young Lee and Roxanne Swentzell.

Jack Thompson received his MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University PA. His works reference ancient and native art particularly mythological figures combining humans and animals and are collected by LACMA and MINT Museum NC.