An exhibit of noble beasts at Encore Gallery
Mandy Stapleford displays a series of noble clay animals at Encore Gallery
TAOS CENTER FOR THE ARTS presents an exhibition of Mandy Stapleford’s ceramic sculpture work entitled “A Nobility of Beasts: A Ceramic Narration of Beastial Assemblage,” which will be on view in the Encore Gallery, at Taos Community Auditorium, 145 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, from Tuesday (Oct. 13) through Nov. 30. A virtual exhibition will be available at tcataos.org soon after the installation.
Stapleford is an award-winning artist, author and entrepreneur. She moved to Taos in 1998 and built a straw-bale home and sculpturep studio,, where she currently lives and works. She is a graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with a BFA in ceramics. An avid environmentalist, she has
always been
fascinated by the infinite diversity of the flora and fauna of our world. Her ceramic wart is inspired by architectural ornamentation, the natural world and the human psyche.
“A Nobility of Beasts” began as a “clever narration in clay of collective nouns and transformed into an environmental tribute to our animal kingdom,” Stapleford says.
She has created 27 framed sets of clay
animals, grouped by their collective noun names, such as “A Memory of Elephants.”
The series is a sculptural exploration of, and homage to, a fraction of the incredible animals we share the earth with. It is a show about connection – of animals to animals, animals to people and all of us to the planet. A limited edition, hardcover book accompanies this series. This exhibition also includes larger wall-mounted “Beasties” from Stapleford’s imagination. Current hours for the Encore Gallery are Mondays and Fridays, from 4 to 6 p.m. There will also be additional hours during Stapleford’s show, including Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The show will open with an extended viewing day on Friday (Oct. 16), from 4 to 8 p.m. Gallery capacity at any one time is 10 guests. TCA is New Mexico Safe Certified.
This show is supported in part by the Taos Community Foundation; the Fulcrum Fund, a grant program of 516 ARTS made possible by the Frederick Hammersley Foundation; New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs; and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Admission is free. Go to tcataos.org.