Beginning Sept. 29, the Ceramics Area in the University of Manitoba’s School of Art will host 1000 Miles Apart, a gathering of exceptional international and Canadian artists.

The artists will present lectures, offer demonstrations, and exchange ideas with faculty, students, and other professionals in the field. The event runs until Oct. 1, 2011.

Visiting artists include John Balistreri, a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He will create some of his large-scale sculptures and share his latest research on using clay as a printing material in the rapid prototyping of three-dimensional forms.

Virginia Scotchie, known internationally for her energetic ceramic workshops, will demonstrate her abstraction of familiar forms and divulge her unique glazing techniques. She will arrive from the University of South Carolina.

Paul Mathieu, a professor of ceramics at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, will present a lecture on his recent art and industry experiences in China, and provide a critical view of the state of ceramics in the 21st century.

Rory MacDonald, a professor of ceramics at NSCAD University in Halifax, will present the closing address at 1000 Miles Apart, a lecture that is free and open to the public. He will be arriving on campus early to create site-specific installation pieces that involve a portable backpack kiln.

1000 Miles Apart will also include an exhibition at Gallery One One One in the FitzGerald Building on the Fort Garry campus. The exhibition will include work by ceramics students, faculty, and the visiting artists.

About 1000 Miles Apart:

The conference was first organized in 1989 by faculty and students from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg and Red Deer College, Alberta. The distance between the institutions was the origin of the name 1000 Miles Apart. Participating institutions later included the University of Regina and Alberta College of Art + Design.

Each year the conference is organized collectively and rotates to a new host institution for that year. 1000 Miles Apart is sponsored by the School of Art, Gallery One One One, the University of Manitoba Ceramics Club, the University Travel and Conference Sponsorship Program, the Manitoba Crafts Council, and the Manitoba Arts Council.

For more information please contact Grace Nickel, Professor of Ceramics in the School of Art, University of Manitoba, at 204-474-8318 (nickele@cc.umanitoba.ca),

Or Sean Moore, Marketing Communications Office, University of Manitoba, 204-474-7963 (sean_moore@umanitoba.ca).