USM Fine Arts Visiting Artist Lecture Series Presents Potter Jill Foote-Hutton

Fri, 09/10/2021 - 11:30am | By: Ivonne Kawas

The Art and Design program, housed in The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Performing and Visual Arts, presents renowned potter Jill Foote-Hutton as part of its Fine Arts Visiting Artist Lecture Series from Sept. 13-15 in the 3D Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus.

On Sept. 13, Foote-Hutton will begin a three-day workshop with public demonstrations on ceramic figurative sculptures and her creative process at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a public lecture and Q&A session from 4 - 5 p.m. Her workshop continues on Sept. 14-15 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. In addition, she will engage students in formal critique sessions.

Foote-Hutton is an artist and writer who believes in the craft of storytelling. She is actively engaged in critical dialogue and observations and her writings have been published in Ceramics Monthly and Studio Potter Magazine. She was the 2015 Jentel Critic at Archie Bray, and was invited to write features on the 2014 NCECA Emerging Artists. Brigitte Martin's Humor in Craft features a comparative essay by Foote-Hutton and, most recently, her writing appeared alongside Horror Vacui, an exhibition she curated at Northern Clay Center in 2019.  

Along with her writing, Foote-Hutton continues to create and exhibit her own artwork nationally. Her work can be seen through her Studio. As she mentions in her artistic statement, her practice focuses on curating a safe space for folks to nurture their own story.

“Storytelling, curating, and making are intrinsically connected in my practice,” said Foote-Hutton. “They are each a device to facilitate connectivity, capture a frozen moment in humanity, and transform our fears into strengths.”

Assistant Professor of Ceramics, Allen Chen, highlights the importance of the series and its potential of impacting USM students and the community.

“Our annual lecture series gives students and the local community the opportunity to be exposed to artists and educators from all over the country,” said Chen. “It also provides us with the perfect setting to engage in meaningful conversations with these extraordinary artists.”

The lecture series is presented in part by the generous support of Partners for the Arts.

For more information about the Art and Design program visit: usm.edu/spva