ARTIST BIO

Growing up on the Oregon Coast, Melanie Ferguson’s interest in art was richly influenced by her ocean surroundings and nourished by assisting, studying, and working with local artists and native elders. She experimented with various forms of media and artistic expression which included pen and ink illustration, calligraphic brush work, with a subsequent focus on the properties of mouth-blown sheet glass to create a design narrative that is then applied to commercial and architectural glass commissions. This venture initiated a move to Washington State’s Puget Sound where she expanded her study and implementation of architectural glass design, later achieving a degree in Visual Communication from Northwest College of Art & Design’s (NCAD) Poulsbo, WA campus, in 1987.

Following employment as graphic designer and account manager for a Puget Sound advertising agency from 1987 - 1990, Melanie established herself as a freelance agent specializing in branding identity and product design, serving corporate, municipal, and non-profit agencies from 1990 - 2005. A long-time desire to live in the “Deep South" United States initiated a move to the state of Georgia where she began full-time study in contemporary ceramics at Roswell Art Center West in 2007 exploring the sculptural quality of the hand-built form and the narrative grace of surface, with a special focus on wood, soda, and atmospheric firing. Today her works are exhibited nationally and internationally as she continues her artistic exploration of sculptural form and surface from her Georgia studio.

 

CV: Melanie Ferguson

EDUCATION

2008-2013 Art Center West, Roswell, GA - Atmospheric Firing

2007-2011 Art Center West, Roswell, GA - Hand-building: Contemporary Ceramics

1984-1987 Northwest College of Art & Design, Poulsbo, WA campus - Visual Communication

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

STORYTELLERS: Path to the Known; Solo Exhibition
March 22 - June 3, 2017; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

SURFING THE LOTUS THREADS: Solo Exhibition
October 12 - November 9, 2017; Tansey Contemporary, Denver, CO

INSIDE CHANDLER'S COVE, Solo Exhibition
April 10 - June 26, 2014; Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL

 

JURIED | INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS (Select)

ANIMISM, SHAMANISM, AND ART BRUT
November 1, 2024 - January 4, 2025; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY
Works included: “A Dance in the Fog” and “Breathing on Embers”

GROUP EXHIBITION
January 25 - March 16, 2024; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

INTERSECT CHICAGO: The Future of SOFA
A virtual exhibition: Glass, Ceramic, Fiber Art, Contemporary Art, Outsider Art, Public Art/Sculpture
November 5-12, 2020; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

SACRAL LANDSCAPES: An Group Exhibition
July 2020; Curated by Randall Morris, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

METRO MONTAGE XX
July 11 - September 6, 2020; Juried Exhibition, Curated by Madeline Beck, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA

ROUGH STUFF: A Celebration of Wild Surface
April 25 - May 25, 2019; Group Exhibition, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

MAVERICKS II - Cavin-Morris Gallery
January 10 - February 9, 2019. Group Exhibition, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

CONTEMPORARY SHOWCASE: Howard/Mandville Gallery

February 3 - 28, 2018; Group Exhibition, Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA

THIS IS WHAT CLAY CAN DO: A Meditation

June 13 - July 29, 2017; Group Exhibition, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

MAKING IT IN CRAFTS III: National Invitational Exhibition

May 12 - August 27, 2017. Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Lafayette, IN

CONTEMPORARY SHOWCASE: Howard/Mandville Gallery

March 11 - April 2, 2017; Group Exhibition, Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA

FICTITIOUS FIBER - Group Invitational Exhibition

October 7 - November 11, 2016. Curated by Jane Sauer, Tansey Contemporary Santa Fe, NM

SUMMER SPOTLIGHT - Cavin-Morris Gallery

September 8 - October 8, 2016. Featured Artist, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

12th ANNUAL WARSAW CERAMICS FAIR, Ceramics On The Web Invitational

June 11, 2016. Polish Ceramic Association, Warsaw, Poland

MAVERICK: The NEW at Cavin-Morris Gallery

February 18 - March 26, 2016. Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

WINTER SHOWCASE: New Works by Gallery Artists, Haward/Mandville Gallery

February 18 - March 26, 2016. Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA

DE LA NATURALEZA, Juried Exhibition
January 9 - March 6, 2016. Juror: Sherrie Hawk, Curator: Eric Rausch
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens with Central Ohio Clay Arts (COCA), Columbus, OH

POTTERY NORTHWEST UN-WEDGED 2015, Juried Exhibition

November 7 - 28, 2015. Juror: Richard Notkin, Pottery Northwest, Seattle, WA

WORKING WOMEN: 36 Contemporary Women Artists, Invitational Exhibition

September 17 - November 3, 2015; Marian Graves Mugar Gallery at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH

RHIZOME! New Growth at Cavin-Morris Gallery

September 10 - October 10, 2015; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

ENFLAMED! New Ceramics at Cavin-Morris Gallery

June 15 - August 14, 2015; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

Pop Up Exhibition: Villa Stadtpark, Bochum Germany

May 17, 2015; Represented by Kunat Fine Arts Gallery, Kierspe Germany

IN DREAMS BEGIN RESPONSIBILITIES: 30 Years at Cavin-Morris Gallery

February 19 - March 14, 2015; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, Chelsea District, NYC

METRO CURATES New York City

January 22 - 25, 2015; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

ELEMENTALS: Women Sculpting Animism" Group Exhibition

November 1 - December 13, 2014; Cavin-Morris Gallery, Chelsea District, NYC

MAKING IT IN CRAFTS II, National Invitational Exhibition

September 26 - December 28, 2014; Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Lafayette, IN

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE: Clay, Not The Usual Suspects, Invitational Exhibition

September 25 - November 7, 2014; The Gallery at Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, OH

METRO MONTAGE XIV, Juried Invitational Exhibition

July 19 - September 14, 2014; Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA

PRAISESONG FOR THE NUMINOUS, Group Exhibition

March 27 - April 26, 2014; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

THE METRO SHOW: New York City

January 23 - 26, 2014; Represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

RESTLESS II - A MIX, Group Invitational Exhibition

May 16 - August 16, 2013; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

AMBASSADOR J. CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Artists for Peace and Common 
Understanding
between the Peoples of the Middle East and the United States, Juried Exhibition


April 4th – April 20th, 2013; John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA

THE ART OF HEALING: A Visual Arts Benefit, Juried Invitation Exhibition

October 2012; Southeast Alabama Medical Center Foundation / Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL

B12 BIENNIAL EXHIBITION, Juried Invitational Exhibition

September 2012; Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL

INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL GROUP EXHIBITION: Painting-Sculpture-Ceramic

March 2013; Sponsored by Usak Governorship, Usak Municipality, and Usak University, Usak Turkey

 

PRESS | REVIEWS | PUBLICATIONS

NEW CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS MAGAZINE
November 2022 / #6 print issue, "In Studio with Melanie Ferguson", Interviewed by Evelynne Shoenmann

ROUGH STUFF: A Celebration of Wild Surface
Spring 2019; Exhibition Catalog; Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

DICK BLICK ART MATERIALS

2018 / 2019 Cover Art; Art Supplies Sales Catalog

MELANIE FERGUSON - STORYTELLERS: Path to the Known
2018 Solo Exhibition Catalog; Issuu Online - Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY

b2ZONE MAGAZINE

Summer 2018 Feature Artist; www.magazine.b2zone.com

MAKING IT IN CRAFTS III: Art Museum of Greater Lafayette

2017; Print Exhibition Catalog; Art Museum of Greater Lafayette Indiana

EARTH SKIN: New Ceramics at Cavin-Morris Gallery

2016; Issuu Online Exhibition Catalog

FICTITIOUS FIBER

2016; Print Exhibition Catalog; Tansey Contemporary Santa Fe, NM

MAVERICK: The New at Cavin-Morris Gallery

2016; Issuu Online Exhibition Catalog; Cavin-Morris Gallery, NY

UNWEDGED No. 5

2015; Exhibition Catalog; Pottery Northwest

WORKING WOMEN: 36 Contemporary Women Artists
2015; Exhibition Catalog; Marion Graves Mugar Art Gallery, Colby-Sawyer College

ENFLAMED: New Ceramics at Cavin-Morris Gallery
August 2015; Issuu Online Exhibition Catalog

THE ARTIST OMNIVORE, Polymer Arts Magazine

Summer 2015 Edition; Featured Artist Interview, Author: Donna Greenberg

INSPIRATIONAL Magazine
Feature Artist, Premier Issue: Autumn/Fall 2014. Editor/Author: John Hopper

AMBASSADOR J. CHRISTOPHER STEVENS Memorial Exhibition Catalog

Publication date: 2015. John Natsoulas Gallery

2014 POTTERS COUNCIL CALENDAR

Cover Artist. October 2014 Featured Artist; Potters Council

2014 POTTERS COUNCIL CALENDAR – A Sculpture Collection

June 2014 Featured Artist; Potters Council

2013 RESTLESS II! - A MIX
2013; Issue Online Exhibition Catalog, Cavin-Morris Gallery


2013 POTTERS COUNCIL CALENDAR – A Sculpture Collection

November 2013 Featured Artist; Potters Council

INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW: International Mixed Exhibition: Painting-Sculpture-Ceramic

2013; Published by Usak University Press (Paperback)
Kentle Bulusma-III Uluslararasi Karma Sergi Resim-Heykel-Sermik