PRS NEWS -- July 2026
Leadership Spotlight: Catherine MerrillThis month, we continue our leadership spotlight by recognizing Catherine Merrill for her service and celebrating the many ways she has helped shape Pacific Rim Sculptors. Catherine is a ceramic artist, educator, curator, and author whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Based in San Francisco, she has spent decades contributing to the ceramics community through exhibitions, writing, workshops, and cultural exchange, inspiring generations of artists with her creativity and generosity. Catherine brings a remarkable depth of experience to both her artistic practice and her leadership. Trained at the Kansas City Art Institute under renowned ceramic artist Ken Ferguson, she has lectured and taught throughout the United States and abroad and has written extensively for leading ceramics publications. More recently, she has played an important role in the growth of the Sausalito Center for the Arts, curating exhibitions and, through the Catherine Merrill Family Foundation, helping support the development of this important cultural institution. Catherine has served Pacific Rim Sculptors as a dedicated member of the Board of Directors, providing thoughtful guidance and steadfast support. Her generosity has had a profound impact on the organization. Through her substantial financial contributions, PRS was able to hire Briona Hendren as Operations Manager, strengthening our infrastructure and enabling us to expand programs and services for our members. In January, Catherine suffered a stroke. As she continues her recovery, the entire Pacific Rim Sculptors community sends its love, support, and heartfelt wishes for a full recovery. I am deeply grateful for her many contributions as an artist, board member, benefactor, mentor, and friend. With Gratitude, Catherine Daley Board President Pacific Rim Sculptors
Portrait of Catherine Merrill from her website. To learn more about Catherine Merrill and her work, visit her website: https://www.catherinemerrill.net/catherine.html |
PRS COMMITTEE UPDATESMembership COMMITTEEThank you to all who applied to the PRS Mentorship Program! Awarded Mentees and Mentors will be notified and announced in August. For program details, visit the PRS Mentorship Program webpage. Please share this opportunity with anyone you think may be interested in being a mentor or mentee. Any addition questions please email us at membership@pacificrimsculptors.org EXHIBITIONS COMMITTEE
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FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE CENTER 2026 International Sculpture ConferenceThe International Sculpture Center (ISC) has announced that this year’s International Sculpture Conference will take place in Minnesota’s Twin Cities (Minneapolis–Saint Paul) from October 22–25, 2026. This biennial gathering brings together sculptors, curators, educators, and arts professionals for talks, panels, networking, and creative exchange. Ticket registration is now open!
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Spoonbridge and Cherry, 1988, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Image courtesy of Meet Minneapolis The International Sculpture Center is seeking submissions for a special exhibition of ISC Chapter Member artwork at the Quarter Gallery at the University of Minnesota. The exhibition will coincide with the 2026 International Sculpture Conference in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, offering selected artists visibility among conference attendees, the university community, and the Twin Cities arts scene. Submission Deadline: August 19, 2026 Please note that applicants must have current memberships in both ISC and PRS to be eligible. Learn more about the exhibition and to apply, visit the PRS website. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Tour two ICA SF installations at the Transamerica Pyramid Center: Tara Donovan's Stratagems, a shimmering gallery piece built from thousands of recycled CDs, and Lily Kwong's EARTHSEED DOME, a living, 3D-printed sculpture growing in Redwood Park. RSVP details above.
Catherine Daley, Millefolium Join Ambere St. Denis, founder of Crimson Business Insurance Agency, for a free members-only webinar on insurance for studios, artwork, exhibitions, and public art projects.
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MEMBER NEWSManuel VasaureManuel Vasaure is participating in Sculpture is: In the Garden, the twentieth annual outdoor sculpture exhibition presented by Pajaro Valley Arts in partnership with Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens. Now in its second decade, the exhibition has become one of the Central Coast's most celebrated showcases for contemporary sculpture, bringing together artists, community members, and visitors in a setting where art and landscape exist in dialogue. The show runs June 1 through October 31, 2026. Exhibition Dates: June 1 - October 31, 2026
Manuel Vasaure, Ascending Blue, marine grade epoxy, steel rods, enamel pigment, 3' x 3' x 6'
Manuel Vasaure, Ascending Winged Form, marine grade epoxy,
Manuel Vasaure, Ascending Form Sunrise, marine grade epoxy, To learn more about Manuel Vasaure's work, follow him on Instagram: @manuelvasaure
Christopher DworinTwo of Christopher Dworin's ceramic sculptures, "Galleon and Self-Portrait (after Van Gogh), are on view as part of Material Matters at the Marin Society of Artists. Galleon, part of Dworin's Black-on-Black series, depicts a fighting ship of the 17th and 18th centuries, while the Van Gogh piece is a three-dimensional interpretation of one of the artist's well-known self-portraits and part of a planned series of ten sculptures, each paired with an accompanying painted copy of the original. Exhibition Dates: June 10 - July 6, 2026
Christopher Dworin, Self-Portrait (after Van Gogh), clay, approx. 12" H x 12" W x 8" D
Christopher Dworin, My Thoughts are Crows, clay, approx. 22" H x 22" W x 8" D Dworin also has two sculptures, a 3D interpretation of Van Gogh's The Postman and the lidded vessel Galleon, showing in the Fine Arts Adults category of the Marin County Fair. Exhibition Dates: July 1 - July 5, 2026 Location: Marin County Fairgrounds For more information: marinfair.org
Christopher Dworin, "The Postman (after Van Gogh)," clay, 2025, approx. 14" H x 12" W x 8" D
Christopher Dworin, "Galleon," clay, 2025, approx. 24" H x 24" W x 8" D To learn more about Christopher Dworin's work, follow him on Instagram: @christopherdworin or Facebook: facebook.com/cdworin
John Sheridan John Sheridan's sculptural collage heads illustrate "AI and Its Discontents," an article by Jesse Larner examining the advent of AI in daily life, published in DISPATCHES Magazine. Sheridan noted the Berkeley-based magazine's wide-ranging cultural and intellectual scope and is a strong advocate for the publication. Publication Date: June 15, 2026
John Sheridan, Founding Father (A Boy's Best Friend is his Greed),"2025, 500 US "Morgan" silver dollar facsimiles To learn more about John Sheridan's work, follow him on Instagram: @johnsheridanart
Margaret MichelMargaret Michel is participating in Itinerances, a group exhibition uniting sculptures around the theme of an initiatory or physical journey, a wandering, a disorientation, a spiritual and inner passage that may also evoke a trip, a pilgrimage, or a travel journal. Exhibition Dates: July 14 - August 1, 2026
To learn more about Margaret Michel's work, visit margaret-michel.com and follow her on Instagram: @margaret.michel.art
Jan BlytheJan Blythe is featured alongside painter Dalit Fresco in the two-artist exhibition Fragments of Belonging at Gearbox Gallery. An opening reception was held July 11, with an artists' talk to follow on August 15. Exhibition Dates: July 9 - August 15, 2026
Postcard for "Fragments of Belonging" To learn more about Jan Blythe's work, follow her on Instagram: @dumbrecksix or visit janblythe.com
Jenny RosenJenny Rosen's piece "House of Cards", featuring decals of "Print Your Own Red Cards" (created to help individuals assert their rights during ICE encounters) alongside black-and-white American flags, is included in Fractured Foundations: 250 Years of American History at AMOCA. The exhibition brings together ceramic artists who reconsider American history through a contemporary lens, exploring resilience, injustice, and resistance while inviting reflection on the contradictions of the American experience. Exhibition Dates: June 27 - November 29, 2026 Location: AMOCA, 399 N Garey Ave, Pomona, CA 91767 For more information: amoca.org
To learn more about Jenny Rosen's work, follow her on Instagram: @heyjennyrosen
Barry BeachBarry Beach's sculpture "from his Folded and Layered series [Malignant]", is on view in Layers: Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art Exhibition, a group show organized by the San Fernando Valley Arts & Culture Center and curated by Kimie Joe. Exhibition Dates: June 17 - July 10, 2026 Location: TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA For more information: sfvacc.org/upcoming-exhibits
Barry Beach, from the Folded and Layered series [Malignant], reclaimed wood and cardboard,
Exhibition Dates: July 11 - September 13, 2026
To learn more about Barry Beach's work, follow him on Instagram: @barrybeachartwork
Paul ReiberPaul Reiber's carved wood sculpture The Questioner has been selected for the 93rd National Sculpture Society Annual Awards Exhibition at Brookgreen Gardens. Exhibition Dates: August 2 - October 25, 2026 Location: Brookgreen Gardens, PO Box 3368, Pawleys Island, SC 29585 For more information: nationalsculpture.org
Paul Reiber, The Questioner, 2025, acacia wood, 8" x 12" x 17" To learn more about Paul Reiber's work, visit paulreiberwoodcarver.com
Thérèse LahaieThérèse Lahaie presents "Seeds Orbit", developed during her residency as a visiting artist at the Kansas City Art Institute. As an open-water swimmer in the San Francisco Bay, Lahaie's practice is deeply attuned to the rhythms of the tides, the arc of the sun, and the delicate survival of seabirds in a warming climate. The exhibition invites viewers into a slow, mindful encounter with the nature of light through her "Lightbirds" kinetic sculptures and video projections with 20-foot wingspans alongside camera-less photograms that expose glass to light, revealing intricate landscapes and strange homunculi within the glass's air bubbles. Exhibition Dates: May 30 - August 9, 2026 Location: Kansas City Art Institute For more information: kcai.edu/kcai-gallery/exhibitions/thérèse-lahaie-seeds-orbit
Thérèse Lahaie, "Lightbirds, Salesforce Tower SF," 4.12.24, video display, 60' x 20" h x 1' d To learn more about Thérèse Lahaie's work, follow her on Instagram: @thereselahaie
Annette Goodfriend and Ruth TabancayAnnette Goodfriend is featured in Second Nature at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. The exhibition brings together the work of Annette Goodfriend, Ruth Tabancay, and Esther Traugot, exploring humanity's relationship with the natural world through sculpture, textile, installation, and mixed-media practices. The exhibition examines environmental change, ecological fragility, and the interconnected systems that shape contemporary life. Exhibition Dates: May 28 - September 6, 2026 Opening Reception: May 28, 2026 | 7:00-9:00 PM Artist Conversation with Andi Campognone: July 18, 2026 | 1:00 PM Location: Bakersfield Museum of Art, 1930 R Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301 For more information: https://www.bmoa.org/current
40" x 120" x 4 " Photo: Dana Davis
Annette Goodfriend, Macrocystis Ambulataurus, Steel, Aluminum, Epoxy, Paint, Silicone Rubber, Magnets, To learn more about Annette Goodfriends' work, visit www.annettegoodfriend.com and follow her on Instagram: @annette.goodfriend
Susan Amorde’s new handmade paper installation, Transmission, is included in Brand 54: Annual National Exhibition of Works on Paper, a juried exhibition showcasing a wide range of contemporary paper-based practices. Centered on material transformation and narrative, Transmission takes the form of a handmade paper suitcase installation, engaging themes of movement, memory, and exchange. Exhibition Dates: June 6 – August 28, 2026 Location: Brand Library & Art Center | 1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale, CA 91201 If you are in Southern California this summer, the Brand Library & Art Center offers an exceptional setting to experience innovative work on and of paper, alongside its historic architecture and surrounding park. For more information, visit: brandlibrary.org/gallery
Susan Amorde, Transmission, 2026, Handmade paper and cardboard, 17" x 67" x 44" Photo credit: Errol Sabinano To learn more about Susan Amorde's work, follow her on Instagram: @susanamordeart or visit her website: www.susanamorde.com
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MEMBERSHIP & PARTICIPATIONPARTICIPATE IN PRS
MEMBERSHIP IN PRS & ISCMembers of Pacific Rim Sculptors receive a 20% discount when joining the International Sculpture Center, publishers of Sculpture magazine (ISC, www.sculpture.org). Just enter "PRS" as the Chapter Code. The online version of Sculpture magazine is now available at SculptureMagazine.Art, which includes archived issues. Also check out the ISC Website Sculpture.org member resources; add photos of your works annually for review by collectors, gallerists, curators, and corporate buyers. |
Reminders to PRS members:
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