FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                                                          Media Contact:

                                                                                                                                             Melissa Caldwell

        mcaldwell@philartalliance.org      
215.545.4302                                  

Philadelphia Art Alliance Presents a Solo Exhibition  

by Renowned Ceramicist William Daley

January 23 - March 9, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 23, 6-8 pm

Artist's Talk: Thursday, February 6 at 6 pm

The Philadelphia Art Alliance is pleased to present William Daley: 14 for 7, an exhibition highlighting a select group of Daley's works made between 1954 and 2013, presented in conjunction with the publication of William Daley: Ceramic Artist by Ruth Fine.

This exhibition includes 14 works from 7 decades, celebrating Daley's career and achievements as a maker of ceramic vessels. In addition to the works on view, the installation will feature a recent short film about Daley and his work, Mud Architect, by Thomas Porett, images, drawings, and sketches from Daley's studio, his library of forms, and ingenious handmade tools, will provide a unique glimpse into his process.  

                             Magister Inn, 1993; Unglazed stoneware; 17.5 x 19.5 x 26.25 inches
                             Collection of Liam Thomas Daley

Daley's work is influenced by the forms and symbolism found in African and Native American pottery, Islamic tiles, Celtic book illustration, and Shang Dynasty bronzes, among others. Early in his practice he eschewed the traditions of the potter's wheel and the use of glazes to begin exploring the building of forms with slabs of clay. Using columnar, ovoid, and pyramidal shapes to build his vessels, Daley's focus on the dichotomy of the interior and exterior of his works reflects his interest in architecture where the relationship between the viewer and structure/form become imperative. As Daley states "it is organic engineering in mud, combining bumps and holes, utilizing inside and outside by reversal to make a membrane wall that is strong visually and tactilely engaging."

In 1969, Philadelphia Art Alliance presented a solo exhibition of Daley's work sponsored by the Philadelphia Council of Professional Craftsmen, a professional group established in 1967 by Helen Drutt. In the decades since, Daley has become an internationally renowned artist whose work may be found in many public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His site-specific commissions are numerous, including a multimedia screen for the IBM Pavilion at the Seattle World's Fair, a monumental bronze sculpture for the Portuguese National Airlines, a wall for South African Airways, a stoneware wall for Fairfield Maxwell in New York City, and the still existing ceramic screen in Philadelphia he created for the Ritz Theater in 1978.

Section of poster for William Daley show at the Philadelphia

Art Alliance, 1969. Sponsored by Philadelphia Council of

Professional Craftsmen (PCPC)

Biography:

William Daley was born in Hastings-on-Hudson New York on March 7th, 1925. After surviving prison camp during World War II, Daley went on to attend The Massachusetts College of Art in Boston where, under the G.I. Bill, he received his Bachelors Degree in 1950. After graduation, William married his college classmate, Catherine Stennes. They relocated to New York where Daley completed his Graduate Degree from Columbia University Teachers College in 1952. Daley went on to teach ceramics at various colleges but spent the vast majority of his educational career at the Philadelphia College of Art (now The University of the Arts). As an influential and beloved educator, he has trained and inspired generations of artists and designers in a wide array of disciplines. Daley is still making new work at age 88 in his Elkins Park studio.

Daley has been given numerous awards and accolades for his career as an educator and ceramic artist, including honorary doctorates from both The Maine College of Art and University of the Arts, as well as awards from the College Art Association, the American Craft Council, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the Northern Clay Center, and the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts.

This exhibition will travel to The Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in September of 2014.

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The Philadelphia Art Alliance is located at 251 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. For more information: Philartalliance.org or 215-545-4302.

Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11am-5pm; Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors, free for members

The Philadelphia Art Alliance is dedicated to the advancement and appreciation of innovative contemporary art with a focus on craft and design, and to inspiring dynamic interaction between audiences and artists.