Siglinda Scarpa -- Artist

AND WITH THIS SHELL, THE SEA:
The Ceramic Art of Siglinda Scarpa

We at the Goathouse Refuge all know her for her compassionate work to save abandoned animals, but the founder of our Refuge is being featured for her unique and singular work in the arts. To mark Siglinda’s lifetime of generous creativity, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design presents a special exhibition that suggests the full range of her work, from extremely fragile and airy sculptures that may call to mind delicate undersea corals or passing clouds, to sturdy, practical cookware that can make cooking itself a kind of performance art. Whether of porcelain as thin and translucent as kitten ears or redware adorned with ornamental fruit and tendrils, Scarpa’s work expresses an intense and exuberant response to the world of nature and celebrates the joy of being alive.

AND WITH THIS SHELL, THE SEA: The Ceramic Art of Siglinda Scarpa, held at NCSU’s Historic Chancellor’s Residence, 1903 Hillsborough St., Raleigh

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday — November 21, 6-8 PM

OPEN BY APPOINTMENT: November 21, 2013 – January 31, 2014 Monday – Friday, 9-5 at 1903 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh

80% of sales directly benefit the Goathouse Refuge for Cats

The title of the show comes from Siglinda Scarpa’s own 1979 poem, Elena:

Non so cosa puoi prendere . . . I don’t know what you can take from me, Ma so che ti posso dare . . . But I know what I can give you Una conchiglia . . . A shell e con essa il mare! . . . And with it the sea!

Siglinda Scarpa is an Italian artist now based in North Carolina. Siglinda creates vessels and pots for cooking that, however sculptural, are unmistakably functional. Quite apart from these, she makes purely sculptural pieces that Georgia O’Keefe would understand very well. These pieces Siglinda calls Clouds, like the clouds of a summer day building to a gathering storm.

In addition to her work as an artist, Siglinda is a tireless animal rights activist. As founder and primary benefactor for cat sanctuary The Goathouse Refuge in Pittsboro, NC, Siglinda fosters a safe haven for cats that were dispossessed or scheduled for euthanasia by public shelters. Though still in its infancy, The Goathouse Refuge has placed many cats and kittens in forever homes thanks to Siglinda’s support.

AND WITH THIS SHELL, THE SEA:The Ceramic Art of Siglinda Scarpa

AND WITH THIS SHELL, THE SEA:
The Ceramic Art of Siglinda Scarpa