Gallery 54 Tees up a “Three-fer”

Sookie Kayne in her studio

Who'd a thunk?” as the saying goes. It's one thing when you get the opportunity to interact with a bone fide, accomplished artist but entirely another thing when the chance to personally meet two artists and explore their work. Gallery 54 apparently doesn't think a “two-fer” is enough so it's contribution to the November 1^st First Friday activities in Skaneateles is upping the ante with a “three-fer.”

Sookie Kayne Ceramic Vase

Pottery artists Sookie Kayne and Jamie Noce account for numbers one and two in this triple-barreled presentation, while Nurit Nussbaum will have you wondering “How'd she do that?” as the third member of this November threesome.

Thirty-four years ago, Sookie Kayne attended her first class in pottery. She found what the instructor, Sheri Schuckardt, shared with her students “amazing. I've never stopped,” she said recently.

Evidence of just how amazing is what will be on exhibit at Gallery 54 as Sookie assumes the role of guest artist for November, along with fellow ceramicist Jamie Noce whose interest in creating ceramic art began nearly a decade ago while still in high school. The third member of Gallery 54's November triple-play is Nurit Nussbaum, the newest to the world of creating art and her's

Nurit Nussbaum felted scarf

could not be more different from the others. Called “the scarves lady” by her friends, while visiting Jerusalem earlier this year she attending a workshop on felting that emphasized nomadic felting techniques from Uzbekistan and Kurdistan. Immediately after the Jerusalem workshop Nurit began incorporating these nomadic techniques into her scarves.

“Spinning mud!” Sookie exclaims, “starting with a lump of clay and creating something functional and beautiful is what attracted me to the art of pottery. I've been hugging trees and gardening for a very long time,” she says noting, “the form and designs I create are inspired by nature.” During this exhibit her “Fall Leaves Series” celebrates the end of a season.

While Jamie may have only gotten serious about her ceramic art a relatively short time ago, compared to Sookie, “I come from a long line of crafty and artistic people,” she says. “I've been creating from a young age and working with clay since grade school. So she believes it was natural that she found the potters wheel and dove in while in college.

Jamie Noce works the potters wheel

Sookie notes, that besides her first teacher, mentors including well known Central New York pottery artists Millie Schmidt and Tim See have had an important impact on her growth as a pottery artist.

She particularly enjoys the opportunity her pottery gives her to create art that can be used every day.

Jamie notes that while her pots are contemporary in design, they are meant for everyday utilitarian use. “They are made to fit into anyone's home and spice-up their living space,” she says. She uses a minimalist color palette and lets the forms, clay and surfaces speak for themselves.

Nurit likes to work with colors that match here mood. “Every morning I enter my studio loving the freedom to choose what colors to work with that day, the colors that sooth my mood . . . I enjoy seeing the end results, which are sometimes very different from the idea I started with,” she says.

Jamie Noce ceramic bowls

Sookie credits 43 years as a pediatric physical therapist with helping to develop the light touch and controlled movements required to treat babies. “These same motor skills,” she says, “make me a better pottery artist.”

“My work is special,” says Jamie, “because of my textures. Patterns are created by chance, without being pre-planned. I let the clay and colored slips do what they want on the surfaces of the pots and then use a glossy glaze to give contrast.” She notes, “Even though pots are given the same treatment, they are going to come out completely different, yet still match.”.

This First Friday opening at Gallery 54 will also feature a wine tasting by Anyela's Winery as well as the blue harp music of Chris Molloy.

Gallery 54, an artist owned and operated gallery, is open from 10 am to 5pm Sundays through Thursdays and from 10 am to 6 pm Fridays and Saturdays.