About PAF Artists

English: Art of Fire Project Brochure Español: Proyecto Arte del Fuego	The Proyecto Arte del Fuego Artists
		CATHERINE MERRILL, CALIFORNIA, USA EXHIBIT CURATOR Catherine’s work explores the human figure and has been shown in over 150 national and international exhibitions. She has been published in Ceramics Art & Perception, the Studio Potter, Neue Keramik and NCECA Journal. Catherine has presented numerous workshops and lectures at colleges and art centers in the US, Canada and Cuba. She has been awarded a grant from the Laila Art Fund and residencies in Hawaii, Vancouver and Santiago, Cuba. She received her BFA in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute. She was a 2003 NCECA presenter.

		EDEL ARENCIBIA, CUBA

		IDILIO LÓPEZ ARNAUD, NUEVA GERONA, CUBA Born in Guantánamo in 1952. Member of the UNEAC (Union de Escritores y Artistas Cubanas) and founder of the annual International Symposium, “Todo Ceramica” on the Isla de la Juventud. Idilio has participated in more than 150 national and international exhibitions and has been awarded artist residencies in Holland, Germany, Guyana and the United States.

		JOEL BENNETT, CALIFORNIA, USA Joel Bennett is on the faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College. He has been involved with ceramic and sculpture projects in Hungary, France, Vietnam, El Salvador, Argentina, and Cuba. Joel has participated in five International “Encuentros” in Cuba. He has written articles about Cuban ceramics that have appeared in Ceramics Monthly and the Studio Potter. He has hosted residencies of Cuban and Vietnamese Artists in California. An award-winning ceramist, Bennett’s work has been exhibited internationally.

		OSMANY BETANCOURT, CUBA

		JUAN PABLO CARDENAS, COLOMBIA - USA Juan Pablo Cárdenas was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He immigrated to the United States in 1998 at the age of 17. He graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009 with a degree in Fine Arts 3D/Ceramics with honors. Cárdenas participated as a guest artist at the 2008 Ceramics Biennal Arte del Fuego that took place in Matánzas, Cuba. His work explores several themes like time, the spirit, the remains of an occurrence, the transformative powers of matter and imaginary totemic figures from nature. Aesthetically he is inspired by the archeological excavation he participated as a child in with his father, and archeologist in Colombia. And internally he is fueled by the exposure to alternative spiritual paths from his mother, a healer. Juan Pablo's work is the result of a constant alchemic playfulness between the material world and that of the spirit.

		CAMERON CRAWFORD, CALIFORNIA, USA Crawford's work has been exibited in over fifty exhibitions in the United States, Canada, Australia and Taiwan. His sculpture is in private and public collections. He has been an Artist-In-Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada, the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Edgecombe, Maine, and the Taller Cultural in Santiago de Cuba. Cameron is a Professor of Art at California State University, Chico.

		NELSON DOMINGUEZ, HAVANA, CUBA Nelson studied and taught at the Cubanacan National Art School. He was the Chair of the Painting department of the College of Arts (ISA) and is a member of the UNEAC and of the Asociacion internacional de Artistas Plasticas (AIAP.) Nelson is a ceramist, painter, printmaker, sculptor and director of the Estudio Galeria Los Oficios in Havana. He has been awarded the Order for National Culture, the Alejo Carpentier Award and the Diploma of Honor of the Fuji Museum of Japan. His work has been shown in Japan, Cuba and Italy as well as being housed in the Museo Nacional de Arte Contemporanea in Havana.

		XIOMARA GUTIÉRREZ, SANTIAGO, CUBA Xiomara Gutierrez is a member of the Asociacion Cubana de Artesanos y Artistas and the founder in 1986 of the Encuentro Internacional Terracota at the Taller Cultural in Santiago, Cuba. She received her degree of Fine Arts from the Jose Joaquin Tejeda Institute. Xiomara has participated in more than 150 national and international exhibitions and has been awarded residencies in the United States, Spain and Canada. She is the Director of Ceramics at the Taller Cultural.

		ALBERTO LESCAY, SANTIAGO, CUBA Lescay has participated in more than 200 national and international exhibitions and is a member of the UIAP (Union Internacional de Artes Plasticas) and the UNEAC (Union de Escritores y Artistas Cubanos) Lescay is one of Cuba’s leading sculptors of monumental bronzes as well as a painter, printmaker and ceramist. He is the President of the Fundación Caguayo, Center for the Applied and Monumental Arts in Santiago.

		ANTONIO LEWIS, NUEVA GERONA, CUBA Lewis is a ceramic artist and specialist in industrial technology. He is a professor at the Instituto de Arte Wifredo Lam. He presents workshops on the theme of "Technology Serving Art" and has participated in residencies focusing on investigative research in Germany, Bulgaria, Russia and Guyana. He has participated in more than 50 national and international exhibitions and his award winning work is in the permanent collection of the Museo de la Ceramica in Havana, Cuba. He was a 2003 NCECA presenter.

		JANNA LONGACRE, BOSTON, MA USA Janna Longacre uses the environment and materials as a canvas. As a sculptor and installation artist, Janna sees herself as a narrative artist, using materials to tell abstract stories. Extensive world travelling has been a major influence on her ideas and work in which she is most interested in shifting the viewer's perception. She has exhibited through out the USA including the Laumeier Sculpture Park, Bruce Museum, Monclair Museum and Newport Art Museum. She has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artist Foundation and has been published in the Art in America, American Ceramics, Sign of the Times, New York Times and Boston Globe. Longacre earned her BFA at Rhode Island School of Design, MFA at University of Michigan and is Professor of Ceramics and Sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art and Design where she leads study abroad courses to Brazil, Cuba and Vietnam.

		RAÚL MIRANDA, SAN LUIS, CUBA Born in Dos Caminos, Santiago de Cuba in 1960. This self taught ceramic artist has been director of ceramic production at the Fundación Caguayo since 1992. He is also a painter, sculptor in wood and printmaker. Miranda is a member of ACAA (Cuban Association of Artesans) and the artists’ cooperative Ferro Color de San Luis. He has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and received several awards of merit.

		PAUL WANDLESS, USA Paul received his MFA from Arizona State University and MA from Minnesota Statue University - Mankato. He utilizes the figure as a point of departure in clay sculptures, oil paintings, printmaking and digital prints. Paul gives workshops across the U.S. and has taught at major universities. He is on the Board of Directors of the Clay Studio of Philadelphia and has served on the NCECA Board of Directors. His co-authored book, Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques was released in March, 2004 by Lark Books. He has curated numerous exhibits.

		JOSÉ VASQUEZ XÉNES, NUEVA GERONA, CUBA Jose Vasquez Xenes is professor of Ceramics at the Academia de Arte Wifredo Lam. This award winning artist has exhibited in national and international exhibitions including the first National Salon of Contemporary Art in Havana, the IV National Bienal in Havana, the National Ceramics Museum in Havana and international exhibitions in the USA, Argentina, Egypt and Canada.

		ANA MARIA CARDENAS, PHOTOGRAPHY MA, USA. Ana received her B.A. from Middlebury College and then went on to study photography at The New England School of Photography. She has worked as an assistant to various commercial photographers in the Boston area, simultaneously photographing weddings all over New England and participating as an assistant teacher at NESOP. In March of 2008 she was an invited artist to the “ Simposio Internacional, Arte del Fuego”, in Matanzas, Cuba, sponsored by the ACAA (Cuba Association of Artists & Artisans) and the University of Matanzas.

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