Friends of the Visual Arts make studio visit

April 2005 Releases

April 12, 2005 – Sylvia Bierschenk

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Piero Fenci, professor of art at Stephen F. Austin State University, and Elizabeth Akamatsu, his wife and sculptor, recently opened their studio and home to donors who had contributed $250 or more to the 2005 SFA Friends of the Visual Arts campaign.

Fenci demonstrated the Japanese method of Raku firing in which a glazed clay vessel is removed from a 1900 degree kiln and placed in a combustible material such as hay.

"The resulting effects on the clay and glaze are prized, " Fenci said.

The technique was used in making vessels for the Japanese tea ceremony and dates back to the 1500s.

John Daniel, SFA professor of art, will be opening his studio to $100 contributors on Saturday, April 16, and contributors of $250 or more will be invited to the studio of Gary Frields, SFA professor of art, on Saturday, April 30.

Donors who contributed $500 or more will be invited to a dinner at The Art Center on Saturday, May 7.

The SFA Friends of the Visual Arts recently instituted the studio visits and dinner as a special than you to contributors, explained Shannon Bailey, SFA art gallery director. Anyone interested in making a contribution can contact Bailey at (936) 468-1131.

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Piero Fenci, SFA professor of art, demonstrates the Japanese method of Raku firing at his home studio. Donors who contributed $250 or more to the 2005 Friends of the SFA Visual Arts campaign were invited to Fenci's studio as a thank you for their support.