https://e-saffronia.net e-saffronia.net Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:03:05 +0000 https://e-saffronia.net en https://e-saffronia.net/Nicrocosms-Studies-on-scavenging-and-renewal Tue, 12 Dec 2023 21:55:52 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/Nicrocosms-Studies-on-scavenging-and-renewal <img width="5924" height="3955" width_o="5924" height_o="3955" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2fb5749bbe40499b60ec9bf366ad8e6ef76b4a8ba2a6450ce803d51ff95b3041/nicrocosm_3.jpg" data-mid="199240751" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2fb5749bbe40499b60ec9bf366ad8e6ef76b4a8ba2a6450ce803d51ff95b3041/nicrocosm_3.jpg" /> Compass Sampler (Variation)&nbsp; 2023 Stoneware and glaze, earthenware,&nbsp; glass, and stones from Chicago,&nbsp; Baltimore, Steuben, Waterville, and&nbsp; Bodega Bay 90" x 90" <img width="6016" height="4016" width_o="6016" height_o="4016" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eb404866ea567f49054b8fdc596dfb91843b27ae7845b274fa586d2d0c4ee0dc/nicrocosm_5.jpg" data-mid="199240752" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eb404866ea567f49054b8fdc596dfb91843b27ae7845b274fa586d2d0c4ee0dc/nicrocosm_5.jpg" /> <img width="6016" height="4016" width_o="6016" height_o="4016" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d5835aa9bc437351168c4526a98088ee3b2394c0a3299eb00fae5567c7a812f/Downing_2.JPG" data-mid="199241432" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d5835aa9bc437351168c4526a98088ee3b2394c0a3299eb00fae5567c7a812f/Downing_2.JPG" /> <img width="3864" height="5789" width_o="3864" height_o="5789" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9d0d72c9aa7ff7b3cc86a18d5fdd8532a69f2d00917e54ea5a1dd7f5826f8aa7/Downing_4.jpg" data-mid="199241446" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9d0d72c9aa7ff7b3cc86a18d5fdd8532a69f2d00917e54ea5a1dd7f5826f8aa7/Downing_4.jpg" /> <img width="4016" height="6016" width_o="4016" height_o="6016" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6bfbbde111f941c0bd337cbb4aac251888c248879efe8e09bd62099f27165ba4/nicrocosm_13.jpg" data-mid="199240756" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6bfbbde111f941c0bd337cbb4aac251888c248879efe8e09bd62099f27165ba4/nicrocosm_13.jpg" /> <img width="5874" height="3921" width_o="5874" height_o="3921" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ac4a599158bd597e834e4310a1423b86875ef3022111f1594247c83a592358f/Downing_3.JPG" data-mid="199241444" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0ac4a599158bd597e834e4310a1423b86875ef3022111f1594247c83a592358f/Downing_3.JPG" /> <img width="5791" height="3866" width_o="5791" height_o="3866" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2fbf866bceb61b18969afe87487562e280fd86041675da88690f23fccb6d993b/nicrocosm_ECH-8192.jpg" data-mid="199241487" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2fbf866bceb61b18969afe87487562e280fd86041675da88690f23fccb6d993b/nicrocosm_ECH-8192.jpg" /> Nicrocosms: Studies on scavenging and renewal is an outdoor group exhibition showcasing the work of 9 artists engaging with themes related to the life history and ecological research on a scavenging beetle present at the site. Beetles in the genus Nicrophorus, or burying beetles, search for a small carcass that they then bury in the soil in order to reproduce. A pair of burying beetles will work together to defend the rare, ephemeral, and high-nutrient carcass from microbial competitors and other interested organisms. They bury the carcass together and the female will lay eggs nearby. Once the carcass has been protected, buried, and preserved, both parents use the carrion to feed their larvae when they hatch. In my research at the Bodega Marine Reserve, I use experimental chambers in the field to investigate the effects of temperature, competition, resource quality, microhabitat, and fog regime on burying beetle reproductive success. I have been calling these chambers nicrocosms, after Paul E. Hopwood et al.’s 2016 paper in Ecological Entomology. In this paper, nicrocosm is a play off of microcosm or mesocosm, an experimental set-up used in ecology to run controlled manipulations in small spaces that are still relevant to and part of the natural world. The root cosm, though, holds an even greater weight, meaning “world,” “order,” and “universe.” In this way, each nicrocosm in the field encapsulates an entire universe: an answer to an ecological question, the life’s work of an unseen beetle, birth and death, and the passing of time. This exhibition will consist of works that serve as nicrocosms themselves, portals into the often overlooked and misunderstood world of scavengers. Burying beetles, in many ways, are the ultimate scavengers: they rely on and are adapted to a fleeting resource, and they play a crucial role in processing the dead so that those nutrients can be used again by the greater ecosystem. Whether using local and found materials, circular and sustainable processes, visual storytelling, or some combination, each artist provides a novel way to see and experience the living world we are within. -Tracie Hayes Funded by the Bilinski Educational Foundation. Artists include: Michele Burr, E. Saffronia Downing, Emily Gordon, Emily Goyins, Rosemary Holliday Hall, Ryan Hodge, Kelley O’Leary, Ofelia Viloche Pulido, Alejandra Ruiz Suárez <img width="1480" height="1478" width_o="1480" height_o="1478" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/314b4bec5260c8f7bf3de9226149da1b79a64c976a33324fadd0d2d9bc9c0884/Screen-Shot-2023-12-12-at-5.22.18-PM.png" data-mid="199241760" border="0" data-scale="54" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/314b4bec5260c8f7bf3de9226149da1b79a64c976a33324fadd0d2d9bc9c0884/Screen-Shot-2023-12-12-at-5.22.18-PM.png" /> https://e-saffronia.net/A-Beautiful-Experience Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:03:05 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/A-Beautiful-Experience A Beautiful Experience: The Midwestern Grotto Tradition&nbsp; John Michael Kohler Arts Center&nbsp; 2025&nbsp; <img width="3600" height="2404" width_o="3600" height_o="2404" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1efbf2715204a0bbec34d35284172af80543259995f38ae5bb51f73d03186ab3/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-12.jpg" data-mid="242405458" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1efbf2715204a0bbec34d35284172af80543259995f38ae5bb51f73d03186ab3/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-12.jpg" /> <img width="3600" height="2405" width_o="3600" height_o="2405" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1e21549ad20558dc922a9fca6b648d848f49ddb3223090bb8d55ae3a5f95df0b/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-37.jpg" data-mid="242405451" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1e21549ad20558dc922a9fca6b648d848f49ddb3223090bb8d55ae3a5f95df0b/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-37.jpg" /> <img width="7965" height="5313" width_o="7965" height_o="5313" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cf8009ccf048a9861a336a62987a17ecc16879a54a3cc01a7167fd8a51804926/Downing_5.jpg" data-mid="242405463" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cf8009ccf048a9861a336a62987a17ecc16879a54a3cc01a7167fd8a51804926/Downing_5.jpg" /> <img width="7285" height="5359" width_o="7285" height_o="5359" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2b4826a3f2947e37b6f3418cde1f752f6158dde675fec8e38e462d65cbf7f946/Downing_6.jpg" data-mid="242405464" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2b4826a3f2947e37b6f3418cde1f752f6158dde675fec8e38e462d65cbf7f946/Downing_6.jpg" /> <img width="8027" height="5354" width_o="8027" height_o="5354" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6abe4320892cb68663c3976f9d680c15ac4f0ada4dc6823c9e250adfbefc169c/Downing_2.jpg" data-mid="242405460" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6abe4320892cb68663c3976f9d680c15ac4f0ada4dc6823c9e250adfbefc169c/Downing_2.jpg" /> <img width="8192" height="5464" width_o="8192" height_o="5464" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/712488b6ff3a5e5fe042e4ac99e26144a5f23f17f5caff5cb5cc1344d1f87070/Downing_3.jpg" data-mid="242405461" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/712488b6ff3a5e5fe042e4ac99e26144a5f23f17f5caff5cb5cc1344d1f87070/Downing_3.jpg" /> <img width="3600" height="2405" width_o="3600" height_o="2405" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de6155bfbdd17a5604b164efb226dc3fda3049ddc650214b55e88355896871a3/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-20.jpg" data-mid="242405456" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/de6155bfbdd17a5604b164efb226dc3fda3049ddc650214b55e88355896871a3/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-20.jpg" /> <img width="3600" height="2404" width_o="3600" height_o="2404" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db1b3322793efb0f7dc7a6db37aa9f60a69769255fa52f12ec10d44874283129/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-27.jpg" data-mid="242405453" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/db1b3322793efb0f7dc7a6db37aa9f60a69769255fa52f12ec10d44874283129/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-27.jpg" /> A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest Grotto Tradition takes its title from a slogan found on years of brochures, maps, and swag from the Dickeyville Grotto in Wisconsin. It is one of several grottoes found throughout the region. These sites began to inspire pilgrimage, tourism, reflection, and community gathering during the 1910s. This exhibition looks at their continuing influence on artists and visitors alike. Materially, midwestern grottoes often reflect local industries, decorative trends, and an area’s geological makeup. Grotto architecture mainly comprises concrete embellished with objects including shells, marbles, colored glass, toys, figurines, fossils, and geodes. This accumulation, as well as the objects incorporated, creates a documentation of the maker’s life, faith, and home. Madeline Buol is one of the few known women grotto builders. The materials she utilized include figurines and stones gathered during her travels. She had a special affinity for shells of all shapes and sizes. The exhibition is the first public showing of Buol’s monumental thirteen-piece grotto since it was saved from the artist’s yard in 2011 by the Kohler Foundation, Inc. It was then gifted to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. In addition to Buol’s grotto, A Beautiful Experience includes objects related to the Midwest grottoes that directly inspired her, such as the Dickeyville Grotto, Jacob Baker’s “dream houses,” the Rudolph Grotto, and the Wegner Grotto. The exhibition illustrates the material histories of these grottoes and strategies for their conservation. Visitors are offered opportunities to learn about the legacy and care of Midwest grotto sites. A Beautiful Experience also includes new work by Stephanie Shih and E. Saffronia Downing, each responding to the grotto tradition. Shih presents a work inspired by Jacob Baker and Chinese immigration in the U.S. Downing shares her explorations of clay and material foraging throughout the Midwest, providing insight into material studies for the concrete and construction materials often invented and improvised upon by grotto builders. <img width="5464" height="8192" width_o="5464" height_o="8192" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b7766b69b3118748fb7b9fc19876bd9b55d08c05bedfc16b2da3de8b22f9f9d/ex.bea.2025.0091.jpg" data-mid="242405467" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7b7766b69b3118748fb7b9fc19876bd9b55d08c05bedfc16b2da3de8b22f9f9d/ex.bea.2025.0091.jpg" /> https://e-saffronia.net/Mustard-Seeds Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:05:09 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/Mustard-Seeds <img width="2550" height="1912" width_o="2550" height_o="1912" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/497e8cf2aebc019f62d1fde963376e32553ef61e2459899c5f84bd8c05cbc637/MustardSeeds_InstallationShot.jpg" data-mid="199250696" border="0" data-scale="74" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/497e8cf2aebc019f62d1fde963376e32553ef61e2459899c5f84bd8c05cbc637/MustardSeeds_InstallationShot.jpg" /> Mustard Seeds Interloc September 2023&nbsp; Interloc is pleased to present Mustard Seeds, a solo exhibition of new work by E. Saffronia Downing, her first in Maine. Join us for an&nbsp;opening reception with the artist Saturday, September 30. The work will be on view through November 18. NOTES FROM THE ARTISTMustard Seeds“… I came lugging this great heavy sack of stuff, my carrier bag full of wimps and klutzes, and tiny grains of things smaller than a mustard seed, and intricately woven nets which when laboriously unknotted are seen to contain one small blue pebble, an imperturbably functioning chronometer telling the time on another world…” Ursula K. Le Guin, The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction Mustard Seeds is an accumulation of earthen debris I collected between 2018-2023. Shards of broken pots, test tiles, clay dug, and beaches combed – this exhibition unravels the ongoing archeology of my studio practice. Patterned side by side, the artifacts reveal a process of building up and breaking down. In a cyclical gesture, the bits and pieces are absorbed into mortared surfaces and metabolized into new works. I’ve integrated these fragments into the vessel form to trace relations between the container and the tiny things that ask for containment. Scooping up the shards of my studio practice, Mustard Seeds is an acknowledgement that my trace on this earth may be a heap of ceramic bits, my thumbprint on a clay lump enduring into futurity.-E. Saffronia Downing Interloc is a multidisciplinary art space that provides access to contemporary artists through exhibitions, events, and publications, directed by Alexis Iammarino and Maeve O’Regan since 2017.&nbsp; <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/05e908f6ffb8c5efd09f840ed2b468a4dce8e8abb53c5ce40bc88013d0e8679e/12.jpeg" data-mid="199250846" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/05e908f6ffb8c5efd09f840ed2b468a4dce8e8abb53c5ce40bc88013d0e8679e/12.jpeg" /> <img width="2954" height="3939" width_o="2954" height_o="3939" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6dae85e78707f1d7b9c23dbfedbbee231c401878919bf51cda71c71ff1a26cff/1.jpeg" data-mid="199250052" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6dae85e78707f1d7b9c23dbfedbbee231c401878919bf51cda71c71ff1a26cff/1.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29a65c1d81aed0cb1c054333fa8bfddc80e3a463995d47333a98d3762c51762d/2-1.jpeg" data-mid="199250810" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/29a65c1d81aed0cb1c054333fa8bfddc80e3a463995d47333a98d3762c51762d/2-1.jpeg" /> <img width="3875" height="2906" width_o="3875" height_o="2906" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bb15209c07282cfe482df4588aeda8d5309de37da1c26948ab0270d11053f9b8/15-1.jpeg" data-mid="199250049" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bb15209c07282cfe482df4588aeda8d5309de37da1c26948ab0270d11053f9b8/15-1.jpeg" /> <img width="2475" height="1393" width_o="2475" height_o="1393" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d745ea91eb6be4dcc35c26384b512ef2e47cce22427f1348234d67c0da86dc9f/MustardSeeds_5-copy.jpg" data-mid="199251555" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d745ea91eb6be4dcc35c26384b512ef2e47cce22427f1348234d67c0da86dc9f/MustardSeeds_5-copy.jpg" /> <img width="2035" height="3617" width_o="2035" height_o="3617" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d6c8716b9e7548b92af41c7208d15fcc0a5babf23b549df0778e6d84a3343b6f/28.jpeg" data-mid="199250038" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d6c8716b9e7548b92af41c7208d15fcc0a5babf23b549df0778e6d84a3343b6f/28.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="2967" width_o="3024" height_o="2967" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/23e0c645af71a25207cc4f1deedafb8fa4c20e80df74ee700e9a6c2028bf5d5d/6.jpeg" data-mid="199250821" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/23e0c645af71a25207cc4f1deedafb8fa4c20e80df74ee700e9a6c2028bf5d5d/6.jpeg" /> <img width="3942" height="3022" width_o="3942" height_o="3022" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ed7929653cd2206c47b4b1dcd4b27054b7527ba13bc231452e1e92bb67d3dcc9/27.jpeg" data-mid="199251155" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ed7929653cd2206c47b4b1dcd4b27054b7527ba13bc231452e1e92bb67d3dcc9/27.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/583c6a32fa66dfb86fb8a427fea6db946e3c5f5dcaf63c7dfea0e8115e6f3fea/13-1.jpeg" data-mid="199251576" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/583c6a32fa66dfb86fb8a427fea6db946e3c5f5dcaf63c7dfea0e8115e6f3fea/13-1.jpeg" /> <img width="2550" height="3300" width_o="2550" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/63aa0782d92d84d481268e9fc6492dc0896b2aa86d587dd17d914985d5ead42d/MustardSeeds_Install3.jpg" data-mid="199251310" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/63aa0782d92d84d481268e9fc6492dc0896b2aa86d587dd17d914985d5ead42d/MustardSeeds_Install3.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/65f1af9b2a963428d4f87652234b4371b1d85cc20b8518c7f6171be3110c8bea/3.jpeg" data-mid="199252795" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/65f1af9b2a963428d4f87652234b4371b1d85cc20b8518c7f6171be3110c8bea/3.jpeg" /> <img width="4032" height="2268" width_o="4032" height_o="2268" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d39c4a62c5ec25fb21ad2d4dd6045511d197d84c72e5e7ec35143d2dab7464ea/25.jpeg" data-mid="199251035" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d39c4a62c5ec25fb21ad2d4dd6045511d197d84c72e5e7ec35143d2dab7464ea/25.jpeg" /> <img width="2785" height="2304" width_o="2785" height_o="2304" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/facb810e6c90ba85a3eedcdc9910806aa8b3dc63e98f78fd14b067b4e14284c6/17.jpeg" data-mid="199250874" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/facb810e6c90ba85a3eedcdc9910806aa8b3dc63e98f78fd14b067b4e14284c6/17.jpeg" /> <img width="2475" height="1393" width_o="2475" height_o="1393" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/46e304453171c0b692d8bee9d9626744553fca8cb2877f621621a87ac0d7f2f2/mustardseeds_6.jpg" data-mid="199252781" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/46e304453171c0b692d8bee9d9626744553fca8cb2877f621621a87ac0d7f2f2/mustardseeds_6.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="3588" width_o="3024" height_o="3588" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ccdeae25d69df3f8e14028dbbc8a22342b5c1c514b976f75da77aa96854314d/4.jpeg" data-mid="199250816" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3ccdeae25d69df3f8e14028dbbc8a22342b5c1c514b976f75da77aa96854314d/4.jpeg" /> <img width="2670" height="3164" width_o="2670" height_o="3164" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1ea0deabe8fb0caee632f668b3a94ef21f630520297ac8581304b47b88f5278/2.jpeg" data-mid="199251558" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1ea0deabe8fb0caee632f668b3a94ef21f630520297ac8581304b47b88f5278/2.jpeg" /> <img width="2550" height="3300" width_o="2550" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9133486dfdeeb72a1d96dbc12a7f6f4f387bf8c1c4683c996a7f44699448b3b5/MustardSeeds_install2.jpg" data-mid="199250695" border="0" data-scale="53" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9133486dfdeeb72a1d96dbc12a7f6f4f387bf8c1c4683c996a7f44699448b3b5/MustardSeeds_install2.jpg" /> Last spring, I made open call through social media for samples of unfired wild clay. The project was an experiment to trace the threads connecting people and their places. In early August, parcels of carefully wrapped clay appeared at the postal box. The clay was dug by 15 pairs of hands, between 9 states, and two countries. Each sample was packaged with care and attention– in Ziploc bags, wrapped in bubble wrap, cushioned with packing peanuts, accompanied with letters describing where the clays were found. As a collection, these samples illuminate shared attentiveness toward handfuls of earth that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. This project posits that clay foraging can be a tool for connectivity across disparate landscapes. <img width="1265" height="818" width_o="1265" height_o="818" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ade25dabdacf198bf4e6a89714ddbbfa5a9a090bc0a82617a785c64ac1e88615/02.jpeg" data-mid="199569417" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ade25dabdacf198bf4e6a89714ddbbfa5a9a090bc0a82617a785c64ac1e88615/02.jpeg" /> https://e-saffronia.net/PRINT Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:18:04 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/PRINT <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a943bb56320c2da09d78306484b7d9c3a00ce9b365cab8b27dff60cbaf1393cd/IMG_9470.jpg" data-mid="242295525" border="0" data-scale="87" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a943bb56320c2da09d78306484b7d9c3a00ce9b365cab8b27dff60cbaf1393cd/IMG_9470.jpg" /> Call For Clay 2025&nbsp; 8.5x11” Through public open calls in 2023 and 2025, Downing invited participants to send her samples of foraged clay along with letters describing the places where the clay was gathered. Forty contributors from nineteen states and three countries responded, mailing parcels of clay alongside stories that describe deeply-held relationships with the land. Presented as a scrapbook and archive, Call for Clay demonstrates collective attention toward our shared earth.In the spirit of reciprocity, each participant in this project will receive a copy of this publication. Twenty percent of the proceeds generated from this project will be donated to Indigenous arts and media organizations in recognition of and respect for inherent Indigenous sovereignty across Turtle Island.Book design by Jacob Lindgren.&nbsp; Printing by Zimmermann. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/03a52e1e8440663e588ac43281b98bc89fd82acd56127e05b1c5c027e7df7c8f/IMG_9464-2.jpg" data-mid="242295536" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/03a52e1e8440663e588ac43281b98bc89fd82acd56127e05b1c5c027e7df7c8f/IMG_9464-2.jpg" /> <img width="5100" height="3300" width_o="5100" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/58eee0e3d74e5084032890a8e64dbc1e23801e98c540e2fc6b40f84bb4bd94e5/CallforClay_Packet.jpg" data-mid="242295529" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/58eee0e3d74e5084032890a8e64dbc1e23801e98c540e2fc6b40f84bb4bd94e5/CallforClay_Packet.jpg" /> <img width="2182" height="1408" width_o="2182" height_o="1408" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/81368164dd4ecb7abe1e4e4ea76e221f4f4a1e9c705a0e825d0e99efd3a5f14f/Screen-Shot-2025-12-30-at-6.30.45-PM.png" data-mid="242295544" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/81368164dd4ecb7abe1e4e4ea76e221f4f4a1e9c705a0e825d0e99efd3a5f14f/Screen-Shot-2025-12-30-at-6.30.45-PM.png" /> <img width="2907" height="2785" width_o="2907" height_o="2785" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f19a0abfdf02c9495b3539caa4ff64f9b48ebe65416fa2a49eaef0d515e72d6/IMG_9463-2.jpg" data-mid="242295548" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f19a0abfdf02c9495b3539caa4ff64f9b48ebe65416fa2a49eaef0d515e72d6/IMG_9463-2.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a943bb56320c2da09d78306484b7d9c3a00ce9b365cab8b27dff60cbaf1393cd/IMG_9470.jpg" data-mid="242295525" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a943bb56320c2da09d78306484b7d9c3a00ce9b365cab8b27dff60cbaf1393cd/IMG_9470.jpg" /> https://e-saffronia.net/ABOUT Mon, 02 Nov 2020 12:59:53 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/ABOUT <img width="1160" height="1450" width_o="1160" height_o="1450" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/650ab4fbc0dc4b02a63e4777a11e01f56d3c23eb391336ad875928d40d1e08ed/IMG_4218.jpg" data-mid="116623564" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/650ab4fbc0dc4b02a63e4777a11e01f56d3c23eb391336ad875928d40d1e08ed/IMG_4218.jpg" /> E. Saffronia Downing is a ceramic artist whose research explores material studies and ecological thought. Downing works with wild clay to create sculptures and installations that map relationships to place. She received her MFA in Ceramics from School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020. Downing has been a recipient of awards, fellowships, and residencies such as the Future Bodies symposium at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, ON, and a studio session at A-B Project, Los Angeles, CA; grants from SPACE American Rescue Plan and Buck Lab for Climate and Environment; fellowships at College of the Atlantic, Lunder Institute of American Art, and Oxbow School of Art; and, residencies at PADA, ACRE, and Tokyo Arts University. Recent exhibitions include A Beautiful Experience; The Midwestern Grotto Tradition at the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI; Tracks and Other Signs at Old Friends Gallery, Chicago, IL; Clay-In-Place at Triangle Projects, Los Angeles, CA; and Field Dug Over at Bad Water Gallery, Knoxville, TN. Ceramics Now Review&nbsp; American Craft Feature COAmag Feature&nbsp; SixtInches Feature NewCity Mag Review&nbsp; LVL3 Feature Numberinc Reviewsaffronia.studio at gmail dot com@_saffr0nia_ https://e-saffronia.net/Home Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:20:46 +0000 e-saffronia.net https://e-saffronia.net/Home &nbsp; <img width="3600" height="2405" width_o="3600" height_o="2405" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90f4b4331d93fb79ef80c723c54fe7939b839102b4a02970f550f5de4b69af4b/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-37.jpg" data-mid="242405448" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90f4b4331d93fb79ef80c723c54fe7939b839102b4a02970f550f5de4b69af4b/SAFFRONIADOWNING_-37.jpg" /> “All over Chicago, if you know where to find them, there are old clay pits– remnants of a now-disappeared brickmaking industry, which built the very architecture that eventually obscured it. Saffronia Downing discovered the pits’ locations in an 1891 industrial atlas of the city. It’s a typical example of what she looks for: stories and connections, lying just beneath notice. Her work is evolved from procedures that have little to do with conventional ceramic repertoire. She is a professional noticer of things.“ – Glenn Adamson, InterMission&nbsp; <img width="720" height="482" width_o="720" height_o="482" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b7b4fc73f44ff7f4f76d02ba22544691b550487c7bdf8ea4845a44151ddd8480/IMG_4455.jpg" data-mid="234369918" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/b7b4fc73f44ff7f4f76d02ba22544691b550487c7bdf8ea4845a44151ddd8480/IMG_4455.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="481" width_o="720" height_o="481" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7ae75efcb2479c467de7f4465f7cc68e97e08170c1bfaf03b6cc53f178cc73a5/SD_RH_CS-46-copy.jpg" data-mid="234369807" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/7ae75efcb2479c467de7f4465f7cc68e97e08170c1bfaf03b6cc53f178cc73a5/SD_RH_CS-46-copy.jpg" /> <img width="4341" height="2894" width_o="4341" height_o="2894" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/45a395573060c0a63418a135f7050347d74124852fe90422b441d01a9c8515f8/IMG_3793-HDR.jpg" data-mid="218695740" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/45a395573060c0a63418a135f7050347d74124852fe90422b441d01a9c8515f8/IMG_3793-HDR.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="480" width_o="720" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de2b626e55e18ba304915eed320f83d6b8200148e63563e19d4cf840dc3d03ed/Image_20.jpg" data-mid="199253486" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/de2b626e55e18ba304915eed320f83d6b8200148e63563e19d4cf840dc3d03ed/Image_20.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="480" width_o="720" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/78ac2601b5d15c06c7ed9a9b9c960cf42f777678425b2aa5c52597cdc3ab8a2e/Image_15-copy.jpg" data-mid="141267185" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/78ac2601b5d15c06c7ed9a9b9c960cf42f777678425b2aa5c52597cdc3ab8a2e/Image_15-copy.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="480" width_o="720" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d3fcf30b9f2ff3ad44e8e8cd216109bb6b45f169f77903b58e4ff3931918bc0/Image_17.jpg" data-mid="197248431" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/3d3fcf30b9f2ff3ad44e8e8cd216109bb6b45f169f77903b58e4ff3931918bc0/Image_17.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="480" width_o="720" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3dd6745680ac12092c2e09c3f2159f92fedaf0abe3a3d6e26c001addfd580e00/Image_18.jpg" data-mid="197248503" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/3dd6745680ac12092c2e09c3f2159f92fedaf0abe3a3d6e26c001addfd580e00/Image_18.jpg" /> <img width="720" height="480" width_o="720" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a55f95c0e4d02edf6684ef15ec2e6102f4504a00da6d59a963f40b64e5792fb/Image_3.jpg" data-mid="126236477" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/6a55f95c0e4d02edf6684ef15ec2e6102f4504a00da6d59a963f40b64e5792fb/Image_3.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1586" width_o="2400" height_o="1586" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98e5342011141298dd24c43ea50f92c766e9aca5586454b8735eb55fc30b38e5/Downing_FieldDugOverDetail2.jpg" data-mid="115325764" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/98e5342011141298dd24c43ea50f92c766e9aca5586454b8735eb55fc30b38e5/Downing_FieldDugOverDetail2.jpg" />