"Realized Dreams",
works in Wood by Michael Brolly
April 14 - July 15, 2006

Presented in conjunction with Cabinets of Curiosities,this solo exhibition features extraordinary examples of the artist's work that cross the line from vessel to sculpture and highlights the remarkable skill behind Brolly's humorous vision. Brolly's work Cirque de Cabinet, 2003, produced in collaboration with John Biggs, Zac Robbins, Chris Coggiano, Tony Delong, and Lynne E. Brolly is featured in Cabinets of Curiosities.

"Transformations 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials"
November 11, 2005 - March 18, 2006

Transformations 5 features 43 works and highlights amazing examples of the innovative ways in which artists are transforming found materials into contemporary art. The range of materials includes detergent bottles, pistachio shells, tin cans, staples, filmstrips, cereal boxes and old linen handkerchiefs among hundreds of other found objects.

The jury for the 2005 prize was composed of internationally recognized metals artist and East Carolina University professor Robert Ebendorf; Lloyd Herman, independent curator and founding director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery; Janet McCall; and the daughters of SCC founder Elizabeth Raphael, Catherine and Margaret Raphael.

Raphael Prize Winner
Jim Rose of Forestville, WI was selected as the winner of Transformation 5. The artist was present at the exhibition opening to receive both a $5,000 cash prize and purchase award for his winning entry, Quilt Cupboard, an intricate and elegant cabinet made with found and recycled steel.

According to Raphael Prize juror Robert Ebendorf, “Every object has its story, and one delicious moment for the artist comes with the realization that the object—with an observable history that can inform the artist’s choosing—may (and usually does) have a pre-history that is forever lost. Take metal, for example, something that is cast and recast. What one sees in the found object today may be but one of many manifestations in the course of its useful life.”

Rose’s work is inspired by the simple values that characterize Shaker history, lifestyle, and furniture making techniques. To him, the reuse of discarded scrap “creates a dialogue between past and present; the marks and mars are a record of time.” His pieces are in the collections of the John Michael Kohler Art Center; the Mesa Contemporary Arts Center; the Milwaukee Art Museum; the Renwick Gallery of The National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, among others. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Merit Awards at the 23rd Annual Contemporary Crafts Exhibition and Anything With A Drawer of the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, AZ in 2001, and an Individual Artist Fellowship with the Peninsula Arts Association of the Wisconsin Arts Board in Madison, WI in 2003. Click here to see the video.

Honorable Mentions
An honorable mention award has been given to Robbie Barber, for his piece, Supersonic V (Silver Streak), 2005. Barber has exhibited his work in galleries throughout the U.S. and holds an MFA in sculpture, from the University of Arizona in Tucson. A second honorable mention award was presented to Sharon McCartney for her work, The Little Things. McCartney’s fiber and collage piece was inspired by a small museum case filled with hundreds of hummingbirds, specimens from a Victorian era collection. McCartney received her MA in Art History/Museum Studies from Boston University. Her work is in numerous collections across the US. Several additional works by Barber and McCartney are included in Transformation 5.

The 2005 Raphael Prize finalists are: Diane Banks, Harrisonburg, VA; Robbie Barber, Waco, TX; Jerry Bleem, Cicero, IL; Lisa and Scott Cylinder, Oley, PA; Nelson Davis, Ashland, OR; Kristin Diener, Albuquerque, NM; David A. Edgar, Charlotte, NC; Toby A. Fraley, Washington, PA; Robly A. Glover, Lubbock, TX; Judith Hoyt, New Paltz, NY; Nancy Jurs, Scottsville, NY; Elizabeth Keithline, E. Greenwich, RI; Amy Lipshie, Pittsburgh, PA; Stephen Litchfield, Ravenna, OH; Jennifer Maestre, Concord, MA; Sharon McCartney, Belchertown, MA; G. McLarty, Houston, TX; Bruce Metcalf, Bala Cynwyd, PA; Linda and Opie O’Brien, N. Perry Village, OH; Teresa Paschke, Ames, IA; Bryan Petersen, Richmond, IN; Jim Rose, Forestville, WI; Arturo A. Sandoval, Lexington, KY; Christine Simpson, Chicago, IL; Michelle Stitzlein, Baltimore, OH; Kevin Titzer, Evansville, IN; Travis Townsend, Richmond, KY; Marlene True, Maryville, IL; Randy Walker, Minneapolis, MN; John Whipple, Winter Park, FL; J. Fred Woell, Deer Isle, ME; and Nancy Worden, Seattle, WA.

Exhibition Catalogue
A fully illustrated 78-page catalogue of the exhibition, featuring photo-documentation, biographical information and source materials on each of the finalists is available at SCC for $18. To complement the exhibition, SCC also produced a short video on the prize-winning artist. During the winter months, educational programs and weekend activities were planned to enhance visitors’ understanding and enjoyment of the techniques and materials used by the participating artists.

Events
Jim Rose gave a public talk about his work on November 12.

Finalists Michele Stitzlein, and husband and wife team Linda and Opie O’Brien, presented workshops in The Studio, SCC’s 4,000 square foot education center.

A free hands-on art activity designed by David Edgar, one of the exhibiting artists, was offered in SCC's Drop-In Studio during public hours.

See Exhibition events

Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, the 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder's Prize, was made possible, in part, by Alexandra, Catherine and Margaret Raphael, Walter Long Manufacturing Company and Construction Junction.