Instructor's Biographies
—Barbe Asta
Barbe Asta has been teaching at Terra Incognito since 2002. She started out as a student and progressed to teaching children’s classes and conducting all our parties, at both the Oak Park and La Grange locations.
Barbe, also, teaches an adult class titled “ Hand Building: Textured Slab Constructions”
where she will share her processes for making a variety of exciting, handbuilt forms using
slabs textured with hand cut patterns.
In addition to her time at Terra Incognito, Barbe has worked as a teaching assistant at
Keyston Montessori in River Forest, and is currently working at Near North Montessori
School in Chicago.
—Sue Coombs
Sue Coombs discovered her love of all things mosaic from her many years as a custom stained glass artist. Sue is currently working to complete her Certificate in Mosaic Fine Art from the Chicago Mosaic School. Her experience includes traditional, classical, contemporary, abstract and large scale mosaics, and the materials she uses are varied. Glass, ceramic, pebbles, shells, beads and various recycled materials. Sue enjoys many styles of mosaic, but is drawn to the nature inspired abstract. She is a member of the Society of Mosaic Artists since 2006. Her work has been exhibited locally and nationally.
2009 |
Presently in the student exhibition at The Chicago Mosaic School |
|---|---|
| 2009 | The Big Picture, exhibited in LaGrange, Il. Collaboration with Terra Incognito Staff. |
| 2009 | Mosaic Arts International, juried exhibit. The Museum of Man, San Diego, CA. |
| 2008 | Cool Globes Project. Collaboration with Chicago Mosaic School Staff. Exhibited at the United States Botanical Gardens, Washington D.C. |
| 2008 | Drummond School Mural, fabrication and installation. Chicago, IL. |
| 2007 | Cool Globes Project. Collaboration with Chicago Mosaic Staff. Exhibited at the waterfront, Chicago, IL. |
—Mary Dye
Mary Dye is a studio potter living and working in Forest Park, IL where she maintains a
fulltime studio with wood/soda, gas and electric kilns. A student of Stephen Mickey, her
work shows the influence of the American/Japanese functional aesthetic (often referred to as the "Mingeisota” style) brought to Minnesota by Stephen’s teacher, Warren MacKenzie.
Mary makes pots to be used in the ordinary ceremonies of everyday life. As a maker and a teacher she believes that cultivating the creative habit of crafting beautiful, useful objects is personal, powerful, spiritual and political. She exibits nationally, sells locally, promotes other makers in her community, and believes that handcraft can change the world. She has taught ceramics at North Central College (Naperville), Loyola University (Chicago) and Lill Street Art Center. She currently teaches at Terra Incognito, the Evanston Art Center, and regularly presents workshops on kiln building and wood/soda firing.
—Karen Gubitz
A resident of Oak Park, Karen is a self-taught, nature-inspired, fiber sculptor. Her works are woven primarily with hand-gathered, natural materials from her farm, Harvest Hill Prairie, in Lee County, Illinois, where she is restoring a native pine and hardwood woods and short-grass prairie. Over the last 12 years she has studied with various skilled basket makers around the United States and in order to more fully understand her materials, has studied at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois under the “naturalist” program.. In addition to her sculpture, Karen shares her love of weaving natural materials with women who gather at Harvest Hill Prairie to learn basket weaving.
Upcoming Exhibits
Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park, Illinois, Solo Exhibit, March, 2009
Prior Exhibits
Artropolis, 2008, The Artist Project, Chicago, Illinois, April, 2008
The Doederlein Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, February – March, 2008
Woman-Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, “Humor”, July – August, 2007
Tojo Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, July – August, 2007
Woman-Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, “By Invitation Only”, September - November, 2006
National Basketry Organization, Athens, Ohio, International Exhibit, June – August 2006
Woman-Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, “Everything Woven”, June – August, 2006
—Joe Krasean, Instructor and Resident Intern
Joe Krasean is the current resident intern at Terra Incognito in Oak Park.
Joe began studying ceramics while a student at Elk River Area High School in Minnesota.
He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of Minnesota and has taught ceramics to kids and adults at Alma d'Arte Charter High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico and at Terra Incognito. He lives in Chicago with his girlfriend and cat.
—Jeremy Dunn
Jeremy Dunn began working with metals in early high school in Michigan. After graduating with a B.A. in Business from Michigan State University and a strong desire to return to the craft, he
began apprenticing with Rob Hansen in Chicago for several years. Jeremy’s main focus has been fabrication, stone setting, and wax carving. He has also attended many workshops to attain his skill in specific areas of the craft. Jeremy has since worked for himself and currently holds a shop in downtown Chicago working with several jewelry stores doing repair, custom fabrication and setting.