Paul Heroux
ARTIST STATEMENT
I have been working with the ceramic vessel as a painting surface for over twenty years now, and I am still interested in this three-dimensional canvas because there is always some side hidden, regardless of the vantage point.
The patterning on the surface is foremost a response to the form. The imagery has changed over time in reaction to evolving interests and events in my life. Often plant life, erotics, and references to the landscape are present. It is also important to me that my work is visibly strong and durable, so that it invites touch and use. I am a craft artist; tactile experience and the potential for use are crucial to my definition of a craft object.
PROCESS
My form start as throne cylinders that are then manipulated and handbuilt. I use a white stoneware that is fired in a gas kiln to 2350 F. I make the bronze glaze—it is made up of metal bearing compounds.
After the initial firing, pieces are reworked using photo imagery that I have shot, as well as cut out shapes. The photo image transfer method I'm using is one that prints an image on decal paper from a high iron content toner with a laser printer. The decal is fired to 2000 F.
The third firing uses commercial underglaze decal paper in solid colors. Shapes or cut out, applied and Fired to 1400 F.
CV
EDUCATION:
- School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts: Masters of the Studio, 1970.
- School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts: 4th Year Diploma, 1969.
AWARDS:
- Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, 1997.
- Boston Museum School Traveling Scholarship for Alumni, 1985.
- Rebecca Joslin Traveling Scholarship, 1970.
- Museum School Scholarships, 1967-1969.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
- Art Lecturer, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, 1983-2012.
- Instructor of Ceramics, Session Six, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, 2004.
- Summer Workshop, Volunteer Teacher for P.W.A. Workshop at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, North Edgecomb, Maine, June, 2003.
- Instructor of Ceramics, Open Door, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, 1989.
- Instructor of Ceramics, Portland School of Art, Winter Semester, 1986.
- Arts Faculty for Gifted and Talented Summer Program of the State of Maine, 1984-1988.
- Visiting Artists in the Schools, Maine Commission for the Arts and Humanities, 1976.
- Instructor of Ceramics, Craft School, Lewiston, Maine, 1973-1976.
- Instructor of Drawing, Boston Museum Night School, 1969-1970.
EXHIBITS:
- Three Person Show, Turtle Gallery, Deer Isle, Maine, 2015
- Group Show, June LaCombe Gallery, Pownel, Maine, 2015
- Three Person Show, George Marshall Gallery, York, Maine, 2014
- Two Person Show, June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland, Maine, 2013
- Group Show, Court House Gallery, Elsworth, Maine, 2011
- Group Show, June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland, Maine, 2010
- Group Show, June La Combe Gallery, Pownal, Maine, 2010
- Two Person Show, June Fitzpatrick Gallery at M.E.C.A., Portland, ME, 2008
- New Work, One Man Show, Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 2006-2007
- Group Show, Coming To Our Senses, June LaCombe Gallery, Pownal, Maine, 2006
- Two Person Show, June Fitzpatrick Gallery at M.E.C.A., Portland, Maine, 2006
- Watershed Anniversary Show, The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, Massachusetts, 2006
- Platters and Plates, Chester Springs Studio, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, 2006
- Group Show, Water, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine, 2005
- The Visceral Vessel, Southwest School of Art and Craft, San Antonia, Texas, 2005
- Touchstones, June LaCombe Gallery, Pownal, Maine, 2005
- Group Show, Endless Variations: Shino Review, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, Maryland, 2005.
- Group Show, Salt, Soda, and Slip, The Potters Guild of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, 2005.
- Group Show, Creations in Clay, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2004.
- Group Show, 20/20 Envision, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine and University of New England,
- Westbrook Campus, Portland, Maine, 2004.
- Invitational Ceramic Show, Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, Massachusetts, May, 2003.
- Group Show, Focal Point, June LaCombe Gallery, Pownal, Maine, May-June, 2003.
- Four Person Show, Turtle Gallery, Deer Isle, Maine, August, 2003.
- Group Show, 29th Annual Show, Old Church Cultural Center, Demarest, New Jersey, November, 2003. Five Person Show, Turtle Gallery, Deer Isle, Maine, 2001.
- Group Show, 27th Annual Pottery Show, Old Church Cultural Center, Demarest, New Jersey, 2001. Two Person Show, Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 2000.
- Group Show, Vessel Language, Greenwich House Pottery, New York, New York, 1999.
- Two Person Show, Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1998.
- Five Person Show, Sculptural Ceramics, Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1997. Group Show, Artful Crafts That Work, Hopkins House Gallery, Haddon, New Jersey, 1997.
- Group Show, Contemporary Ceramics, Round Top Center, Damariscotta, Maine, 1997.
- Five Person Show, Teapots and Pitchers, Maine Coast Artists, Rockland, Maine, 1997.
- One Man Show, Ten Year Review of Ceramics, Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine, 1997. Two Man Show, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York City, New York, 1997.
- One Man Show, Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1996.
- Makers ‘95, Juried Show, Maine Crafts Association, Colby College Museum, Waterville, Maine, 1995. Functional Ceramics, Curated show at the Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, Ohio, 1994.
- Makers ‘93, Juried Show, Maine Crafts Association, Portland Museum of Art, 1993.
- Nine Person Show, Migrant Within II, Regional Traveling Show, 1993, 1994.
- One Man Show, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York City, New York, 1993.
- Juried Show, It Works, Maine Crafts Association, Presque Isle, Maine, 1992.
- Six Person Show, Gender and Identity, Baxter Gallery, Portland, Maine, 1992.
- Maine Coast Artist, Juried Invitational, Rockport, Maine, 1992.
- One Man Show, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine, 1991.
- Five Person Show, Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, Maine, 1990.
- One Man Show, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York City, New York, 1990.
- Makers ‘90, Juried Show, Maine Crafts Association, Olin Museum, Lewiston, Maine, 1990.
- Five Person Show, Maine Coast Artists, Rockland, Maine, 1990.
- Three Person Show, Harcus Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1989.
- Two Person Show, Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine, 1988.
- Juried Show, Maine Coast Artists, Rockland, Maine, 1988.
- Makers ‘88, Juried Show, Maine Crafts Association, Baxter Gallery, Portland, Maine, 1988.
- Two Person Show, Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine, 1987.
- Two Person Show, R.C. Erpf Gallery, New York, New York, 1987.
- Maine Teachers Show, Maine Coast Artists, Rockland, Maine, 1987.
- Three Person Show, Harcus Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1986.
- Traveling Scholarships Show, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1985.
- Five Person Show, Charleston Museum of Fine Arts, Charleston, North Carolina, 1985.
- Four Person Show, Convergence Gallery, New York, New York, 1985.
- Boston Museum School Alumni Show, Harcus Gallery, 1985.
- N.C.E.C.A. Juried Show, Boston, Massachusetts, 1984.
- Makers ‘84, Juried Biennial, Maine Crafts Association, Portland, Maine, 1984.
- Two Person Show, Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine, 1984.
- Group Show, Bette Stoler Gallery, New York, New York, 1984.
- Group Show, Convergence Gallery, New York, New York, 1982.
- Group Show, Hadler/Rodriguez Galleries, Houston, Texas, 1982.
- Two Person Show, Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine, 1982.
- One Man Show, Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine, 1980.
- Two Person Show, Harcus-Krakow, Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1973.
INSTALLATIONS:
- Tiled Water Feature, Theodora Public Park, Charleston, South Carolina, 2015
- Wall installations of nine large plates for Fidelity Investment Bank, Kentucky, 1998.
- Exterior installation of seven large plates, Sonesta Hotel, Anguilla, British West Indies, 1997.
- Two Jars, 28” x 19” each, Harcourt Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, 1995.
- Tile Mural, 16’ Circular Mosaic, Lobby of the Department of Marine Resources, Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 1993. Tile Mural, Three Shaped Panels on wall 8 x 24, Riverview School, South Gardiner, Maine, 1992.
- Tile Mural, 60” x 480”, NMVTI, Presque Isle, Maine, 1987.
- Tile Mural and Free Standing Columns, 480” x 96”, Margaret Chase Smith School, Sanford, Maine, 1987.
- Tile Water Wall, 108” x 108”, SMVTI, South Portland, Maine, 1987.
- Tile Mural, 88” x 88”, Courtyard Entrance of David Rowle Associates, Charleston, South Carolina, 1985.
- Tile Mural, 84” x 312”, Lobby Wall, Deering High School, Portland, Maine, 1983.
COLLECTIONS:
- Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire
- The Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics, Sebago, Maine.
- Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine.
- Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine.
- De Cordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts.
- The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Graham Gund, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine.
- Sonesta Hotel Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, Key Biscayne, Florida and Anguilla, British West Indies. Harcourt Corporation, Massachusetts.
- Fidelity Investment, Kentucky and Boston.
- BOOKS AND CATALOGUES:
- Fina, Angela, and Christopher Gustin. The Best of Pottery. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, Inc., 1998, p. 111. Isaacson, Philip. A Short Walk Around the Pyramids and through the World of Art. New York: Alfred A. Knopp, 1993, p. 62. Beem, Edgar Allen. Maine Art Now. Gardiner, Maine: The Dog Ear Press, 1990, pp. 121-124.
- Land, Lesley. More Great New England Recipes. Dublin, New Hampshire: Yankee Publishing, Inc., 1985, pp. 168-174.
PERIODICALS AND REVIEWS:
- The Inspired Garden (Maine Artist their work and their Gardens), Down East Press, 2009 Ceramics Monthly, Sept., 2003.
- Art and Perception, Issue 49, 2002, pp. 14-16.
- "Low Country, High Style." House and Gardens. Aug., 1998, p. 105.
- Land, Lesley. "A Contemporary Kitchen Garden." Food and Wine. March, 1991, pp. 85-90.
- Isaacson, Philip. "Paul Heroux at the Portland Museum of Art (Portland, Maine)." American Ceramics. Vol. 9, No. 3, 1991. Isaacson, Philip. "Invitational." Maine Sunday Telegram, July 15, 1990.
- Crichlow, Beth. "Getting Things Right." Down East. Oct. 1989, pp. 49-51, 73.
- "Integral Art." American Craft. June/July 1988, p. 76.
- Magro, Benjamin. "Art You Can Sit On." Down East. Feb. 1988, pp. 52-55.
- Miller, Sherry. "Learning to Enjoy the Fruits of Success." Maine Sunday Telegram, Dec. 6, 1987.
- Bonetti, Daniel. "The Harcus Gallery." The Boston Phoenix, April 15, 1986: Section 3.
- Isaacson, Philip. "Painter and Potter Prove Their Appeal." Maine Sunday Telegram, Dec. 28, 1986: Art Section.
- "The Vessel." The Studio Potter. Vol. 12, No. 2, June 1984, p. 5.
- Beem, Edgar Allen. "Inspired Works of Common Clay." Maine Times, Feb. 24, 1984.
- Isaacson, Philip. "Sculpture or Painting?" Maine Sunday Telegram, Feb. 18, 1984.
- Beem, Edgar Allen. "Paul Heroux Ceramics." Maine Times, Jan. 20, 1984.