March 29, 2024

Confluence by Assistant Professor Jon McMillan in duPont Gallery

Confluence, on view Sept. 1- Oct. 9, 2016, in DuPont Gallery

Confluence features new ceramic work by UMW Assistant Professor Jon McMillan. The sculptures in this series address the concept of duality by bringing together disparate parts in a variety of relationships. The idea of confluence informs the work through the physical reference to processes and materials, and through a metaphorical examination of diverging thoughts, traits, sources and forms. As the meeting point of two rivers, a confluence is often the place where clay collects over millions of years of erosion. By using this material to join seemingly disconnected objects and ideas, McMillan hopes to engage viewers, drawing them into a dialogue that pulls from universal inferences as well as deeply personal reactions.

About the Artist

Jon McMillan is an artist and educator residing in Fredericksburg, Va., where he is an Assistant Professor of Ceramics at the University of Mary Washington. He holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and a BFA from James Madison University, where he also earned a minor in Art History. After undergraduate school, Jon worked for seven years as a full-time studio potter before pursuing his master’s degree. Currently, he makes functional and sculptural ceramic artwork, both of which are exhibited widely. Highlights include recent solo shows at Tennessee Tech University, Mary Baldwin College, and Luniverre Gallery in Cordes Sur Ciel, France. Jon was a finalist for the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics and was awarded “Best In Show” at the 2013 Strictly Functional Pottery National Exhibition, among other honors.

Programming

Opening Reception: Sept. 1, 5-7 p.m.

duPont Gallery

Artist’s Talk by Jon McMillan: Sept. 15, 4 p.m.

duPont Gallery