Judson College’s Marian Acree Tucker Gallery will feature original works by raku potter and glass artist Jo Taylor from October 25 through November 18. The exhibit, Transformations, opens with an artist’s reception at 3:00 p.m. on October 25. The artist will give a lecture on her work in Jewett Hall Room 213 at 10:00 a.m. on October 25. Gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Gallery and lecture are free.
Raku is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Raku is a fairly porous pottery that is hand-shaped rather than thrown, and, though fired in a kiln, it is allowed to cool in the open air. Taylor specializes in Western-Style raku and other alternative firing techniques to give her pieces a variety of colors and textures. Unlike traditional Japanese raku, Western-Style raku tends to be vibrant in color, and comes in many shapes and sizes. 
“This wide variety of colors and textures is intriguing and challenging to master,” says Taylor. “ This aspect of raku is why I continue to work with the raku finish on many of my pottery pieces.”
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Auburn University at Montgomery and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from the University of Montevallo. Her work can be seen at Selma Art Guild Gallery, Gallery 905 and Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center.
In 2006, Taylor was selected by the Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts (AIEA) to be one of ten Alabama artists to be trained as Teaching Artists for the Arts in the Classroom initiative. A pilot project developed by AIEA and funded by the Dana Foundation, Arts in the Classroom sponsors Teaching Artists who work with public schools in the state to integrate their art forms into school curricula. As a Teaching Artist, Taylor was placed in several Dallas County Schools to train and model visual arts-integrated lessons to classroom teachers. After her residencies, she joined the faculty at Dallas County High School, where she teaches visual arts. Taylor also serves as Program Manager for the Arts at the Black Belt Community Foundation.
For more information about the work or the artist, contact Jamie Adams, assistant professor of art, at (334) 683-5251 or jadams1@judson.edu.