Photos and text by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA.

I’m a member of the St Louis Artists’ Guild.  For the past 17 years the Guild has conducted a fundraiser event, called Collectors’ Choice.  This is an ingeniously organized, and excellently executed series of events.  Artists donate paintings, drawings, 3D art pieces, and attendees purchase a ticket that guarantee them an art piece.  The price of the ticket is the monetary donation to the Guild, and in the process everybody has fun.

Last Year I donated an art piece in addition to buying a ticket.  This year i didn’t have a chance to make a donatable piece, so I just bought a ticket, and got a great piece of art at the end.  With the ticket you get a number, and you select any artwork that is on the walls at the time of the drawing of your number.  The earlier your number is drawn, the bigger the artwork selection.

Here is one end of the St Louis Artist’s Guild gallery located in Clayton, Missouri. The chairs are all facing left where, along the wall is the table with the rotating cylinder for the drawing of the ticket numbers.

 

 

 

 

We had about two hours to browse the donated art.  Great food and drinks helped out a good deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another wall of the gallery loaded with art work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is yet another wall with art works.  The art works are grouped according to styles; there was a large variety of works donated,

 

 

 

The Ceramic Pieces

 

 

Rob Miller is the owner of Lamplight Studio where ceramics and glass art instruction and studio work takes place in Overland, Missouri.  His statement says:  “My work is primarily decorative and currently focused on botanical forms.The flat structure of leaves and petals lends itself to working with flat clay slabs.  The simple gracefulness of plant forms comes into play. ”  I do see the botanical theme in this donated work.  To see more of Rob Miller’s work check out the Lamplight Studio website.

 

 

 

Steve Jones is the ceramic artists who makes “crazy dog” sculptures.  His exhibit at UMSL about a hear ago was a great success. He relies on childhood memories of grinning dogs, and small, ridiculous moments to inspire his ceramic sculptures.   He intends to be honest humorous and appealing; he certainly achieved that in this piece.  See more of his works on his web site.