About James

Many of our collectors and students like to know about the people behind the art. Here is where we tell you a little about our backgrounds, interests and inspirations. If you wish to reach us to discuss a purchase, a commission, or a class or workshop proposal, feel free to do so by dropping us an email; a link is at the bottom of any page. Thanks for your interest!

Jim in the Clay Studio

Opening the raku kiln at 1800 degrees.

Pieces catch fire as they are transferred to the can for the final stage of the raku process.

JAMES E. KLINGER

WORK EXPERIENCE

Ceramic Studio Coordinator and Artist-in-Residence, Rosewood Arts Centre, City of Kettering, OH: kiln firings for all clay classes, ordering of materials, studio and equipment maintenance, 1990-present

Architectural Designer/Draftsman: Paul J. Striebel and Associates, Dayton, OH, 1988 - 1991; Donnell Design Group, Dayton, OH, 1986-1988; Levin-Porter Associates, Dayton, OH, 1985-1986

Art Department Chair, Carroll High School, Dayton, OH, 1977-1985

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Rosewood Arts Centre, Kettering, OH, 1990-present

Carroll High School, Dayton, OH, 1977-1985

EDUCATION

Sinclair College, Dayton, OH, coursework in Architectural Technology, 1983-1985

Central State University, Wilberforce, OH, coursework in Music Studies, 1983-1985

Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 1971-1976, Bachelor of Science, Art Education, 1976

AWARDS AND GRANTS

Recipient of Individual Fellowship Grant from Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (Culture Works), 1999 and 2003

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Scheduled for one-man exhibition, Edison College, Piqua, OH, 2008

Rosewood Gallery’s 20^th Anniversary Retrospective, invitational exhibition, 2007

Earth in Balance, A Regional Clay Competition, Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH, 2002-2006, (awards 2002 - 2005)

“Featured Artist,” Dayton Visual Arts Center’s Dayton Clay II exhibit, 2005

University Hall, University of Cincinnati, OH, “Elements of Nature,” invitational, mixed media exhibition by Art Design Consultants of Cincinnati, 2004

Concourse Gallery, Upper Arlington, OH, three-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 2004

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, Covington, Kentucky, one-person exhibition, clay sculpture, 2002

One Dayton Centre, Dayton, Ohio, one-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 2001

Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, Ohio, one-person exhibit, mixed media clay sculpture, 2001

Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio, Hypotenuse Gallery, one-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 1999

Colonel White Gallery, Dayton, Ohio, one-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 1999

Stivers Gallery, Dayton, Ohio, two-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 1998

Edison Community College, Piqua, Ohio, one-person exhibit, clay sculpture, 1997

SELECTED JURIED ART FAIRS

Coconut Grove, FL, 2007 and 2006

Naples National, Naples, FL, 2006

Bonita Springs (FL) National Art Fest, 2006, 2007

Las Olas Art Show, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2006, 2007

Summerfair Cincinnati, OH, 2002-2006

Cain Park Art Festival, Cleveland, OH, 2002-2006

Art and Apples Art Festival, Rochester, MI, 2006 and 2007

Brookside Art Festival, Kansas City, MO, 2005

Winterfair Columbus, OH, 2002-2005

East Lansing (MI) Art Festival, 2002, 2003

Crosby Gardens, Toledo, OH, 2002-2003

Sugarloaf Novi (MI) and Gaithersburg (MD), 2002-2006

JAMES KLINGER is an artist, musician, and teacher. He has a bachelor's degree in Art Education from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and he has studied at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Sinclair College in Dayton. James' ceramic sculpture and pottery are represented in private and corporate collections in North America, Europe and Asia. He has exhibited his art in several states since 1991.

Prior careers include eight years in architectural design, eight years in secondary art education and thirty years as a professional musician. His most recent apprenticeship was with the Peruvian teacher Oscar Miro-Quesada. James is known for his long-standing relationship with raku ceramics, an ancient, Japanese art form which combines Buddhist philosophies, raku ware, and the Zen tea ceremony. Initially pulling inspiration from the East, this Midwestern artist now weaves Andean and Celtic cosmologies into a global fusion.

A passionate Ecologist, James says his work remembers the time when the mineral, plant and animal kingdom were sacred. He believes we must strive to reconnect with nature to heal ourselves and our planet.

RAKU

The ancient art of raku dates back to 16th century Japan. Originally from the Chinese, the character for raku means: "contentment, enjoyment, pleasure, and best in all the world." The first raku pottery pieces were created by an immigrant potter who was chosen by an influential Japanese tea master to produce wares of refined simplicity for the sacred Zen Buddhist tea ceremony.

Raku has been westernized over the years, but it is still, basically, the process of firing clay in an outdoor kiln to a temperature of around 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. The clay piece is then removed from the kiln with tongs and placed into a can of combustible material, such as straw. After the piece flames up, the can is covered tightly with the lid, thus depriving it of oxygen; this is called post-firing reduction. The flames seek oxygen from the clay, so they leave their colors and markings on the piece in random patterns. The colors on the finished piece reflect the interaction between the flames and the precious metals--copper and silver--in the glazes. Each raku piece is therefore unique; it is impossible for any two pieces to be the same. Raku is fragile and should be handled like glass.