GALEX 52 NATIONAL COMPETITION & EXHIBITION

March 2 - 31, 2018

GALEX is comprised of the words "Galesburg" and "Exhibit" What began as a regional competition has grown into a national juried competition and exhibition, now in its 52nd year. This year's exhibition includes over 70 pieces of art, representing 59 artists from around the country.

This year's Juror, Janis Mars Wunderlich, is considered to be a contemporary ceramic master, she has been creating intricately detailed ceramic sculpture as a studio artist for nearly 30 years. Her work has been included in hundreds of national and international publications and exhibitions, including CONFRONTATIONAL CLAY:  THE ARTIST AS SOCIAL CRITIC, at the American Craft Museum (NY), AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS, at the Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum (Taiwan), and FORM AND IMAGINATION:  WOMEN CERAMIC SCULPTORS, at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (CA).  Drawn to process-oriented art forms, Janis also has extensive background in printmaking, mixed media, and experimental materials and methods. 

Janis is the recipient of multiple Virginia Groot Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and Greater Columbus Arts Council Grants. She has an MFA from The Ohio State University and a BFA from Brigham Young University, and is currently an Assistant Professor at Monmouth College, where she teaches Ceramics, Design, and Art History. 

As a juror, she is drawn to images and forms that bear personal evidence of the maker, yet expand and engage the viewer on a universal level. Craftsmanship, detail, meaning, and intentionality are all critical factors, but powerful images and forms that pullthe viewer in and evoke deeper contemplation fascinate her.