Creative Curiosity – Ceramics by Sylvia “Skip” Cunningham

July 7 – August 31, 2022

Morrison Exhibit Space, Duke University Clinic Building

Throughout a life full of travel and experiences, nonagenarian Sylvia “Skip” Cunningham has translated her diverse influences into her artistic medium of choice, clay. Her work shows an ever-evolving, creative curiosity and experimentation in shape, color, surface treatment, and firing methods. These pieces range from figurative and wall-hangings to functional works, such as teapots, bowls, and mugs, seamlessly transitioning from geometric forms to fluid organic and whimsical compositions creating a consistent but varied body of work.

Born in upstate New York, Skip’s adventures in travel and fascination with clay started at a young age. At seven years old, she rode the bus alone to the local museum to take clay hand-building classes. Childhood visits to the Thousand Islands on the Canadian border with her family are still evident in her work, where ornately crafted gingerbread moldings were a common sight. Skip later moved to California to attend her final year of high school in Los Angeles, followed by four years at Stanford University. With a degree in Design, Skip moved into painting and spent years in set and costume design. She then set out for a life of travel and experiences abroad with two years teaching in Bangkok, Thailand at the International Children's Center, followed by extensive travels and art practices throughout Thailand, Japan, India, the Philippines, and Europe.

Having moved 21 times by age 36, Skip’s range of ceramics is analogous to her transitions in life. She reflects “after such a rootless existence, creativity by its very nature elusive and ever-evolving, remained the one constant and grounding factor” in her life. After moving to North Carolina, she returned to her medium of choice. Preferring clay due to its tactile qualities, and hand-building because of its freedom to create unique shapes and textures, she can express herself through compositions that reflect her collection of experiences.

As a life-long learner, Skip continued attending classes and assisting at the Durham Arts Council’s Clay Studio and was a member of Clayworks. She has also exhibited at locations throughout the Triangle, including Craven Allen Gallery, Louise Jones Brown Gallery, and the Annual National Teapot Show at Cedar Creek Gallery. She resides in Durham, NC, in a place she “finally calls home".