The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Beth Franz
Bio
I have been writing for as long as I can recall and playing with clay since 1987, the year I turned 30. The two mediums (words and clay) have worked well in tandem for me for the last 35 years. I lived overseas when I was in the second and third grade and was fortunate to take in the striking sight of many works of sculpture (particularly in Italy) when I was young enough to really “see” them through a child’s eyes. Ever since then, the lines and planes of the human form have fascinated me.
I was fortunate to encounter a teacher in the first (adult, non-credit) sculpture class I signed up for, back in 1987, who encouraged me to keep trying to “see” (as clearly as I can) those lines and planes. I’ve also benefitted from spending time with other sculptors, among them Philippe Faraut, an accomplished sculptor who has studied human anatomy for years and who has the enviable ability to “see” both the skeletal and muscular structure beneath the surface. In several workshops and at least one private consultation, Philippe has helped me continue to try to “see” (as clearly as I can) the human form I’m trying to see. And for several years, I was fortunate to secure several local commissions designed to honor individuals who had passed. Those commissions helped me learn a great deal. Having to rely exclusively on photographs while working on those commissions, I also found myself fueled by the power of the stories people shared with me about those individuals we were trying to honor.
With a Master of Arts in English (1984) and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (2015), I have a healthy respect for the power of stories in people’s lives. As it turns out, my work with clay is also tied to that respect for people’s stories. And now that I am retired, I am eager to give myself to what I enjoy so much … trying to “see” more clearly the people who capture my attention and trying to tell a piece of their stories … whether through drawing or writing or playing with clay.