12th Annual Cup Show Impressions

Welcome to the Twelfth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function

The Twelfth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function is a gallery that is now open to the public at the Amelia Art Art Center from Nov. 15th to Dec. 6th 2019, Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-4pm. Admission to the art exhibition is free.

I personally attended the exhibition on opening night, and it was a lively and wholesome experience. I did not know what to expect for my first cup show. Even now, I wish I could have attended more of them in the past. Upon entering the gallery in Room 112 at the Amelia Art Center, I was first taken aback by the absence of the Michael Exhibit. To my surprise, some of the cups from the “Michael” were also part of the Cup Show.

The Cup Show is a gallery of unique designs and styles submitted from artists from all over the country. There were cups, mugs and goblets of all shapes and sizes. Some with their original function still intact, others meant purely for admiration. There are designs that make you look twice, once for an initial impression, and the next to take in all of the detail that you missed the first time. The impulse to turn and look into the cups is there and it’s as tempting as ever. Going through the exhibition once will not be enough to enjoy the creativity on display here. I highly encourage everyone to take a second, maybe even a third look around. You may very well see something you missed along the way.

“The toughest part was resisting the urge to reach out to each cup just to touch it. If it’s not to see the design on the other side, it was to know how heavy it was. I wanted to be surprised!”

Afterward, I had the opportunity to speak with Pavel Amromin, the Gallery Director and Professor of Art at GCSC. He was our enthusiastic host overseeing the event, keeping tabs on guests and providing insight for those curious about the cups at the show. I was surprised to hear that the event is a juried art competition featuring craftsman working at a professional level from all walks of life. This is not a gallery meant for simple arts and crafts. It’s still a place for artists to express themselves through the type of cups they create for the show. The exhibit is not only meant to exhibit different type of cups, but also different styles of creation such as “soda salt fired stoneware”, and “earthenware fired to cone 6 in oxidation”.  Each cup features a title, and a description of how it was made.

Final Thoughts

Furthermore, all of the cups at the Twelfth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function are for sale. Profits are shared between the artist and the art club, which is a wonderful way to support the artist(s) who made all of this possible.

Visiting this gallery was an inspirational experience, and I’m glad to see that so many people were enjoying it on opening night. It’s just the type of event we’ve been looking for at the start of the holiday season, and a worthwhile opportunity to see some amazing cups.

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