FIRED UP! A CELEBRATION OF WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS AND FRIENDSHIP.
Celebrating Collaboration, Creativity, and Craftsmanship: Four Women Unveil Wood-Fired Works in Unique Exhibition
Join us at Lebanon Picture Frame & Fine Art Gallery for an exhibition honoring three years of camaraderie, creativity, and artistry forged in the wood kiln. This upcoming show celebrates four women who have shared their passion for the art of wood-firing, a tradition that combines patience, precision, and collaboration. What began as a vision from Margaret Seidenberg-Ellis—an experienced artist in wood-firing—evolved into a vibrant partnership. Gathering her close friends and fellow artists Joanne Cassaro, Sue Baldwin-Way, and Lois Wilkins, Seidenberg-Ellis sought to create an environment where each artist could push boundaries, refine techniques, and deepen their understanding of wood-fired ceramics. Together, they navigated each stage of the process, from the loading of their works into the kiln to the intense final steps of adding salt and soda, all the while making each decision as a team. The exhibition also proudly includes the works of Kevin Lehman and Salvatore Annunziato, two seasoned wood-firing artists who have generously shared their expertise, encouraging and inspiring the group’s journey.
Opening Reception: We invite you to meet these talented artists in person on First Friday, December 6, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The exhibition will remain open to the public through Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Exclusive Offer: Show night only! Enjoy 15% off all cups on display, crafted with the unique beauty and texture only wood-firing can achieve.
Don’t miss this inspiring celebration of artistry and friendship—a testament to the power of creative community and the magic of the wood kiln.
Margaret Seidenberg-Ellis: Crafting Beauty from Nature and Clay. An accomplished ceramic artist from Cornwall, Pennsylvania, Margaret’s childhood on a small Vermont farm instilled in her both a deep appreciation for natural beauty and the resilience to transform it through creativity. Surrounded by the rugged landscapes of Vermont, Margaret and her sisters learned resourcefulness, and her artistic journey has continued to draw from these early inspirations. Margaret holds a BA in Biology from Earlham College, where she also studied art. She later immersed herself in Japanese culture during a transformative ten-month stay, a time that still influences her aesthetic and approach to ceramics. Following this, Margaret returned to study ceramics at Bennington College under the guidance of Stanley Rosen, a pivotal experience that shaped her unique style. “I love to hand-build with slabs of clay,” Margaret shares, “and to create surface textures through layers of slip and impressions from natural elements like tree bark and grasses.” Her work showcases a tactile connection to nature, with intricate layers of color and texture that invite viewers to engage closely with each piece. Margaret’s work has been featured in numerous prestigious juried shows, including the Strictly Functional Pottery National (juried by David MacDonald), Embrace the Vase at the Worcester Center for Crafts (juried by Martha Grover), Last Call IX at Companion Gallery (juried by Andre Clark), Cups for Contemplation at the Mississippi Museum of Art (juried by Tom and Elaine Coleman), and the Mudflat Studio Cup Show (juried by Martha Grover). She is also an active member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Lancaster Chapter. We invite you to experience the compelling beauty of Margaret’s ceramics – an elegant fusion of nature, craft, and personal history. Each piece is a tribute to her love of nature and the art of transformation through clay.
Joanne Cassaro: Art Rooted in Nature. A talented ceramic artist, Joanne’s journey began in the Bay Area of California. Encouraged by her mother, a painter, Joanne embraced the arts from an early age, fostering a lifelong commitment to creativity. After studying communication arts at California State University, Long Beach, she pursued a career as a graphic designer and art director in Irvine, California. Frequent trips to the Pacific Ocean and Lake Tahoe left an indelible mark on Joanne’s artistic perspective, with both ocean and mountain landscapes finding their way into her work. A pivotal shift in her creative path came when Joanne moved to Pennsylvania with her husband, where they built a log home surrounded by nature. “Once we moved in, it was time to create art to fill up our home. That was when I seriously entered the world of clay,” she explains. Her daily surroundings now provide endless inspiration—each leaf, branch, and flower influencing the textures and designs of her ceramic pieces. For over 20 years, Joanne worked as a Motion Graphic Designer, Senior Graphic Designer, and Photographer for WITF, a PBS/NPR affiliate, where she also curated Art in the Atrium, the station’s art gallery. Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries across Pennsylvania, including the Carlisle Arts Learning Center in Carlisle, Craft Reunion in Fort Hunter, Fifth Generation Gallery in Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg Art Center, Pure Gallery in Mechanicsburg, and the Radius Gallery in Harrisburg. We invite you to experience Cassaro’s ceramics, where the natural textures of her surroundings are transformed into captivating, tactile art. Her work is a celebration of the beauty found just beyond her studio door, captured in clay and made timeless through her artistic vision.
Lois Wilkins: Crafting a Life in Pottery. An accomplished potter based in the scenic Poconos, Lois’s journey with clay began 30 years ago when her admiration for a local potter turned into a passion for creating pottery herself. It all started with weekly classes from her favorite potter, leading her to establish her own studio and a lifelong dedication to ceramic art. Lois’s artistic foundation was built at Bennington College, where her exposure to drawing, painting, architecture, and ceramics set the stage for her future as an artist. After a fulfilling career as a teacher and librarian, Lois relocated to the Poconos and began a transformative exploration in ceramics. Workshops with master potters broadened her skills and perspective, especially after discovering the art of hand-building, which has become her primary method. Moving from wheel-thrown pottery to coiling, slab-building, and extruding, she embraces clay’s boundless potential for expression. “The versatility of clay is what draws me in,” Lois shares. “There are so many ways to create, and there’s always something new to discover. I’m especially captivated by the effects of wood-firing—each firing is different, unpredictable, and exciting!” Lois’s dedication to her craft has earned her a place among respected organizations like the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), and the wood-firing teams at both Jackie Sedlock Pottery in Vermont and Kevin Lehman’s Pottery in Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the Peters Valley School of Craft, where she collaborates and innovates alongside other talented artisans.
Sue Baldwin-Way: Cultivating Art Through Clay. A potter whose love for horticulture and design shines through in her beautifully crafted vessels. Growing up in Parsippany, New Jersey, Sue developed a fascination with plants and the natural world early on, which led her to study horticulture at Rutgers University. There, she immersed herself in plant identification, design, and botanical sketching, building a foundation in the natural sciences that would eventually influence her pottery practice. Following a 35-year career as an editor and communications professional in agricultural publishing, book publishing, and higher education, Sue has now established her studio practice in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She draws inspiration from the textures, colors, and curious forms found in her husband’s gardens and their travels across the U.S., which lend a unique vibrancy to her work. “I love to throw on the wheel,” Sue says, “the touch of clay, the act of centering, and the nuanced motions that shape pots come together in a satisfying meditation.” With a deep appreciation for texture and form, Sue creates vessels designed for flowers, food, and tools—objects that bring nature into everyday life. Through the intricate details and tactile surfaces of her pieces, Sue invites viewers to pause, connect, and experience the grounding presence of clay. Her work channels a harmonious blend of horticultural inspiration and pottery technique, making each piece a celebration of both nature and craftsmanship. We invite you to explore Sue’s collection and discover the beauty and balance she creates through the art of pottery.
Kevin Lehman: Celebrating Creativity Through Clay and Community. A multi-media artist and master ceramicist whose creative journey spans over three decades. With a Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts and an undergraduate degree from Millersville University, Kevin has not only built a distinguished career in ceramics but has also contributed profoundly to the arts community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His passion for the creative process itself fuels his work, which ranges from functional pieces to architectural and sculptural forms. Kevin’s commitment to art and community is evident through his founding of the Lancaster Creative Factory, a vibrant arts center where he is based today. This space serves as both a studio and a community hub, allowing Kevin to share his love of art and creative exploration with others. “My approach to working starts with an idea,” Kevin explains. “Then I work through that idea, leaving the process open to ‘happy accidents’ that lead to new possibilities.” This open-ended approach infuses his work with spontaneity and discovery, resulting in pieces that capture the fluid, evolving nature of creativity. His favorite method is creating vessels on the potter’s wheel and using a wood-fired kiln, which adds rich, unpredictable surface colors to his pieces. Kevin’s work is a celebration of the creative process itself, with each piece revealing a journey from idea to art. We invite you to experience the artistry of Lehman—a fusion of craftsmanship, community, and creativity in its purest form.
Salvatore Annunziato: Exploring Ceramic Art through Fire and Place. A ceramic artist based in Central Pennsylvania whose dedication to the art of wood-firing and ceramic tradition has evolved over more than a decade. Salvatore, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Marlboro College, serves as the wood kiln director and an instructor at Lancaster Creative Factory. His practice is grounded in a deep curiosity about the traces left on ceramics—marks that tell stories of transformation from raw material to finished piece through the elements of fire, clay, and human hands. Salvatore’s approach to ceramics is driven by continuous experimentation in form, glaze, clay composition, firing style, and kiln construction. His work balances functionality and artistry, drawing from traditional techniques while infusing them with his own questions and insights. “Learning to read the marks left by fire,” he says, “has shaped my journey, allowing each piece to carry a unique story.” Working with locally gathered materials, which he affectionately refers to as “dirts,” Salvatore’s sculptural work speaks to themes of unmanageability and place within the built environment. His ceramics invite viewers to study their subtle details closely, to engage with the raw beauty of natural materials, and to appreciate the ways in which they connect us to our surroundings. We invite you to experience the compelling work of Salvatore—art that combines tradition, experimentation, and a profound sense of place. Each piece stands as a testament to his commitment to process, community, and the timeless art of ceramics.
Lebanon Picture Frame & Fine Art Gallery has been serving the regional artistic community since 1999. Aside from professional and quality archival custom framing, its gallery regularly features exhibitions of local artists, as well as unique handcrafted gift items such as jewelry, paintings, ceramics, sculptures and more.
If you would like more information, please call (717) 279-7725 or email at info@LebanonPictureFrame.com