campus news and events

Colby-Sawyer College Hosts Ceramic Artist David Ernster for Demonstration of his Creative, Technical Skills in Clay

NEW LONDON, N.H., March 16, 2011 – Ceramic artist and Adjunct Professor David Ernster will demonstrate his creative and technical virtuosity in clay as part of the Colby-Sawyer College 2010-2011 Artist and Lecture Series.

The demonstration will be held on Tuesday, April 5, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Ceramics Studio, located on the lower level of the Sawyer Fine Arts Center. Admission is free.

College and area community members are invited to attend this series of lectures and presentations by artists and scholars, which is intended to inspire people and raise awareness of the arts at Colby-Sawyer and the college's proposed new fine and performing arts center.

In his artist's statement, Professor Ernster explains that he is most interested in the ability of art objects to transport viewers to a kind of primal space in which they are able to gain insights into the objects' creation and achieve a greater understanding of their mystery and origins. “The record left by the manipulations of process, material and abstract symbolism for me act as a kind of cultural artifact that is meant to create a mystery of why, where and how questions that I hope the viewer will take with them to be asked again,” he says.

Professor Ernster has expertise in ceramics, printmaking, metalworking, sculpture and jewelry-making and has exhibited his work across the country. He earned an M.F.A. in Ceramics from West Virginia University and B.F.A. in Metalworking/Jewelry from the University of Iowa. He has taught classes in ceramics at Colby-Sawyer College since 1999.

The next event in Colby-Sawyer's Artist and Scholar Lecture Series is “National Visions within a Global Dialogue” with Associate Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Brandy Gibbs-Riley. Gibbs-Riley's lecture will be held Tuesday, April 12, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Sawyer Center Lobby Gallery.

-Cassandra Monahan '11


Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire.

Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000