CC: What excited you most about this project?
Polly: I had been working with ceramics on my own for about 10 years. I started with a class at Greenwich House Pottery in NYC, but the opportunity to work with a master artisan/artist, Gregg Moore has been invaluable. I think you can see it in the work. I received the Creative Capital grant to create a craft and installation project, and was able to have the resources to thoroughly investigate both aspects. The show has over 55 PA Abstracts, wall pieces based on quilts, rugs and game boards. I even have a goose, watering can and pitcher. Everything is ceramic.

PA Abstract Gameboy by Polly Apfelbaum, terracotta and glaze, 2021

CC: What has it meant to be an artist during the pandemic?
Polly: It means you are not showing a lot of work, so having grants and funding are lifesavers. On the bright side, it provided some time to really dive into a body of work. Time is invaluable, there is no way I would have been able to devote this much time to a residency outside of these specific circumstances. These are very trying times.

CC: What do you hope audiences will take away from this exhibition?
Polly: The show is about inspiration and influence for me. I hope it transports people to the place I wanted to discover through this work. This work is very specific to Pennsylvania, where I grew up and I hope audiences will connect to the process of looking inward, at their own histories and imagination.

Polly Apfelbaum tests various ceramic glazes at Arcadia University’s ceramics studio.

CC: What was most challenging about this project?
Polly: I wouldn’t say challenging, but that we worked very hard. I’m grateful to have been able to do so many tests and experiments during my residency at Arcadia University. Every part of the work was lovingly investigated before realizing the final vision for the installation – from the texture and thickness of the slabs to making our own clay and developing 100 glaze colors. There were days when I was glazing for ten hours a day. So, I wouldn’t say challenging, but more thrilling.

Installation view of For the Love of Una Hale by Polly Apfelbaum at Arcadia University. Photo: Sam Fritch.

CC: What is one piece of advice you would give to an artist embarking on a new project right now?
Polly: Have a fluidity of mindset. Don’t set your ideas in stone and let the process guide you.

CC: What’s one thing you look forward to each day?
Polly: I’m now addicted to glazing ceramics! I love it so much.

Barn Dark Blue Deep Green by Polly Apfelbaum, terracotta and glaze, 2021

CC: What does home mean to you?
Polly: This show was about going home, as painful as that can be, but it also turned out to be a joy. The incredible coincidence of this show is that Arcadia University is 20 minutes from where I grew up—and where my mother still lives—and ten minutes from where I went to art school. The idea came before COVID but this deepened the experience, as I could visit my 95 year old mother after things opened up. They say you can’t go home again, but I did.

CC: What’s a special food or drink that you enjoy?
Polly: I’m not a cook but I do love good food. I’m hoping when the weather’s a little nicer we can make some pizza in the outdoor kiln at Arcadia. My residency isn’t over until the summer, so there’s still time. I consider firing ceramics to be my main form of cooking lately. I felt we were really cooking up a storm. And.. a drink? Top it off with a martini.

Installation view of For the Love of Una Hale by Polly Apfelbaum at Arcadia University. Photo: Sam Fritch.

CC: How has Creative Capital been helpful to you?
Polly: During this difficult time, knowing I had the funding that I could use the way I needed was incredible. Creative Capital respected my choices of how to best allocate resources and I can’t overemphasize how helpful this was. Thank you.

For the Love of Una Hale premieres at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, February 3 – April 17, 2022, with a reception and artist talk on February 16, 2022.