2023 FOCUS | COLOR

COLOR is a group exhibition, featuring a collection of work by ceramicist Mary Carroll, glass artist Rojer Serpas, and the collaborative screenprinter/quilter team of Alyssa Salomon and Gretchen Carder. Color has the ability to spark recollection, inspire pleasure, and energize. Mary Carroll creates nostalgic ceramics that employ a retro color palette and are inspired by graphics found on her dad’s old tank tops and vinyl albums. Rojer Serpas makes playful, hand blown glassware meant to spark a smile and bring joy into people’s homes. Screenprinter Alyssa Salomon and quilter Gretchen Carder combine their talents to create radiant, vibrantly patterned quilts that express their exuberant interest in bold color. For everyone who shares a love for everyday functionality and the power of color, this exhibition is for you.

Alyssa Salomon + Gretchen Carder
Rojer Serpas

Rojer Serpas discovered the glassblowing studio while he was a student at California State University, Fresno. After graduation he continued to hone his craft, working alongside other California glass artists who taught him techniques that would later serve his own practice. In 2014 he relocated to Portland, OR, working for several studios before launching his own studio, Little Tomato Glass, in 2019. Little Tomato Glass’s signature designs, available in an array of fun colors, can now be found in retailers across the country.

“My work is inspired by clean lines, color, and functional design. I strive to make pieces that are both visually stunning and utilitarian in nature. Each piece is hand blown at my studio in Portland, OR. I enjoy creating modern, fun pieces that you can use in your everyday life. No two objects are alike because everything is handmade. There are slight variations between each piece that makes it as unique as you are. From an idea in my brain, to a sketch, to the finished product, I derive so much joy from the entire creative process.” – RS

Mary Carroll’s nostalgic ceramics employ a retro color palette and are inspired by graphics found on her dad’s old tank tops and vinyl albums. Mary was studying graphic design in college when she took an extra ceramics class on the side. She quickly fell in love with the medium. After three more college classes and a few local Portland area markets, she dropped out of graphic design and bought a pottery wheel. Early success at the markets and orders for handmade coffee cups from local cafes encouraged her entrepreneurial spirit. Before long Mary Carroll Ceramics was a successful, full time business.

Mary Carroll
Alyssa Salomon + Gretchen Carder

The wholecloth quilts are a collaborative project between screenprinter Alyssa Salomon of Blue Skies Workroom and quilter Gretchen Carder of Good Quilt. Alyssa’s designs are expertly screenprinted on linen with eco-friendly, water-based inks. Gretchen then turns the fabrics into quilts using 100% cotton backing, batting and thread. They are machine-quilted and bound for enduring durability.

Alyssa Salomon is a printer, seamstress, photographer, and self-taught chemist. She has always loved working with cloth and paper. As a small girl, Alyssa learned to sew from her mother, and as an established artist, Alyssa learned how to screen print during a faculty retreat at Penland School of Craft. Her favorite color is still fluorescent.

Gretchen Carder is a graphic designer turned quiltmaker. She enjoys being able to work with design in a more physical way, creating pieces that are striking from across the room and lovely up-close. Melding pattern, color and texture, Gretchen makes heirloom-quality quilts for homes with a modern, artistic aesthetic.