Arts - Buffalo State College

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Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program
Sarah McNutt, Ceramics and Art Education
Faculty Mentor: Professor Elena Lourenco, Fine Arts
Abstract Title: Digging Up the Dirt: Utilizing Ceramic Materials From Your
Own Backyard
Sarah graduated in December 2011 and earned dual B.S. degrees in Ceramics and Art Education.
Although she eventually wants to apply her Art Education degree to teaching, Sarah is determined to first
focus on her own development and profession as an artist.
For her research, Sarah explored the use of naturally occurring local material for utilization in her
ceramic work, as an alternative to processed and nationally distributed clay. She also further developed
her interest in incorporating materials from meaningful places and events into her body of artistic work.
After digging up, processing, and testing the local clay, Sarah was able to successfully obtain workable
and colorful clay to create pieces of artwork that conveyed her ideas about the places they are from.
Sarah has had one of her pieces selected for the 2012 National Council on Education For The Ceramic
Arts (NCECA) National Student Juried Exhibition held in March 2012 at the University of Washington’s Jacob Lawrence Gallery.
Sarah represented Buffalo State at the SUNY-wide “Discovery: An Undergraduate Showcase” held in the Legislative Office Building in
Albany, NY in February 2012.
Brian Nacov, Painting
Faculty Mentor: Professor Lin Xia Jiang, Fine Arts
Abstract Title: Naturalistic Pictorial Space To Formalistic Reconstructions: A Search
For Direction and Growth As a Painter
Brian will graduate with a B.F.A. in Painting in May 2012. Afterwards he plans on applying to
Buffalo State’s post-baccalaureate Art Education program and attending graduate school. Ultimately,
Brian plans on teaching art at a high school level.
Brian conducted research on and viewing works made by both traditional pictorial landscape
painters and formalistic abstract painters that tend toward landscape subjects. After this initial research,
he spent two weeks traveling around New York State painting naturalistic plain air nature studies in
state parks. Upon his return to Buffalo, Brian then created a series of abstract, formalistic compositions
using the nature studies as a starting point. His goal in this endeavor was to achieve a certain degree
of personal growth as a painter in differing styles, as well as create a body of work that could be used in his student portfolio and
as a future teaching aid. Brian represented Buffalo State at the SUNY-wide “Discovery: An Undergraduate Showcase” held in the
Legislative Office Building in Albany, NY in February 2012.
Michelle Sallander, Ceramics
Faculty Mentor: Professor Robert Wood, Design
Abstract Title: Making Connections: Metal and Ceramics
Michelle will graduate with a B.F.A. degree in Ceramics in December 2012. After graduation she
plans on furthering her education by pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics.
For her project, Michelle researched the properties of precious metal clay (PMC) and how to form
and connect this material to ceramics. Precious metal clay is powdered metal combined with water
and an organic binder and can be formed like clay. When fired, the binder burns away and what is
left is solid metal, which behaves like and can be worked using traditional metal forming techniques.
Michelle experimented with different methods to attach the two materials including prong setting, glaze
adhesion, soldering to glaze, and epoxy.