A brand-new exhibition inside the Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery has opened, displaying hand-crafted pottery inspired by centuries of ceramics works of the past. 

The display is titled “Italian Studies” and was created by Margaret Bohls, a professor of ceramics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bohls’ works have been displayed in over 100 different exhibitions across the United States. She has provided art lectures, art workshops, and contributed to various artistic journals and pottery magazines during her teaching career of over 30 years. 

The display opened on August 27 and it showcases a variety of different pottery and ceramic works painted in white and black patterns. The shapes of each work differ, varying from more traditional pottery to abstract shapes and designs coated in stripes and circles. 

The designs and inspiration for the pieces come from the history of ceramics created on the Italian Peninsula. Various forms of Italian pottery came as an inspiration to Bohls, as she sketched ideas on how to replicate the style and composition of the works she viewed while spending time in Italy and London. 

On her website, Bohls states: “These still-life-like groupings in some ways mimic the didactic, catalogic museum installations I have been studying.”  

Modernist-era European and American designs also factor into her inspirations for her works. The textures and designs for each piece reflect the excentric attention to detail to every ceramic work displayed. 

The display includes a wall plaque with extra information on the meaning behind her work as well. In Bohls mind, the works that are on view are meant to reflect the way form embodies ideas, emotions, and cultural identity. 

The “Italian Studies” exhibit is open to the public and free to visit during gallery hours. The final day of the exhibition will be October 1st. You can find more information and ceramic works by Margaret Bohls on her dedicated website.