Thu 5/27 @ 5-10PM
California ceramicist Clayton Bailey (1939-2020) was a practitioner of a genre that has been dubbed “funk art” or “nut art,” a style that can appear on the surface to be “outsider” art with its freewheeling pop culture motifs, although in fact, he was a highly trained artist. Much of his work features recurring tongue-in-cheek sci-fi images, such as robots and skeletons; he even created a mad scientist persona.
After his death, Akron’s Curated Storefront project, whose mission since 2016 has been to put art displays in empty storefronts, acquired almost all of his collection from his estate. Now they’ll be putting more than 100 of his pieces on display at the Landmark Building in downtown Akron “as we peer into the wild, warped mind of renowned ceramist and prankster Clayton Bailey.”
“This exhibit is the largest collection of Bailey’s artwork anywhere in the world,” said Curated Storefront founder Rick Rogers. “We’re pleased to make it free to the public to help celebrate the continued revitalization of downtown Akron.”
The opening event, Thursday May 27 @ 5-10pm, will feature performances by Akron-based jazz pianist Theron Brown, along with several guest musicians. Refreshments will be available for purchase. After that Bailey’s World of Wonders will be free and open to the public. Go to curatedstorefront.org for days and hours.