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Fayetteville, Arkansas artist, Don Nibert, has won many awards at art festivals, including the Bentonville, Arkansas Art Show as well as an Arkansas Foundation Grant recipient. He is a member of a traditional Celtic band, the Mudlarks. He has played fiddle, violin, penny whistle, and guitar for many Arkansas events. Don Nibert's raku fired work is elevated to the status of sculpture with the addition of unique welded found metal stands. Nibert possesses a mastery of the raku technique, and is an award winning ceramic artist. Don Nibert's ceramic art is sold in galleries and art festivals, and can be purchased by contacting the artist from this online gallery. Don Nibert's studio, Altered Earth Pottery, is located on South College in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Raku is a centuries-old Japanese firing process characterized by low firing temperatures and the dramatic effects of removing the works from the kiln while glowing hot. Contemporary American Raku is achieved through a unique ceramic firing process. The glaze, called copper mat, dry copper, flash, or flash-in-trash produces astounding colors. Nibert's expert timing in post reduction produces an atypical color response. Typically, raku utilizing the copper mat glaze produces reds, and irridescents. Don Nibert mastery has the unique coloring of warm browns, golds, greens, dark purples, and yellow ochre, It is earthen toned raku ware.
Nibert's raku pottery is an artistic endeavor which combines performance art with pottery. The raku firing process is to traditional high firing as jazz is to classical music. There are too many variables for scientific control of the material. Nibert uses his senses to contorl the process as much as humanly possible
The art and process of raku firing is described in this insightful quote by a world reknowned raku artist:
"'What is it about the dynamics of this particular discipline that makes (Raku) so vital, Raku exemplifies...a complex relationship of material, human activity, and qualities of the natural world . . . (Raku) implies freshness and simplicity; it also defines an accidental or happenstance element, maybe even a imperfection which lends elegance and uniqueness to the whole. (Raku)...has a beauty stems from age. It stresses the appreciation of transient things and of the cycles of life that give rise to change. It can also refer to the quality of unpretentiousness or a kind of primitive naturalness.
Traditional raku embodies a system that makes judgment and sensitivity paramount. . .The Raku process is contrary to our penchant for duplication and mass production.
Discover the masterful raku pottery of Don Nibert. Sculptural platters, vases and urns are exquisitely designed by this master clay artist. Email Don Nibert at donnibert@mac.com
Altered Earth Pottery, Don Nibert
AWARDS:
2010: Best in Media($500.00) Art and Air, Webster Groves, Mo.
Best in 3-D ($250.00) Bentonville Artfest, Bentonville, Ar.
Award of Excellence ($500.00) Salute to the Masters, Fairview Heights, IL.
Award of Merit ($535.00) Hidden Glen Arts Festival, Olathe, KS
Second Place Fine Arts ($350.00), Historic Shaw Art Fair, St. Louis, MO
2009: Award of Distinction $200.00 Fort Myer, Fl
Juror’s Choice $500.00, Artigras, Jupiter, Fl
Best of Media ($500.00) Art and Air, Webster Groves, Mo
Second Place Clay ($1000.00) Festival of the Masters, Disney World, Fl
Judge’s Award ($400.00) GGAF, Pensacola, Fl
2008: Best in Media ($500.00) Art and Air, Webster Grove, Mo
2007: Award of Excellence ($500.00) Art in the Park, Belleville, Il
Second Place 3-D Fayetteville Fine Arts, Fayetteville, Ar
2006: First Place Clay (1500.00) Disney World, FL.
Judge”s Award ($500.00) ArtiGras, Weat Palm, Fl
Best In Category (1500.00) Art in the Park, Belleville,Il
2005: Award of Merit ($500.00) ArtiGras, W,Palm Beach, Fl
First Place Clay ($1000.00) Salute to the Masters, Fairview Heights,IL
Third Place Clay ($600.00) Festival of the Masters, Fl.
2004: First Place Clay ($1000.00) Salute to the Masters, Fairview Heights,IL
Third Place Clay ($750.00) Festival of the Masters, Disney World, FL
Best in Show ($1000.00) Fayetteville Fine Arts Show, Fay., AR
First Place Ceramic ($1000.00) ArtiGras, W.Palm Beach, Fl.
2003: First Place Clay ($1000.00), Salute to the Masters, Fairview Heights. Il.
2002: Award of Excellence ($1200.00), Great Gulf Coast Art Fair,Pensacola,Fl.
‘Signature Piece’ Award ($2000.00), Salute to the Masters, Fairview Height
2001: Award of Merit$550,Cen.Penn.Fest&Sidewalk Sale,State College
2000: Third Place Clay ($600), Festival of the Masters ~ Disney World, FL.
First Place Clay ($800), Des Moines Art festival ~ Des Moines, IA.
First Place Clay ($400), Artigras ~ W. Palm Beach, FL.
1999: Award of Excellence($500), Edmonds Art Fair ~ Edmonds WA.
Award of Distinction($650), Central Penn. Fest. & Sidewalk Art Fair ~ State College,PA.
Award of Excellence ($250), Danforth Museum Fine Craft Show ~ Framingham, MA.
First Place Clay ($400), Artigras~ W. Palm Beach, FL.
1998: Second Place Clay ($850), Festival of the Masters ~ Disney World , FL.
1997: Award of Merit ($300), Festival of the Masters ~ Disney World, FL.
Award of Merit ($450), Central Penn. Fest. & Sidewalk Art fair ~ State College, PA.
1996: First Place Ceramic, Mainstreet ~ Fort Worth, TX.
Award of Distinction ($600), Mayfest ~ Tulsa, OK.
Second Place Clay ($300), Salute to the Masters ~ Fairview Heights, IL.
First Place Clay Award of Excellence ($1050), Great Gulf Coast Art fair ~ Pensacola, Fl
1995: Foundation Grant ($5000), Awarded by Arkansas Art Council
Award of Merit ($300), Central Penn. Fest. & Sidewalk Art Show ~ State College, PA.
First Place Clay Award of Excellence ($1000), Salute to the Masters ~ Fairview Hts., IL.
Award of Excellence ($1000), Great Gulf Coast Art Fair ~ Pensacola, FL.
1994: First Place Ceramics ($400), Summerfair ~ Cincinnati, OH.
Best of show($500), Summerfair ~ Cincinnati, OH.
1993: Award of Distinction ($550),Central Penn.Fest.& Sidewalk Art show ~ State College,PA
First Place Clay ($1200), Festival of the Masters ~ Disney World, Fl
1992: Best in Media ($500.00 Contemporary Art Forms, Des Moines, IA
Second Place Ceramics ($5