TARA POLANSKY
CERAMIC ARTIST
EDUCATION
2007-2008 KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE, Kansas City, MO
Post Baccalaureate Study
2002-2004 HUNTER COLLEGE, New York, NY
Bachelor of Arts with Special Honors in Studio Art and Sociology
Honors: Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Dean’s List, Thomas Hunter Honors Program
1997-1998 PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, New York, NY
Foundations
Dean’s List
EXHIBITIONS
2008 Where There’s Fire: Ceramics Juried Exhibition, Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Living, Longing, and Losing: Stories of the American Dream. April Hernandez, Korla Luckeroth, Tara Polansky, KCAI Crossroads Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Juried Student Exhibition, Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Kiln Formed Glass, Ken Ferguson Teaching Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Porcelain from Hungary, Ken Ferguson Teaching Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Tradition and Transformation: Art by Jewish Woman, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Tablets: Text and Image on Clay, Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO
Cultures Without Borders Juried Traveling Art Exhibit, Pi Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Award of Merit
2007 Juried Student Exhibition, Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2006 riffRAG Issue 2 Release Exhibition, Bluestockings Books, New York, NY
2003 Fall Exhibition, Hunter College Ceramics Gallery, New York, NY
1998 Juried Student Works Exhibition, Parsons School of Design Exhibition Center, New York, NY
1997 Juried Student Works Exhibition, Parsons School of Design Exhibition Center, New York, NY
PROFESSIONAL CERAMIC EXPERIENCE
2008 Studio Assistant, Rain Harris Studio, Kansas City, MO
Assist with production of sculptural ceramic work for exhibition.
Resident Artist, International Ceramic Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary
Pursued investigation with translucent Hungarian Herend porcelain during month-long residency.
2006 Resident Artist, Mud, Sweat, and Tears, New York, NY
Created body of utilitarian pottery.
Resident Artist, Cerámica Ayllu, Urubamba, Cuzco, Peru
Worked with family of artisans to learn local pottery traditions referencing the Inca with painted surface decoration, burnished finish, and simplicity of form.
Resident Artist, Roso Alamo Taller, La Encantada, Piura, Peru
Worked with family of artisans to learn local pottery traditions using terra sigillatas, burnishing, and slip resist technique in the final smoking firing.
2005 Intern, KleinReid, Brooklyn, NY
Assisted with production of ceramic wares.
Resident Artist, Casa de Cultura, Oaxaca, Mexico
Studied with artisan to learn local production pottery methods.
Apprentice, Super Mud Pottery, New York, NY
Worked as a studio monitor in return for enrollment in ceramics studio course.
2003-04 Apprentice, Hunter College Ceramics Studio, New York, NY
Maintained ceramics studio areas in return for studio access.
2001 Apprentice, Chambers Street Pottery, New York, NY
Worked as studio monitor in return for enrollment in ceramics studio course.
PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL JUSTICE EXPERIENCE
2007 Project Director, American Jewish Word Service, New York, NY
Formulated and implemented plans to influence foreign policy platforms of US Presidential Candidates during the primary campaign. Supervised team of ten
organizers in four states to engage citizens in project.
2004-2006 Campaign Organizer, New York Civic Participation Project, New York, NY
Organized union members around immigrants’ rights at the local, state and national level. Trained and supervised a team of organizers. Developed and implemented plans for all organizational campaigns, including comprehensive immigration reform, access to drivers’ licenses, and translation services at hospitals. Built coalitions with other progressive organizations, including labor, faith, advocacy and community organizations. Organized the annual Leadership Development Institute.
2003 Research Intern, Immigration Equality, New York, NY
Conducted and compiled original research about the effects of current U.S. immigration policy on binational same-sex couples. Wrote 70-page educational publication regarding the Permanent Partners Immigration Act.
1999-2001 ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), Oakland, CA
Head Organizer, 2001, Lead Organizer, 2000, and Field Organizer, 1999
Organized people in low-income neighborhoods to fight for changes in their communities. Ran campaigns including: opening the first new school in Oakland in 30 years; winning the strongest ordinance in the country outlawing abusive lending practices; winning over one million dollars for the Oakland Parks and Recreation Department; assisting in a successful city council election; and creating a community controlled school. Hired, trained, and supervised all Oakland staff.
PUBLICATIONS
2006 riffRAG.org, Issue 2, “Lungs” ceramic sculpture, featured artist
2001 Venus in the Mirror, Words like Kudzu Press, Edited by Karen Lillis, Cover Artwork
2000 Scott Dred, Scott Dred Productions, Cover Artwork
