Fred herbst / threestones studio
Fred grew up near Green Bay and in Door County, Wisconsin, and went on to receive a BFA in Art with an emphasis in Sculpture/Metals from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. He then attended the University of North Texas and earned an MFA in Ceramics. He is currently the Associate Dean of Instruction & Learning / Pre-Collegiate Programs at SUNY Dutchess in Poughkeepsie, New York. He previously served as the Dean of the School of Arts, Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences at SUNY Rockland in Suffern, New York. He also served as a Professor of Art and administrator at SUNY Corning in Corning, New York.
Since 1994, Fred has worked primarily in ceramics, sculpture, and mixed media. His work has been shown across the country in a wide range of exhibitions. He has presented at the Ceramics Program at Harvard University, the Glass Art Society, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and two international wood-fired ceramics conferences. He has published a number of articles in Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, and The Log Book: The International Publication for Woodfired Ceramics. His work has also been published in 500 Teapots Vol. 2 and Wood-fired Ceramics: 100 Contemporary Artists. Fred developed a unique hybrid wood-fired ceramics and glassblowing kiln in collaboration with the Corning Museum of Glass. This design is used to fire ceramics and blow glass simultaneously and has been built at SUNY Corning and the Domaine de Boisbuchet in France.
Artist Statement
My studio practice is divided into a variety of themes that influence and feed each other. My wide-ranging interests result in visual explorations of the changing environment, historical references, and layered two-dimensional elements suggesting illusionistic space. Each idea requires different materials and methods to reflect the complex visual culture we inhabit.
