Julianne Blackburn - Ceramic Artist

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Julianne Blackburn—Ceramic Artist

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Julianne Blackburn is a local ceramic artist whose work was recently displayed at Emerge Art Gallery in downtown Greenville.  Her work was part of the “Rock The Bus” exhibition put on by Pitt County Schools and the county’s Art teachers.  This is Julianne’s second year teaching Art at South Central High School, and although she didn’t think she would ever be a teacher, she said she absolutely loves it.  She said teaching is not easy, but that she has been happy with her decision and wouldn’t want to leave her school community.    

Julianne is originally from Havelock, NC but said she moved around a lot growing up.  Her parents currently live in Coats, NC and Julianne attended ECU, where she received her degree in Art Education.  While earning her undergraduate degree, Julianne won the Nell Cole Graves Award of Excellence in Ceramics two years in a row.  Julianne originally went to school for teaching, but after her first high school observation changed her major immediately.  “I observed a high school art teacher for two days and I didn’t want to teach anymore,” she said.  After she changed majors, she took her first ceramic survey class.  It was then, when she was working on a particularly emotional piece, she felt the motivation and desire to want to teach again. 

Julianne’s work is all hand carved with personal pictures and words that illustrate her family’s experiences, good and bad.  One piece has an image of her great-grandmother holding her as a child with the genealogy of her family carved on the back.  Julianne never knew her father, and on one piece titled “The First Words”, she carved excerpts from the letter she wrote her father in 2002, the first contact they had ever had, along with pieces from the letter he wrote back.  The beautiful black and white vase is covered in words so full of passion and hurt and hope, that it almost takes your breath away. 

The piece that motivated Julianne to give teaching another try is called “Daddy” and the red and white jug includes a hand carved replica of the only picture she ever had of her father with her as a child.  It also has a poem Julianne wrote in high school carved into it.  The piece comments on divorce and the effect it has on a family, but she said, “It’s the reason I’m a teacher.”  She said the project was such a healing experience that she wanted to give students the same outlet she had.  “I have my students write and dig deep inside themselves for their work,” she said, “My artwork is a voice to all that stuff in my life and I want to do that with my students.”

Julianne’s work is very personal and each ceramic vase or jug is a piece of her family’s history.  She likes the fact that ceramics date civilizations and she is able to make something that lasts.  Her story is captured forever in beautiful and stunning piece of art.  “That’s what is so neat about this,” Julianne said, “It’s an heirloom as soon as it comes out.”