Jani Hileman and Ryan Osborne Artist Talks
October 21, 5:30pm
Artist talks are free and open to all ages. Coffees, smoothies, beer, wine, snacks and sandwiches are available in the STARworks Café and Taproom. Stick around for Open Mic Night in the cafe following talks.
Jani Hileman
Jani Hileman is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice incorporates sculpture, storytelling and performance. Her work is often made with labor-intensive processes like woodfiring that allow the materials to influence the final aesthetic of her projects. Jani has shown work throughout the mid-Atlantic region, having participated in group shows such as On The Verge at Creative Alliance and Baltimore Clayworks’ 40th Anniversary Show. She completed her BFA at The Maryland Institute College of Art in 2018 and is currently based in Baltimore as a resident artist at Creative Alliance.
Ryan Osborne
As a native of Kingsport, Tennessee, a relatively small town just above and to the right of the Great Smoky Mountains, Ryan Osborne grew up being attracted to the natural world around him. Whether it was Tennessee’s rolling hills, mountains, lakes, or rivers, Ryan was always out exploring in my his way, and still does today. He has also always had a great deal of interest in art, even at an early age, and consider himself lucky to have attended great schools and universities for nourishing his love and desire to make art. In high school Ryan took every art class that was offered, including two ceramics courses, which he credits with really building the foundation for the artist that he is now. After high school, he went on to study at five colleges, ultimately receiving his Bachelor of Arts at Ferrum College in 2011. Out of the undergraduate schools that Ryan attended, Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia, and Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia, were by far the most essential to his creative growth. In 2014, Ryan received his Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Kent State University, where he studied under the direction of the late Kirk Mangus, and his wife and colleague, Eva Kwong. Ryan says that without their guidance, enduring mentorship, and love for their students, he would not be the artist that he is today.