Maker/Mentor 2018 Featured Artist: Neil Laperriere
Hawaiian Skink, c. 1989, ceramic, Neil Laperriere
The fledgling ceramicist hadn’t yet mastered the skills that can make or, well, break a clay sculpture and so his reptile lost several toes, and an eyeball during the firing process. His sister saw an opportunity to tease her dejected sibling. “She told me it wasn’t a Haitian Skink because they had all their toes and two eyes, says Laperriere, “though ironically our Haitian Skink Dot was missing a leg.” Laperriere spun that his creation was a lesser-known Hawaiian Skink, which, he explained, run so fast that parts come off.
Neil Laperriere and his sister Anne, 1989
Fast forward fifteen years -- Laperriere attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York to study metal and jewelry design, graduating in 2007. When his former college roommate moved to California to work with his own craft of photography, Laperriere realized he too needed a change. He applied for a job in the fabrication department at Pewabic in 2008 and is now Quality Control Specialist, inspecting works as they come out of the kiln. A silversmith by trade turned visual artist, Neil Laperriere has a unique perspective on art and what has led him to where he is today.
“I’m Pewabic’s goalie. Practically everything Pewabic produces goes through my gate, whether it’s giftware or architectural. Not to be biased, but I genuinely have the best job here,” says Laperriere, who calls his work a privilege. “I’m convinced I see more Pewabic than everyone, at least finished goods,” he says. “It’s my job to delve into our entire output, quite literally. It’s amazing.”
The fact that he found his way back to one of the places that possibly launched his life as an artist isn’t lost on Laperriere. “I think chance is infinite. I think if you’re living a true life where you’re supposed to be there are infinite possibilities. I’ve lived my best life and it led me here. In hindsight, I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Neil Laperriere, Quality Control Specialist
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Black Lives Matter.
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Pewabic has operated in Detroit for over a century. We recognize the inequity our Black community faces on a daily basis and we share the grief and horror following the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others.
The challenges currently facing this nation are severe and will require all of us working together to overcome. But progress will only be made when we recognize that the pain and suffering has not been equally shared. Black Lives Matter. We stand with those calling for an end to racism and injustice. We know that we have much more work to do ourselves, but we will continue our efforts to build an organization that is welcoming to and fully reflective of Detroit's diverse community.
We’ve been mostly quiet this week, listening, but we believe that art can be a powerful vehicle for understanding. In that spirit, we wanted to share some of the work being created by Kyle and Kelly Phelps, two of our favorite artists working in clay.
