Pilgrims on the Way to Canterbury

Dee Schaad is a figurative clay artist whose whimsical work first engages and disarms the viewer, then slyly reveals pointed social commentary. His installation in the Concourse B exhibition case presents characters inspired by Chaucer’s pilgrimage stories in his 14th century prose poem The Canterbury Tales, but casts them as contemporary travelers in modern “tourist” dress. The result is an assortment of quirky and memorable individuals with somewhat familiar backstories, gathered together and displayed for us to recognize moral lessons about our times and ourselves much as Chaucer’s engaging narratives did for his medieval audience.

• Artist: Dee Schaad
• Location: Concourse B
• Installation: August 4 - November 16, 2014

About the Artist: Dee Schaad was born and raised in Nebraska. He received his B.S. and M.Ed in Studio Art from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and has an M.F.A. from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Recently retired, he taught ceramics at the University of Indianapolis for more than 30 years, serving as chairman of the Department of Art and Design from 1994 to 2010 and was acclaimed as Teacher of the Year in 2006. His work is included in several books about art in clay, is held in numerous public and private collections, and has been exhibited nationally. Schaad works in both stoneware and earthenware clays, and his artwork takes the form of large and small sculptural pieces as well as more traditional vessel forms. He is a 2007 recipient of a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. His writing about art in clay has appeared in a number of national publications and he is a popular workshop instructor.