Hilda Eiber: Potter
Hilda Eiber creates a lizard at the Mountain Heritage Festival. She has been pursuing the visual arts since she was a young girl in Munich, Germany.
What is your craft? I’m a visual artist. I create ceramic sculpture, art pottery, watercolors, oils, murals, and tiles.
How long have you been doing it? Since I was quite young. As a young girl, I used to spend my off-time between classes at the museums and antiquity galleries of my hometown.
Who/What inspired you to learn this craft? My hometown is Munich, the capital of Bavaria, one of the most active art colonies of the western world since the twelfth century. My family lived in Swabing, close to the center of the city. From an early age, I was exposed to the architecture, sculpture, and paintings of the great masters, as well as the newer, innovative styles of the twentieth century. AS a young girl, I used to spend my off-time between classes at the museums and antiquity galleries of my home town. I’ve always been fascinated by texture, form, color, and line. The continuous exploration of materials is of great interest to me.How can people contact you about your work? My studio is in Falling Waters, West Virginia. People can email me at hildajoe@msn.com or call me at 304-274-6986.
What are some of the things you make? My work has taken many different directions: dress design, painting, sculpture, and pottery.
What is your favorite/most unique thing to make? Glaze making is one of my favorites.
What awards have you won? I was Artist in Residence at the Boarman Arts Center from January through April, 1996.
I’ve had solo exhibits in Martinsburg, Hagerstown, and Washington, D.C. I’ve also participated in juried shows at the Washington County (Maryland) Museum of Fine Arts, the Maryland Arts Council Gallery, the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston, the YMCA in Wheeling, and The Audubon Naturalist Society in Washington, D.C.
Hilda’s pottery, shown here at the jurying session for the Mountain Heritage festival, is like herpersonality -- unique, forceful, and dramatic
What is the central theme of your work? a message comes through in my work, I hope it is one of caring for the environment and the good spirit of people. I feel my expressions reflect a sense of humor and a vision into the deeper aspects of life.
What responsibilities/special projects have you worked on for Heritage? My work was juried into the Mountain heritage Festival this year, along with six other heritage artisans. I’ve demonstrated at most of the First Saturday events this year, and I taught a class on Matisse cutouts for the Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp.
Do you have any goals or aspirations for the future related to your craft? I love what I am doing. I am doing what I always wanted to do.