Hollace was pleased to have her work featured at the Lancaster Clay Studio “Under 20” Show held during the month of August, 2013. This studio is Hollace’s “home away from home” where she spends much of her time, and is fortunate to continue to hone her skills under the direction of studio owner and potter, Caroline Henderson.

Hollace spent the week of July 15-19, 2013 studying pottery at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill in Cape Cod. In this pristine seaside location, she took a workshop under Adero Willard, who is a studio potter and instructor of ceramics at Holyoke Community College. In this workshop, Hollace was exposed to learning how to create intricate surfaces by combining and layering color and pattern using resists, sgraffito, and mishima. She created several pieces, including the teapot pictured above.

In the fall of 2012, Hollace created the above painting, entitled “Stay Focused,” for the STAYFOCUSED charitable organization. STAY-FOCUSED offers a unique, transformational learning experience to teens and young adults with spinal cord disabilities. Through a SCUBA certification program, participants gain confidence, develop leadership skills, and become more independent. As the “great equalizer,” these young people are on equal turf with their nondisabled peers when in the water diving. STAY-FOCUSED is also committed to supporting medical research that explores the beneficial aspects of diving on persons with mobility challenges.

Hollace was inspired by this program, and created her painting to support this organization, donating 100 prints to be sold by STAY-FOCUSED to further the organization’s important goals.

Hollace is pleased to have accepted the invitation to begin her undergraduate studies in the fall of 2012 at the Pennsylvania State University where she will be enrolled in the Schreyer’s Honor’s College. As a result of her Schreyer’s Scholar status, Hollace was fortunate to be awarded an
academic scholarship applicable to her anticipated four year program. She was additionally awarded the Simeon and Elizabeth Gallu Scholarship, having been selected by the Penn State School of Visual Arts Scholarship Committee on the basis of her art portfolio.

Hollace intends to double major in the disciplines of fine arts (ceramics emphasis) and Communications.

Hollace created a “found object” fashion entirely from Betsey Johnson designer bags. She utilized the bright pink shopping bags, silk black ribbon handles, and floral tissue paper to construct her dress. The skirt was woven on a loom, after hand shredding the bags. This creation took over 100 hours to complete!

When Betsey Johnson herself viewed photos of Hollace’s dress, she posted pictures on her website, referencing Hollace as a “true blue Betsey Gal.” In a matter of hours, viewers around the world had posted comments about Hollace’s creation.

Hollace’s wood-fired carved bottle set with accompanying carved wooden base was accepted into the juried National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) exhibition held in Seattle, Washington in March, 2012.

At the exhibition, Hollace’s work won multiple national awards including a Merit award, the Curator’s Choice Award, and the Emily C. Specchio Foundation Scholarship Award.

In 2012, Hollace was honored to be awarded the national Emily C. Speechio Foundation $1000 scholarship award on the basis of her philanthropic work in the arts, and to recognize outstanding artistic talent and potential.

Emily C. Specchio was a young woman born in 1984, who graduated from Virginia Tech on May 13, 2006. Just two days later, unexpectedly and tragically, Emily died from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Emily’s parents created a foundation in her honor to recognize young people who embody Emily’s zest for life, and her dedication to serving others.

Hollace was especially humbled by this recognition.

YoungArts is the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Out of more than 5,000 applicants across the country in 2012, merit awards were bestowed on 597 high school juniors and seniors. As an award winner, Hollace placed in the top 5% of the applicant pool on the basis of submission of her ceramic portfolio.

In the spring of 2012, Hollace was honored to be chosen as the Red Raven Art Company Scholarship winner on the basis of best senior portfolio submitted at the Lancaster County Young Arts Competition. She was awarded a $1,000 college scholarship, as well as a showing of her work in June, 2012.

Hollace was thrilled to win 21 awards at the 2012 Lancaster Young Arts Competition for her work submitted in ceramics, drawing, sculpture, and design. She was awarded 9 gold medals, 4 silver medals, 3 exhibition awards, an Excellence Award, the Most in Show Award, the Lancaster Craft Best Body of Work Award, and the Red Raven Senior Portfolio Scholarship Award.

Hollace was fortunate to win 17 awards this year at the Lancaster County Young Artist Competition, as well as the Scholastic Art Competition.  The majority of her awards were won in the division of ceramics, an artistic field in which she has found great enjoyment.  In addition to multiple gold and silver medals, Hollace won two special awards, both given by Lancaster Craft Guild, for best of show and best body of work.  She is looking forward to competition in 2012!

Hollace spent 5 weeks this summer engaging in the “portfolio plus” program at Washington University in St. Louis.  While working to enhance her portfolio, she took college classes in Fundamentals of Drawing & Design, as well as Fashion Design.  During these courses, Hollace enjoyed new exposure to sculpture and figure drawing.  While an intense program, with 6+ hours of class time each day, there was also time for fun, and Hollace made life-long friends that enriched her experience greatly.

In the past year, Hollace has become aware of a new predator threatening the Caribbean eco-system: the lionfish. This fish, which has no natural predators in the Caribbean sea, has invaded these warm waters, and is depleting smaller reef fish at an alarming rate. The diminishment of reef fish has a domino effect on the marine eco-system which is difficult to curtail. Investigations into this problem are on-going, with many dive locations on Caribbean islands sending out exhibitions to catch the lionfish in an effort to curb destruction. To aid investigation into this issue, Hollace has designed a print for sale in Caribbean locations, and is donating all profits from the sale of this art print to fund the research being carried out.

On June 26, 2010, Hollace was the featured artist at a solo show in Stone Harbor, New Jersey hosted by the Island Art Gallery where her prints are sold.  At the close of the summer, over Labor Day, Hollace also participated in an art walk in historic Spring Lake, New Jersey.

Hollace has been awarded the distinction of joining twenty-seven other artists to be featured in a Cayman Island coffee table book entitled “A Nation of Artists”, to be released in November, 2010.  At 16, she is the youngest artist to be included in this exclusive grouping of talent.  This book retails for CI $50 (US $62) and can be purchased through the Arteccentrix Gallery in Grand Cayman.

This summer Hollace was reunited with her mentor, Ron G. Steven (otherwise known as “Rogest”) when she joined him at Cobalt Coast as his assistant instructor for children engaged in Kids’ Sea Camp.  For two weeks, Hollace worked with Ron in teaching the art of acrylic pointillism painting, “marine-style”.  The youth who attended the camp gained an enriched appreciation of the ocean environment, and were encouraged to tap into their creative talents, as well.  Fun was had by all, and Hollace looks forward to her next teaching opportunity.

In January of this year, Hollace began working in clay under the tutelage of Caroline Henderson, artist and owner of Lancaster Clay Studios.  Hollace’s interest in this medium was peaked when, under the guidance of her high school art teacher (Richard Ressel), she crafted the teapot pictured above.  So enjoyable was this activity that Hollace plunged into this new art field with vigor at the beginning of this year.  Presently, she spends several hours per week at the clay studio, and is also studying ceramics in high school during her junior year.  Watch for more ceramics to be pictured in the future.

In June, Hollace took a private workshop with glass artist, Tim Dorland, whose studio is located in Colt’s Neck, New Jersey.  Tim is a graduate of Portland State University, and specializes in creating masterpieces in glass, with an emphasis on sea-life creations.  Over a two-day period, Hollace designed the mosaic pictured above, and hand-cut glass pieces to fit the pattern she created.  This piece also incorporates fused and painted glass — hopefully representing the first of many glass mosaics to come!

She donated 20% of profits earned to the A.S.P.C.A. of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Hollace’s work is now also being featured at The Pink House Gallery in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This gallery features original works as well as reproductions of local artists, as well as marine artists from other geographic locations.

Additionally, Hollace is pleased to announce that her work is also being represented by the Peter McPhee Fine Arts Gallery in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. This gallery specializes in original, one-of-a-kind works of art created by a carefully selected, diverse group of regional, national, and international artists.

Hollace’s paintings and prints continue to be handled by Pure Art Gallery (Grand Cayman), Christian Riso Fine Art Gallery (Hawaii), and Island Art (Stone Harbor).