Published: 7/21/2021 3:33:57 PM
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — A Greenfield-based sculptor is currently showcasing his craft alongside other emerging artists in a weekly pop-up gallery in northern New York.
The Abstract Adirondack art gallery has welcomed sculptor Joshua Ruder to its group of artists exhibiting through Sept. 16 on Thursday afternoons, from 4 to 7:30 p.m., in the gardens and on the porches of the McClellan Cure Cottage at 391 Park Ave. in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Ruder is a figurative sculptor who works mainly in carved stone and welded steel. Although he is based in Greenfield, he has family connections in the Adirondacks, according to a press release from the art gallery. Ruder explores the possibilities and limitations of combining steel, stone, ceramics, plaster, wood and glass, often incorporating found objects into his work.
“I choose the material or combination of materials that will best allow me to express the particular idea that I am attempting to communicate,” Ruder explains on his website.
From a start creating and casting a clay bust in ninth grade, Ruder has pursued a lifelong exploration of creation in three dimensions. According to the release, this led him to a visual arts degree from Brown University, which he supplemented with knowledge he obtained through workshops and internships casting bronze and welding at Stonybrook Metal Arts and Sculpture School in Jamaica Plain; studying ceramics and metal casting with sand molds at Liberty Arts in Durham, N.C.; and carving marble at the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland, Vt.
In 2017, he secured an artist residency at the Plumbing Museum in Watertown, where he welded pieces from scrap metal, the release states. He later worked as a metal finisher at Salmon Studios in Florence. Today, as he works full-time on sculptures for commissions and exhibits, Ruder is on the board of the New England Sculptors Association.
“I sculpt because I believe it is the most effective way for me to communicate my thoughts, feelings and observations about the world,” Ruder says on his website.
Several of Ruder’s sculptures are on display at the Abstract Adirondack gallery, including two large pieces installed in the gardens, according to the release. Also on display are sculptures by Sarah May of Walden, N.Y.; paintings and prints by Peter Bird and Deborah Geurtze, both of Saranac Lake, and George Dirolf of Loudonville, N.Y.; abstract constructions and paintings by Tim Fortune of Saranac Lake; and assemblage by William Evans of Jay, N.Y.
More information on Ruder and his work can be found at his website, joshuaruder.com. More information on Abstract Adirondack is available at Abstract-ADK.com.