James W. Leslie
330-389-9451 [email protected]
Education
2007 Master of Fine Art Kent State University, Kent, OH
2006-07 Kent- Blossom Ceramic Art Workshop, Kent, OH
2007 Graduate Presentation National Council for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA),
Louisville, KY
2002 Bachelor of Fine Art The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Arthur E. Baggs Memorial Scholarship, The Ohio State University Trustees Scarlet and Gray Scholarship
1997-99 Bachelor of Fine Art (Ceramics, Painting and Drawing) Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, Colorado
Undergraduate Research and Creativity and College of Liberal Arts Alumni Scholarship, Creative and Performing Arts Award
Professional Activities
2016 Workshop/Demonstration (Mayco Colors) Buckeye Ceramic Supply, Hilliard, OH
Workshop/Demonstration (Mayco Colors) Ohio Ceramic Supply, Ravenna, OH
2011 Workshop/Demonstration Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
2010 Workshop/Demonstration Zenclay Galleries, Morgantown, WV
2009 Workshop/Demonstration Student Arts Center International (SACI), Florence, Italy
Raku Workshop La Meridiana International Center of Ceramics, Certaldo, Italy
Workshop & Demonstration Lorenzo de Medici School of Art, Florence, Italy
Presentation Lorenzo de Medici School of Art, Florence, Italy
Presentation Student Arts Center International (SACI), Florence Italy
2008 Workshop/Demonstration Student Arts Center International (SACI), Florence, Italy
Raku Workshop La Meridiana International Center of Ceramics, Certaldo, Italy
Presentation Lorenzo de Medici School of Art, Florence, Italy
Presentation Student Arts Center International (SACI), Florence Italy
Solo Exhibitions
2012 (Canvas and Clay, The Ohio Landscape) The Box Gallery, Akron, OH
2011 (Canvas and Clay, The Mid-West Landscape) Continuum Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
2009-10 (My Nature) Zenclay Gallery, Morgantown, WVA
Exhibitions
2025 (Cuyahoga Valley Art Center Winter Exhibition) (People's Choice Award)
CVAC, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
2024 (93rd Annual Akron Society of Artists Annual Juried Exhibition) Akron, Ohio
(Al Horn Plein Air Painting Award)
(22nd Annual Kaleidoscope Juried Exhibition) Summit Artspace, Akron, Ohio
(Masterpieces Within Means) The Artists of Group Ten, Hudson, Ohio
(An Artist Lives Twice) The Artists of Group Ten, Oberlin, Ohio
(Cuyahoga Valley Art Center Winter Exhibition) CVAC, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(Gates Mills 53rd Annual Art Show) Gates Mills, Ohio
Awarded "The Bob Santorini Award"
(Artist Archives of The Western Reserve Membership Show) Cleveland, Ohio
(The Ohio State Fair 2024 Professional Fine Arts Exhibition) Columbus, OH
(Cuyahoga Valley Art Center 39th Annual Membership Exhibition) CVAC, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(Unveiled 2024 Art Exhibition) Mentor Municipal Center, Mentor, OH
(Floral and Landscape Exhibition) Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
2023 (Akron Society of Artist Juried Members Show) Hudson, OH
(Cuyahoga Valley Art Center Winter Show) CVAC, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(AAWR Member’s Show) Artist Archives Of The Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
(13th Annual May Show) Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, OH
(Unveiled 2023 Art Exhibition) Mentor Municipal Center, Mentor, OH
2023 (Kaleidoscope) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Gates Mill 52nd Annual Art Show) Gates Mill, OH
(CVAC Floral and Landscape Exhibition) Cuyahoga Valley Art Center,
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(2023 Soul Train Member’s Show) Soul Train, Akron, OH
(2023 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition) Ohio State Fair, Columbus, OH
(47th Fairmount Art Exhibition) Fairmount Center for the Arts, Novelty, OH
(Creative Connect) Akron Society of Artists and Akron Museum of Art, Akron, OH
2022 (Winter Exhibition) Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(Bayarts Annual Juried Exhibition) Bayarts, Bay Village, OH
2022 (Annual Members Show) The Artist Archives of The Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
(ASA Annual Juried Show) Akron Society of Artist, Akron, OH
(Time Will Tell) Ashland University, Ashland, OH
(The May Show Extended View) (Best in Show) Stella’s Art Gallery,
Willoughby, OH
(Kaleidoscope Juried Exhibition) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(AAWR Member’s Show) Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
2021 (The May Show) Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, OH
(Annual Members Show) The Artist Archives of The Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
(Flora and Fauna) Stella’s Art Gallery (1st Place) Willoughby, Ohio
(Waterloo Arts Festival) Waterloo Arts, Cleveland, OH
2021 (OAC Juried Exhibition) Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, OH
2020 (Fresh2020) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Annual Members Show) The Artist Archives of The Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
2019 (Annual Members Show) The Artist Archives of The Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
2018 (13th Annual Ceramic Invitational) River Gallery, Rocky River, OH
(5th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition) (Second Place) Group 10 Fine Arts Gallery Kent, OH
2018 (Annual Members Show) The Artist Archives of The Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
(28th Annual Juried Show) ( Honorable Mention) The Box Gallery (AoRC) Akron, OH
(9th Annual May Show) Lakeland CC, Kirtland, OH
2017 (12th Annual Ceramic Invitational) River Gallery, Rocky River, OH
(Annual Members Show) Artist Archives of The Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
(Table Service) Northern Ohio Clay Kent State University Gallery Kent, OH
2016 (45th Annual Juried Art Exhibition) (Second Place) Valley Art Center,
Chagrin Falls, OH
(The New Now) Artist Archives of The Western Reserve, Tri-C’s Gallery East,
Highland Hills, OH
(Akron Art Prize) Summit Art Space, Akron OH
(2016 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition) Cox Fine Art Center, Columbus, OH
2016 (ARoC 26th Annual Juried Show) The Box Gallery, Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Fresh 2016) (First Place) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
2016 (Members Show) Artist of Rubber City, Akron, OH
(Members Show) The Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
(11th Annual Ceramic Invitational) River Gallery, Rocky River, OH
2015 (Akron Art Prize) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Annual Juried Show) Artist of Rubber City, Akron, OH
(Fresh Art) (Honorable Mention) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Member Show) Artist of Rubber City, Akron, OH
(Members Show) Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
2012-14 (Sculpture In The Park) Loveland High Plains Arts Council, Loveland, CO
(Winter Fair) Ohio Designer Craftsmen, Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, OH
(Fresh Art) (Honorable Mention) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Kaleidoscope 2012) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
Honorable Mention 2014
(The 28th Annual Regional Juried Art Show) (Best in Show)
Cuyahoga Valley Art Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH
2012-14 (Works In 3-D Show) (First Place) Cuyahoga Valley Art Center,
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
(AoRC Annual Juried Art Show) The Box Gallery, Akron, OH
2011 (Kaleidoscope 2011) (Honorable Mention) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(Peninsula en plein-Aire) Peninsula Art Academy, Peninsula, OH
(100 Teapots V) Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD
(Annual Member Show) AORC, Akron, OH
(Annual Spring show) AORC, Akron, OH
2010 (My Nature) Continuum Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
(National Art Encounter 2010) The Von Liebig Center, Naples, FL
2008 (The View) Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH
(All Sculpture Show) Akron Art Alliance, Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(The Four States Ceramic Exhibition) (Best in Show) Zen Clay Studio,
Morgantown, WVA
2007 (Out of The Box) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
2007 (ICMEA Emerging Artists) (Purchase Award and Permanent Collection)
International Ceramic Magazine Editors Association, Fupinjg, China
(Fresh Art) Summit Art Space, Akron, OH
(TANK Art Exhibition) The Artist Network of Kent, Kent, OH
(Cain Park Arts Festival) Cleveland Heights, OH
2006 (Cain Park Arts Festival) (Judges Selection Award) Cleveland Heights, OH
(Director’s Choice) Clay, Lakeland Community College, Lakeland, OH
2005 (Cain Park Arts Festival), Cleveland Heights, OH
(Las Olas Art Festival) Fort Lauderdale, FL
(The Beaux Festival of Art) Coral Gables, FL
(Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival), Upper Arlington, OH
(Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival) (Second Place), Upper Arlington, OH
(The Beaux Festival of Art) (First Place Ceramics) Coral Gables, FL
2005 (Las Olas Art Festival), Fort Lauderdale, FL
(Annual Brookfield-Milwaukee Art Festival), Milwaukee, WI
2005 (Annual Columbus-Worthington Art Festival), Columbus, OH
(Buffalo Grove Invitational Art Festival), (Award of Merit), Buffalo Grove, IL
(Annual Shadyside Art Festival on Walnut Street), Pittsburgh, PA
(Fountain Square Festival of Art), (First Place Sculpture), Evanston, IL
(Port Clinton Art Festival), Port Clinton, IL
(47th Annual South Haven Art Festival), South Haven, MI
(Royal Oak Clay & Glass Festival), Royal Oak, MI
(Art in the Park), Birmingham, MI
2004 (Cain Park Arts Festival) (Judges Selection Award) Cleveland Heights, OH
(Art in The Park) (Best in Show Ceramics), Birmingham, MI
(Holiday Art Festival) (Best in Show Ceramics), Farmington Hills, MI
(Annual Village Art Fair) (Best in Show Ceramics), Rochester Hills, MI
(Annual BAAC Summer Art Festival) (Best in Show), Barrington, IL
2004 (National Juried Cup Show), Kent, OH
(Earth in Balance Clay Competition) (Honorable Mention) Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH
2003 (The Valley Art Center Annual Fine Arts Show) (Honorable Mention)
Chagrin Falls, OH
2003 (The Downtown Arts & Cultural Festival) (Best in Show) Cleveland, OH
(The Columbus Arts Festival), Columbus, OH
Curative Exhibitions
2008 (My Nature, Your Nature), Ellis School Armory, NCECA Pittsburgh, PA
Painting Exhibitions
2012 (Paint Cuyahoga Falls Day) Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
2011 (Penisula Plien Aire) Penisula Art Academy, Penisula, OH
Grants
2012 (AORC) Cog Grant
Articles, Reviews, Photographs of Works in Publication
2014 (Present Tense) Contemporary Art in Ohio, Exhibition in Print, p2
2012 Shinn, Dorothy. (Canvas and Clay, The Ohio Landscape 2012) Akron, Beacon Journal. July, p E1
2011 Shinn, Dorothy. (Kaleidoscope 2011) Akron Beacon Journal, December, pE1
2010 Shinn, Dorothy. (Fresh Art 2010) Akron Beacon Journal, May, pE8
2007 Shinn, Dorothy. (Fresh Art 2007) Akron Beacon Journal, August, p29
2004 Yalkut, Jud. (Earth in Balance) Dayton City Paper, November
2003 Reid, Sue. (Back to Earth) Chagrin Valley Times, December
2003 Dillon, Pamela. (Earth in Balance). Ceramics Monthly, April, p 47
Gallery Representation
2016-18 The River Gallery, Rocky River, Ohio
2010-11 Continuum Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
2009-10 Zenclay Gallery, Morgantown, WV
2002 Elements of Art Gallery, Columbus, OH
The Blue Cube Gallery, Columbus, OH
Professional Organizations
The Artists of Group Ten (Kent, Ohio)
Akron Society of Artist (Signature Member)
Artist Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR)
American Craft Council
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)
Ohio Designer Craftmen
College Art Association (CAA)
Potter’s Council The American Ceramic Society
Akron Area Art Alliance (AAAA)
Technical Abilities
Kiln Construction and Rebuilding
Masonry, Carpentry, Electrical and Plumbing
Teaching Experience
2008-09 Visiting Instructor, Student Arts Center International (SACI) Florence, Italy
2008-09 Visiting Instructor, Lorenzo de Medici School of Art, Florence, Italy
2008-09 International Student Escort and Study Tour Assistant, Office of International Affairs, Kent State University
2007-08 Adjunct Faculty (Instructor of Record) Ceramics, Kent State University, Kent, OH
2008 Teaching Assistant and Technology Coordinator, Kent State University
Florence Program, Florence, Italy
Related Work Experience
1980-2000 Architectural Stone and Brick Mason Designed and constructed exterior and interior walls, walkways, foyers, staircases, waterfalls and sculptures
Current Employment
1999-Present Studio and Plein Air Artist