City museum displays 20th century, contemporary porcelain art

A local artist is continuing the tradition of china painting, and her work is currently on display in Bloomington art galleries.

From July through September, the Farmer House Museum, located in downtown Bloomington, will feature the works of contemporary artist Jane Briley in “The Art of Painted Porcelain.”

The exhibit features hand-painted china pieces from Briley, as well as commercial porcelain from the first decades of the 20th century, which are part of the museum’s permanent collection. The museum’s pieces highlight the historical importance of china painting, which became popular in the 1880s.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, , and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturday.

The pieces from the museum’s collection were created with a variety of techniques, Emily Purcell, director of the Farmer House Museum, explained. Briley primarily hand paints to complete her pieces.

Briley, a contemporary porcelain painter, began painting china in 1972. After she settled in Bloomington, she formed the painting club Blooms of Bloomington, which still practices today.

The original owner of the Farmer House Museum, Mary Ellen Farmer, left the property and her possessions to the City of Bloomington. The museum now functions as an independently owned museum that “seeks to preserve and interpret family life in Monroe County” and “hopes to inspire the public to appreciate and understand the human forces that have shaped (their) community,” according to the museum’s brochure.

Purcell first viewed Briley’s pieces at The Venue Fine Art & Gifts, another local gallery that currently displays her work.

Briley initially approached the Venue to promote the artwork of her teacher, Andrew Orr, whom Briley described as her greatest inspiration and influence on her artwork, according to the museum’s brochure.

Gabriel Coleman, owner and curator of the Venue, was more interested in displaying Briley’s work.

“It shows well in the space,” Coleman said. “(Briley’s artwork) is much more traditional and bought often as gifts for mothers and grandmothers.”

Briley uses a traditional china painting style from the 17th and 18th centuries, using various color washes and baking the china on a low-heat setting in a kiln.. This process can be repeated numerous times, depending on the amount of color desired in the piece, Coleman explained.

Her seasonal pieces, including holiday ornaments and Easter-themed pieces, are popular sellers at the Venue.

“Jane’s work is wonderful,” Purcell said. “It shows that traditional arts are alive and well in Bloomington.”