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GERIT GRIMM

BIOGRAPHY
Gerit Grimm was born, and grew up in Halle, German Democratic Republic. In 1995, she finished her apprenticeship, learning the traditional German trade as a potter at the “Altbürgeler blau-weiss GmbH” in Bürgel, Germany and worked as a Journeyman for Joachim Jung in Glashagen, Germany. She earned an Art and Design Diploma in 2001 studying ceramics at Burg Giebichenstein, Halle, Germany. In 2002, she was awarded with the German DAAD Government Grant for the University of Michigan School of Art and Design, where she graduated with an MA in 2002. She received her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2004. She has taught at CSULB, Pitzer College, Doane College and MSU Bozeman and has worked at major residencies like Mc Coll Center, Bemis Center, Kohler Arts & Industry Program and Archie Bray Foundation. In 2009 NET Television created “Fantasia in Clay” a Nebraska Story about artist Gerit Grimm. Grimm is an Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

ARTIST STATEMENT
In this artwork OCEAN SPRAY 2024, artist Gerit Grimm combines her passion for adventure with art and depicts moments of her latest venture of achieving the Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster Offshore certification in clay and photography. In 2022 artist Gerit Grimm set sail to start her Offshore sailing expeditions. Since then Grimm passed her Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory certifications. The journey expanded the artists horizon and now Grimm’s former fairytale sculptures explore the craft of seamanship. Grimm's ceramic yachts are animated and helmed by their crew and skippers and glide, drift, float alongside canvas prints depicting Grimm’s actual journey in the United Kingdom, while pursuing her personal milestones. UW-Madison Associate Professor of Ceramic Art Gerit Grimm always envisioned herself circumnavigating the globe. Ceramics artist Gerit Grimm was accepted into the Clipper Race around the world and starts training for her leg in the UK August 2024. If finances would not be, Grimm would love to sign up for the full 11-month race and fulfill her dreams of a total circumnavigation under sail as an ocean racer. Imagine Grimm's ceramic sculptures after such a race. OCEAN SPRAY 2024 is one of her sculptures from her series Offshore - When An Artist Sets Sails, when purchasing it you support the artists dream of circumnavigating the world on a racing yacht.