"Submerged: Plates, Tides, Shifting Scales," featuring member artist Rose Gitlin, Presented by Northcoast Artists Gallery, Fort Bragg CA

Rose Gitlin is an artist based in Northern California. She received her BFA in 2020 from the University of Montana where she also completed a post-baccalaureate in ceramic sculpture in 2021.

“Submerged: Plates, Tides, Shifting Scales” is a collection of work that is inspired by the artist’s proximity to the ocean. As a mother of a two-year old, some of the best adventures are at the beach. Playing in the sand and jumping in water, it is fascinating to rediscover ocean objects and creatures through the experience of a toddler. Kelp becomes a paintbrush to drag patterns into the sand. Crab claws, stones, and sea urchin pieces find their way into pockets only to be rediscovered as live percussion instruments in the dryer days later. The sea is a part of our life here, and one cannot help but wonder at the lives these sea creatures led, and what lurks beneath the surface.

This show follows this thread of thought, through playful questions answered in clay. What would it look like to have a wall of fish? What kind of pattern would happen using bull kelp as inspiration? What could this underwater life look like in sculptural form?

Rose works with clay as a way to make sense of the world, drawing on personal experiences and taking inspiration from emotions, dreams and nature. The forms of her sculptures often play with abstracting the human and mythological figure, while surface details tell stories that are both personal and universal. She love to create work that catches the eye from far away, and becomes more interesting the closer one gets to a piece. Her intention is to raise questions and to invoke an emotional response that is unique for everyone. Mainly utilizing coil-building and carving techniques to shape her sculptures, the glazing process involves layers of oxide washes, some local “wild” clay slips, and glazes which are mixed by hand at her home studio.

“Submerged: Plates, Tides, Shifting Scales”  in on exhibit October 1 thru November 3 2026 at Northcoast Artists Gallery in Fort Bragg, Ca. Please join Rose, and the other gallery artists on Friday, October 2, 5-8 pm at her opening reception. Refreshments will be available, and you can, enjoy downtown Fort Bragg’s First Friday Art Walk.

Northcoast Artists Gallery is located at 362 N. Main St, Fort Bragg, Ca. Rose will be in attendance at Northcoast Artists Gallery on October 7, 14, 17 and 24th to answer questions about her work.

For more information go to https://www.rosegitlin.com, https://www.instagram.com/rosegitlin or https://www.facebook.com/rose.gitlin.2025