Christa Assad Sculpture

Sculptor keeps memories of GE alive in a creative way

PITTSFIELD -- The transformer division of General Electric may be long gone, but William Stanley's electrical power plants remain alive in a most creative way.

Christa Assad, an acclaimed potter/ sculptor, was inspired by old photos of those transformers, and she created a few pieces reminiscent of those icons of Pittsfield's industrial days.

Her transformer sculptures are on display and for sale -- one is priced at $2,200 -- at the Ferrin Gallery on North Street.

Assad, 40, came to Pittsfield a little more than a year ago at the request of gallery owner Leslie Ferrin. She toured the city and inspected the former GE transformer site.

"[Ferrin] gave me quite a tour," Assad said. "Leslie can show someone the Berkshires like no other. I was able to see and observe a lot of hidden jewels that the area offers."

Later, she researched the history of GE here, and found an image via the Smithsonian Museum website showing the biggest transformer ever produced by GE.

She created a clay sculpture from that black-and-white image.

"You can say that the visit to Pittsfield and the Smithsonian image sparked the idea," said Assad, a Pennsylvania native who now works out of her studio in Berkeley, Calif. "Most people wouldn't find an industrial wasteland interesting -- I do."

Ferrin, who lives in Cummington, has displayed Assad's work at the gallery before, and lured the artist to Pittsfield for this exhibit that will be in place until Oct. 16. "Christa came here to the Berkshires inspired, and then went home and did her homework," Ferrin said. "We were excited to give her this opportunity, and it was an opportunity of which she took full advantage. We know the quality of her work and we were happy to build an exhibit around it."

Assad is staying in the Berkshires while her art is on display here, and she said she will follow the pieces she doesn't sell in Pittsfield to an exhibit in Chicago.

"I move around and follow my work when I'm not in the studio creating. Having a little bit of gypsy blood helps with that kind of lifestyle," she said. "But, I believe in being where my work is when I can, and I like the chance to talk to potential buyers and explain what the work is all about."

Assad said she is part Gypsy, Syrian, Ukrainian and Hungarian, a background that helps her survive in the tough world of art. Also, she's no stranger to city's like Pittsfield.

She grew up in the shadows of Pittsburgh, perhaps the ultimate blue-collar city, and spent a year studying at Leeds University in England.

"Leeds was a tough town, a grimy and gritty town," Assad said. "I see some urban similarities in Pittsfield and Pittsburgh."

Assad said she was intrigued by Pittsfield's post-industrial landscape, which features a growing commitment to the arts as its manufacturing roots fade.

"Look at what the Berkshires offer," she said. "Mass MoCA [in North Adams] is an example of an amazing museum that made use of an old industrial building. I've seen Shaker Village and you have Barrington Stage, the theater plays in Williamstown and so much more."