Ceramist’s trip to Russia now has a glaze of politics

Karen Koblitz, a West Los Angeles ceramist, tried hard to keep world politics from intruding on her recent trip to Moscow as part of one of the first group of artists to journey to other countries for the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program.

The program has been placing U.S. citizens’ original artworks into diplomatic residences worldwide for 36 years. But this year marks the first time the program has paid for five artists and one art historian to travel with their works. “I considered myself an art ambassador; I wasn’t there to get into the political arena,” says Koblitz, 51. But she admits that in recent days, acquaintances have not been asking her about Russian ceramics and tile, but about whether she had gone to the infamous Moscow theater where more than 750 hostages were recently held by Chechen guerrillas; nearly 120 died after inhaling a gas used by Russian forces during a rescue attempt. Koblitz returned to the U.S. on Oct. 6, more than two weeks before the standoff, but some frantic friends weren’t sure whether she was still overseas.

Koblitz did indeed go to the theater, a different theater, during her Sept.23-Oct. 6 visit. She went to the star-studded premiere of a Russian production of “Chicago” with Lisa Vershbow, wife of American Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. But upon returning home, she was saddened to learn that Alexander Karpov, 31, who had translated “Chicago” into Russian, was among those killed by the gas.

During the trip, Koblitz found the Russian art community as eager as she was to avoid talking politics. With a translator as her constant companion, she lectured at Moscow’s Stroganov Art School and at Spaso House, the ambassador’s residence; toured the city; and visited historic landmarks decorated with intricate tile.

The question “Where do I find the hot ceramic artists in Russia?” led her just outside the city to a place called the Experimental Creative Production Factory of the Union of Artists of Russia. Artists on the two lower floors toiled to create “not very strong commercial ceramics,” but the upper floor was reserved for artists-in-residence doing exciting experimental work.

Koblitz, a faculty member of the USC art department, will talk about art, not politics, at noon Monday at Watt Hall on the USC campus, and show slides of her trip. The discussion is open to the public.

-- Diane Haithman