The Emerging artist deadline is quickly approaching. June 15. 2016 APPLY! Why not?!!! This is going to be a very important year as we embark on the 51st year of NCECA’s history and the beginning of the next 50, with the Portland Conference already taking shape as “Future Flux”. The process of creating and compiling the application and submitting the materials for this wonderful opportunity is an invaluable experience. NCECA’s Emerging […]
The work of Joanna Poag centers around the concept of homeostasis, the process in which a system maintains stability through self-regulation. Homeostasis is most applicable to living creatures, but Poag reinterprets the concept through her work in ceramics. Ceramic art creates it’s own system – a delicate balance of materials to create the physical medium, the artist’s hand to balance the composition, the precise control of the kiln environment to […]
If you missed NCECA’s Saturday morning Emerging Artist Presentations, catch Joanna Poag’s presentation right here! And be sure to follow the blog and keep an eye out for an insightful essay on Joanna from on of our new guest bloggers, coming soon!
The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts has selected the 2016 Emerging Artists. This year’s applicant pool was outstanding, which made it that much more challenging for the jurors to make our final selections. The selection committee, Jim Melchert, Eva Kwong, and Jane Shellenbarger had a difficult task of reviewing the applications from a diverse cross section of artists from the U.S. and abroad. We had very thoughtful […]
Rationality is what we do to organize the world, to make it possible to predict. Art is the rehearsal for the inapplicability and failure of that process -Brian Eno In both his article for the NCECA Journal (p26) as well as his presentation at the 2015 conference in Providence, Rhode Island, Andy Casto pointed to this quote as a guiding principle for his work. In his studio as well as […]
In her article in the 2015 NCECA Journal, Kelly O’Briant writes Individuals develop habits, patterns, and rituals that ultimately expose much about the human condition. These practices exist within our communication, our daily routines, and even our relationships. I am intrigued by the patterns and habits that are revealed through the placement and combination of everyday objects in our intimate spaces, such as the casual distribution of breakfast dishes across […]
In the 2015 NCECA Journal, Joanna wrote I find beauty in my embarrassment. I welcome the silly. Through the arrangement of objects, i set up a situation or narrative where the viewer can forget about an object’s function and call attention to its possibilities as pure matter with its own intentions. I want to encourage questions about what is happening with the objects and the narrative; being peculiar and unclear […]
“Moderator Adam Field talks with the 2015 Emerging Artists about their professional development and the difficulty of maintaining an authentic voice in a vast ocean of social media. The discussion includes Rachel Garceau, Andrew Casto, Kelly O’Briant, Roberto Lugo and Joanna Powell. The discussion was recorded at the 2015 NCECA conference in Providence, RI. You can listen & download it directly right here, or head over to iTunes and subscribe now to get […]
NCECA 2015 Emerging Artist, Rachel Garceau is teaching a workshop on mold making and slip casting hosted by the Texas Tech University Ceramics Department! On Thursday September 16, 2015 the Ceramics Department at TTU, with Rachel’s generous consent, will be streaming the demonstrations live from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm central time. There is no cost to attend and all are encouraged to share the information with their friends and […]
I am pleased to announce the latest release in our series of Emerging Artist Presentations, David Bogus. My creative process is cultivated through identity exploration and self-discovery. My practice isa combination of risk taking and experimentation. It includes both the artistic process and a constantly shifting personal narrative. -David Bogus Enjoy his presentation from the 2015 conference in its entirety below, enjoy his work in the following exhibitions, and connect with him on […]
In her article on pages 26-27 of the NCECA journal, Rachel K. Garceau describers herself as a wheel-thrower, a mold maker, a slip caster, a printmaker and a storyteller. Her work is clearly the synthesis of these many identities and their unique principles and skill sets. She wrote: Through all of these processes, I am continually on a path of discovery. And each day I arrive in the studio, it […]
In his article, Finding One’s Wheel, which appears on page 27-28 of the 2015 NCECA Journal, Roberto Lugo described himself as a “potter, activist, culture-maker, rapper, poet and educator.” I believe I would add “inspiration,” “mentor” and “ceramics rockstar” to that list. Additionally, he wrote: I have a dream where I can change the world by making pots, showing others how to make pots, and by bringing those very […]
Listening to stories of David Peters I’ve often wondered where the boundary is between ardent investigator and dogmatic zealot. For those standing outside the circle of wood fire (of which I am one) it is easy to tick the box marked “zealot” when stories of week-long firings, laborious reclamation processes, hours on bended knees, and sleepless nights roll out with seemingly obligatory cups of whiskey. Too easy. Any earnest maker, […]
Earlier this week while working on a commissioned jar for kombucha… I was mid-coil, bent over the cylinder, with my nose buried in the scent of wet clay. Honestly, the essence of muddy water emanating from the humid core of the vessel was intoxicating. It might sound melodramatic, but that makes it no less true. I kept putting my nose back over the top so I could smell the wet clay […]