2016 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition by NCECA

2016 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition Award Sponsors Aardvark Clay Purchase Award Ceramics: Art and Perception/TECHNICAL Merit Award (2) KBH Merit Award Mudtools Merit Award Retired Professors Award (Merit) Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick Supply Merit Award Studio Potter Graduate Merit Award (2) Studio Potter Undergraduate Merit Award (2) NCECA Graduate Award for Excellence 1st, 2nd, 3rd NCECA Undergraduate Award for Excellence 1st, 2nd, 3rd This exhibition is presented by NCECA in cooperation with:

ÂŠ 2016 NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Cover Image: En Iwamura, Dear My Heros (mutation), 2015 Catalog Design: Candice Finn Project Manager: Kate Vorhous

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2016 NCECA NSJE Participating Artists

Molly Allen | University of Montana

Lindsey Heiden | University of Arkansas

Jonah Amadeus | Arizona State University

Mikayla Hoffman | University of Arkansas

Alex Anderson | University of California, Los Angeles

Karlee Holets | Georgia State University

Mark Arnold | Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

En Iwamura | Clemson University

Pascual Arriaga | California State University, Fullerton

Sarah Justice | University of Montana

Michael Ballew | Sierra Nevada College

Stephanie Kantor | University of Colorado, Boulder

Ashley Bevington | Edinboro University of PA

Elliott Kayser | Arizona State University

Rachel Ballard Bigley | Georgia State University

Andrew Kellner | West Virginia University

Ariel Bowman | University of Florida

Ellen Kleckner | Ohio University

Larry Buller | University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Kurtis Kujawski | Maharishi University of Managemen

Andrew Castaneda | Kansas City Art Institute

Michelle Laxalt | Georgia State University

Emily Chamberlain | Wichita State University

Katherine Marotz | University of Wisconsin, Stout

Yen-Ting Chiu | Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Maya Moen | Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Man-Ho Cho | University of Iowa

Mario Munguia | The University of Texas at Tyler

Andrea Denniston | Syracuse University

Emily Nickel | Indiana University, Bloomington

Louise Deroualle | University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Sharon Norwood | Florida State University

Chris Drobnock | University of Arkansas Greg Palombo | Alfred University

Kelsey Duncan | Ohio University

Hannah Pierce | Edinboro University of PA

Lukas Easton | University of Alaska, Anchorage

Carly Slade | San Jose State University

Adrienne Eliades | University of Florida

Mike Stumbras | Louisiana State University

Brett Evans | Brigham Young University - Idaho

Casey Taylor | SUNY, New Paltz

Lily Fein | Syracuse University

Iren Tete | Kansas State University

Stuart Gair | University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Joanna Waldron |University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Stephanie Galli | Indiana University, Bloomington

Charity White | University of Florida

Matt George | Edinboro University of PA

Jacob Wilson | University of North Carolina, Asheville

Donut Goshorn | Clemson University

Mary Cale A. Wilson | San Diego State University

Gabrielle Graber | Alfred University

Shiyuan Xu | Arizona State University

Raven Halfmoon | Oklahoma University

Alison Ye | Academy of Art University

• Graduate • Post-baccalaureate • Undergraduate

Student Directors At Large | Jen Chua & Shalya Marsh

The National Student Juried Exhibition provides a window into whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming next in the ceramic field. Jurors Liz Quackenbush and Lee Somers selected a diverse range of graduate, undergraduate, and post-baccalaureate work, through a collaborative process of defining excellence with an eye towards craftsmanship, fresh perspectives and a keen appreciation for humor. From whimsically constructed sculptures to elegantly shaped vessels, from video art to installations, the final selection of 60 pieces by 56 promising young artists celebrates a diversity of perspectives with gravity and wit. Special thanks to Erin Woodworth, Gallery Manager at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center for the beautiful exhibition space, to Liz Quackenbush and Lee Somers for their expertise, efficiency, and for their patience with technology, and to Leigh Taylor Mickelson for her guidance and trust. And last but not least, warmest congratulations to all of the selected artists -your exhaustive efforts and commitment to clay is as beautiful as the work itself.

I am enchanted by the endless timeline of handmade clay objects which reaches deep into human history and continues to thrive today, and its lasting affect on the creation of culture. This deep-rooted interest is why I accepted the opportunity to jury the NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition and also why I have continued to teach at Penn State University for 20 years. I am dedicated to learning about past and present culture by virtue of the ceramic objects people make. The job of blind jurying 1007 slides is a daunting one. Lee Somers and I were told how many pieces would make up the show and what work would be best suited to fill the gallery’s different spaces. Each artist submitted a short statement and images. After reviewing all materials on our own, we came together three times to navigate the selection process via conference call and CaFE. Although not outlined from the onset, the extreme subjectivity intrinsic to the process necessitated a series of questions, which shaped my consideration of the submitted work. Am I drawn in to want to understand something better about the work? Does the artwork speak to me after I stop looking at it? Do I understand the artist’s intent from the work? Does it push conceptual or technical boundaries within ceramics? Does the artwork have a political, environmental, or cultural agenda? Does it address issues of identity? How far reaching are the ideas defining the work? Is there a thread to ceramic history apparent in the work? How well is the piece crafted? How ambitious is the piece? Two videos submitted by one artist continue to resonate with me. As I recall, doll sized realistic clay depictions of early 20th century Midwestern-style wood clapboard houses and/or villages were built in aquariums. The houses in each were painted with colored slips and, I assume, left to dry. The videos recorded as the tanks, ever so slowly, filled with water. From the bottom up, the bone dry clay took on the water and slaked down, causing the buildings to gradually decompose; crumbling, disconnecting, and

Juror Statement | Liz Quackenbush

ultimately devastating the entire structure. Using the simplest of materials, I was reminded of the devastation and personal loss experienced from recent Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Watching this was profound. As a potter myself, I would like to have seen more utilitarian pottery submissions. Although I recognize as well as anyone the difficulties intrinsic to teaching the virtues of pottery in an academic environment, I believe that teaching pottery is about illuminating the value of culture using functionally familiar, but strangely abstract, forms and surfaces. I fundamentally believe it is imperative that we value the opportunity to bring art experiences into everyone’s daily lives. The majority of the work submitted was defined by weighty content. I worry that art schools are too heavy handed when attributing value to life’s burdens rather than its bliss. Finally, I would like to thank NCECA for allowing me this opportunity to slog through the bedazzling well of potential submitted to this year’s NSJE. Liz Quackenbush is Professor of Art at Pennsylvania State University. BFA, University of Colorado, Boulder; MFA, The School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute for Technology. Liz has been seduced by the exotic nature of Morocco where she has returned four times. Having participated in the Minnesota Pottery Tour for the past 13 consecutive years, she has learned about the value of pottery and community. Liz’s commitment to making functional pottery has led to innovative course development focusing on the ability for functional pottery and delicious food to build culture. Selected engagements: University of Nebraska, University of Colorado, Cleveland Art Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Chicago Art Institute, Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Juror Statement | Lee Somers

My first review of the work was enlightening. In both quality and quantity, the submissions were impressive and selection proved difficult. The ceramic art produced by today’s student spans an incredible range of technique, style and concept. In an expanded field, the next generation of artists has embraced a broad outlook and eclectic approach to making. As an educator, I am inspired by the depth and breadth of work being made in our ceramics programs. The work selected for the 2016 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition represents a cross-section from a diverse pool of talented applicants. In putting the show together, our final selections gravitated toward works demonstrating innovation, excellence and vision. Some choices were obvious, others required deliberation, and I am grateful for my co-juror’s candor, diligence and perspective. Ultimately, our efforts as jurors must transcend personal taste and focus on best representing the scope of our current student-body’s achievements. It has been an honor to serve on the jury, and I am thankful for every student who submitted work. Lee Somers hails from the Southwest; his formative years spent exploring the mountains and deserts. A traveler, Lee draws inspiration from experiences living, working, and wandering in a variety of locations. Fascinated with ceramics since childhood, he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degree in the field at Alfred University School of Art and Design. Lee has been teaching college level art since 2006, including three years in Beijing at the China Central Academy of Fine Art. He currently teaches 3D Design at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. His work in ceramics and mixed-media investigates the landscape as an intersection of natural and cultural history. Lee’s studio practice incorporates a variety of materials and processes, with experimentation and chance playing an active role. Most recently, his work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Jane Hartsook Gallery, Greenwich House Pottery, NY, and in the annual Art in Craft Media exhibition at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY.

Host Venue Statement | Erin Woodworth

The Leedy-Voulkos Art Center was founded in 1985 by Jim Leedy, with the vision of initiating a permanent and thriving art community in Kansas City. It is an honor to be a sponsored venue during the 50th Anniversary Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) by showcasing three exhibitions under one roof that correlate with the mission of our art center and the history of our founder. Mr. Leedy was a professor at the Kansas City Art Institute for over forty years and was included in the programming of NCECA during the previous three conferences held in Kansas City; he was also named Honorary Member of the Council in 1989. As our city hosts this conference for the fourth time since 1966, it seems fitting that the LeedyVoulkos Art Center be involved with highlighting artwork from students to emerging to the highly collected. We will be showcasing the National Student Juried Exhibition in the main gallery; the Emerging Artists exhibition in the back gallery; and Shapers of the Field: NCECA Honors & Fellows in the front gallery. For the past thirty years, Jim Leedy and his family have continued to share professional resources with established and developing artists to help leverage their exposure to thousands of gallery-goers during monthly First Friday openings. We have exhibited close to one thousand compelling shows of international, national, and regional artists; and have teamed up with the Kansas City Art Institute to provide their students with the opportunity to curate and exhibit over twenty solo and group shows within the last four years. We also believe it is important for the public to be exposed to the high caliber of artwork that will be on display within the three NCECA exhibitions, and encourage artists and visitors to return to the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center as we continue to display exhibitions post-conference. By hosting the highly anticipated 50th Anniversary of NCECA, we hope that the spotlight continues to shine on Kansas City for its thriving art community and talented creatives well beyond the conference dates.

Molly Allen, The In-Between, 2015 stoneware, acrylic paint, metal, and plaster 54” x 14“ x 28“

Jonah Amadeus, The Collapse, 2014 video, clay, and water (.mp4 /9:58 minutes)

Jonah Amadeus, Childhood Home, 2015 video, clay, and water (.mp4 /16:59 minutes)

Alex Anderson, Fantasy or Reality, 2014 stoneware, porcelain, glaze, gold luster, and paint 12” x 18.5” x 9.5”

Mark Arnold, Mug, 2015 wood fired ceramic and screen printed with wax resist 5” x 4” x 3”

Pascual Arriaga, Time-worn, 2015 coil built clay with metal coatings 70” x 32” x 23”

Michael Ballew, America: A Trump Story/ A Xenophobe’s Wet Dream, 2015 porcelain, underglaze, steel wool, and springs 23” x 14.5” x 9” Photo credit: Corey Nuss

Ashley Bevington, I’ll Get Around To It: Hanger Pile, 2015 clay with room temperature glaze 20” x 38” x 22”

Rachel Ballard Bigley, Penny Royal, 2015 stoneware, micro-crystalline glaze and gold luster 38” x 36” x 42”

Ariel Bowman, Big Bingo:

The Biggest Brute that Breathes, 2014 ceramic 20” x 20” x 10”

Ariel Bowman, The Collosal Collapse, 2015 ceramic, resin 32” x 13” x 5”

Larry Buller, Garniture Set, 2015 red earthenware, slip transfer and decals 15” x 36” x 14” Photo credit: Alex Kolbo

Andrew Castaneda, Container, 2015 assembled and single fired clay 65” x 12” x 12”

Emily Chamberlain, Containment, 2015 stoneware, porcelain, cement, and flocking 27” x 20” x 20”

Yen-Ting Chiu, My Cat Boss, 2015 earthenware 9” x 10” x 11”

Man-Ho Cho, White-Teapot-Construction-Base, 2015 porcelain, black stoneware, and multiple glazes 44” x 19” x 12”

Andrea Denniston, Egg Basket, 2015 cast porcelain 7” x 17.5” x 8”

Andrea Denniston, Egg Tray, 2015 cast porcelain 3.5” x 18.5” x 8”

Louise Deroualle, Untitled, 2015 ceramic 13 “ x 13 “ x 1.5 “

Chris Drobnock, Still Life (Numen), 2015 handbuilt terracotta, colored slip, clear glaze, epoxy, and acrylic 56” x 16” x 16”

Kelsey Duncan, Convalesce 2, 2015 stoneware and underglaze 37” x 18” x 16.5”

Lukas Easton, Basket, 8” x 14” x 14”

Adrienne Eliades, Family Style Server, 2015 porcelain 5” x 17” x 8”

Brett Evans, Evading his thoughts, for nothing, 2015 earthenware, underglaze, engobe, and glaze 14” x 22” x 10” Photo credit: Daniel Ho

Lily Fein, Teapot, 2015 glazed porcelain 5” x 6” x 4.75” Photo credit: Sandy Rivlin/Rick Hornick

Stuart Gair, Pitcher and Tumbler, 2015 soda fired stoneware 13.5” x 6.5” x 6”

Stephanie Galli, bb, 2015 porcelain 5” x 8” x 4”

Matt George, 4-Eyed Nimrod Cup, 2015 wheel thrown and altered earthenware with slip, glaze, underglaze, and terra sigillata 5.5” x 4” x 3.5”

Donut Goshorn, Body Map, 2015 slipcast clay with translucent white glaze 1.5” x 9” x 9”

Gabrielle Graber, Unraveled (Suspicion), 2014 earthenware and textile 33” x 20” x 30” Photo credit: Serena Nancarrow

Raven Halfmoon, Harley Davidson boots, 2015 ceramic 5” x 4” x 9”

Lindsey Heiden, Danny D., 2014 earthenware, underglaze, gold leaf paint and twine 18.5” x 12” x 13” Photo credit: Kenyon Hansen

Mikayla Hoffman, Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea), 2014 ceramic 18” x 16” x 8”

Karlee Holets, Hold on just a little longer, Jillian, 2014 stoneware, underglaze, mason stain, and mixed media 29” x 29” x 9”

En Iwamura, Dear My Heroes (mutation), 2015 terracotta with underglaze 33” x 18” x 18”

En Iwamura, Dear My Heroes, 2015 terracotta with underglaze 20” x 27” x 45”

Sarah Justice, The King’s Crown, 2015 ceramic, spray paint and acrylic paint 69.5” x 21” x 27” Photo credit: Sarah Moore

Stephanie Kantor, Bush Pot, 2015 glazed earthenware 28” x 22” x 22”

Elliott Kayser, Severance, 2015 glazed terracotta and rope 14” x 33” x 16” Photo credit: Peter Bugg

Andrew Kellner, Silo Jar, 2015 salt fired earthenware 6.5” x 6.5” x 6.5”

Ellen Kleckner, Vase, 2015 slip-cast porcelain 3.5” x 4” x 3”

Kurtis Kujawski, Music Ship II, 2015 ceramic 11” x 12” x 6”

Michelle Laxalt, Praying to Saint Anthony (Saint Anthony Praying to Himself), 2015 ceramic, glaze, cast ultra-cal, steel, and plywood 70” x 24” x 24 “ (each figure)”

Katherine Marotz, Ewer Set, 2015 porcelain 7” x 10” x 5.5

Maya Moen, Bombastic Teapot, 2015 Pslip® cast porcelain, and glaze 10” x 15” x 6”

Mario Munguia, All and Other (Become One), 2015 ceramic with low fire glazes 18” x 23” x 26”

Emily Nickel, The Confrontation, 2014 sgraffito on stoneware 36” x 48” x 7”

Sharon Norwood, Guess who’s coming to dinner, 2014 drawings on vintage porcelain 10.5” x 10.5” x 1.5”

Greg Palombo, Ewer, 2015 wood fired, reduction cooled, stoneware and flashing slip 6” x 5” x 5”

Hannah Pierce, Adorning Facades, 2015 red stoneware, underglaze, and nichrome wire 18.5” x 12.5” x 12”

Carly Slade, Quonset (from Blue Language), 2015 ceramic, bumper, log, embroidery, and mixed media 65” x 30” x 20” Photo credit: Moira McDonald

Carly Slade, Bay (from Blue Language), 2015 ceramic, bumper, log, embroidery, and mixed media 65” x 30” x 20” Photo credit: Moira McDonald

Casey Taylor, Melinda, 2015 ceramic and wire 15” x 14” x 9.5”

Mike Stumbras, Coffeepot For No One, 2014 porcelain, Mishima inlay and ash glaze 10” x 6” x 6”

Iren Tete, Salt Jar, 2015 soda fired porcelain 4” x 4” x 4”

Joanna Waldron, An Extra Crispy Conversation, 2015 stoneware, underglazes, luster, and acrylic medium 4.5” x 12” x 4” Photo credit: Mitch Gathings

Charity White, Self Portrait, 2014 ceramic 24 “ x 36 “ x 24 “ Photo credit: Paden DeVida

Jacob Wilson, The American Dream, 2015 ceramic 31” x 15” x 15” Photo credit: Jackson Martin

Mary Cale A. Wilson, TV Tray Family, 2015 Six manufactured china plates, china paint, and luster 8 3/8 diameter each” x ” x 1” Photo credit: Richard Burkett

Shiyuan Xu, Through the Lens., 2015 porcelain 11” x 26.5” x 9.5”

Alison Ye, The sexy fight, 2015 ceramic and underglaze 21” x 16” x 10” Photo credit: Jihoon Choi

NCECA Executive Director | Joshua Green The trinity of students, teachers and clay has been at the heart of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts since its inception. Early student exhibitions were organized by universities hosting the annual conference (the first reference appears in 1969). This was followed by a Regional Student Juried Exhibition that reached into neighboring states of conference locations. It was not until the 2010 conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that NCECA produced its first National Student Juried Exhibition. Ceramic history is so deep and its cultural legacies so diverse that the material from which one can draw inspiration is nearly boundless. One of the most impactful mentors in my personal journey with clay expanded my awareness and enriched my learning through encounters with extraordinary clay objects from global art traditions that were not a part of our school’s limited art history offerings. One of the objects my mentor brought into my view was a tripod vessel of Mesoamerica’s Classic Period (100-900 CE). As NCECA’s journey approaches and passes its 50th year milestone, it is tempting to make connections between this object, the evolution of the organization, and the role of student creators. Like a tripod vessel form, NCECA stands on three legs: clay, creation and connection. Teotihuacan (Place of the Gods), considered the most potent center of political force of its era, radiated influence from its Aztec capital for more than 1000 years. Its artifacts leached into the Maya regions of what is now Guatemala and Honduras, extending into northwestern Costa Rica in Central America. Some of the best appreciated of these ceramic objects bear inscribed imagery that envelops their cylindrical bodies depicting Teotihuacan warriors. Ready for battle with weaponry, they wear costumes that include a double-ring eye or head adornment and butterfly headdress. Floral motifs also intermingle. The confluence of ferocity, conflict and natural wonder is one of the most poignant and mysterious attributes of these objects. Their juxtaposition embodies allusions that tether the cultural context of NCECA’s origins with clay’s reception since that time. Since NCECA’s first conference in 1967, the organization has staked a claim of love for beauty, material sensitivity, and making. It has also been engaged in ideological battles with itself, as well as with the medium’s perceived outsider status within both modern, western education and the mainstream art-world. At times this battle has turned unfortunately inward, manifesting itself as a diametrical discourse that pits art against craft, pots against sculpture and/or objects against experiences.

NCECA Executive Director | Joshua Green The 2016 National Student Juried Exhibition is a cornerstone of veiny composition that continues to course the lifeblood of these tensions within the problems of contemporary art practice. The best thing we find within this exhibition is very demonstrable evidence that artists of the next generation are working with and through these issues in ways that are at once conscious, brave and innovative. The best are committed to haptic ways of knowing while challenging constructs formerly associated with art/craft and high/low dichotomies. Another reason the adorned figures and decorative motifs of Teotihuacan vessels resonate with us today is that they appear so similar to the styles of American hippies. In so doing they bring to mind the attributes of idealism, collective action and opposition to the status quo that are central to NCECA’s origin story. In “If 6 Were 9” (from 1967, the year of NCECA’s first conference), Jimi Hendrix sang, “But I’m gonna wave my freak flag high, high... wave on, wave on,” in what might have well served as an anthem for clay artists of the era. NCECA was established not only to break down a sense of isolation experienced by ceramic educators and artists, but also as an act of defiance that challenged power structures, symbols, and perceptions of canonical content. The finesse and openness with which artists in the 2016 National Student Juried Exhibition challenge preconceptions through their depth of commitment to clay is well aligned with NCECA’s founding ethos. Together, they also push considerations of familiar arguments forward and outward. Although in too many quarters, educational institutions and critics of art and design continue to wage a dubious discourse that positions disciplinary depth in opposition to interdisciplinary conceptual development, the student artists included in this exhibition refuse to play mouse to this cat. Contemporary Mexican artist Gustavo Perez (2015 NCECA Demonstrating Artist), states , “Clay is simple yet endless... You have to choose a narrow path that you define yourself... follow it and find something.” Gustavo is so plain-spoken in his insights about clay. The profundity of decisions and lifelong challenges of the medium are real. His decades long commitment to his practice are beyond question, evidence of their authenticity. Some noise has been made over the last several years about how clay has finally been accepted into the mainstream of contemporary art. More still has been covered in journalistic media touting that working with clay and joining handmade pots with culinary prowess are the next great now moment of conscious lifestyles. The students and teachers who keep their hands in clay make art and also make NCECA. Let’s keep waving those freak flags...

2016 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition

The National Student Juried Exhibition represents an important highlight in the array of experiences The National Student Juried Exhibition is a highlight in the array of experiences that the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) makes possible each year. Selected from images of work submitted by higher education students enrolled in programs of ceramic art throughout the United States, this exhibition embodies the visions of next-generation creative inquiry through clay. Founded in 1966, NCECA is a nonprofit organization that fosters global education and appreciation for the ceramic artsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bridge to the past and future. Because clay connects us to the earth and one another, we believe that learning and working with this material touches lives and builds relationships like no other artistic practice. Through endeavors like the National Student Juried Exhibition, fellowships, and learner-centered programming, NCECA cultivates awareness of future makers and expands opportunities for artists. If you share our belief that ceramic art enriches every part of our lives, inciting curiosity, encouraging creativity and inspiring community, please join us at www.nceca.net.