The week’s news in the ceramic art world – March 22, 2022

We have recently published an article by Ashley Gifford about Fawn Krieger’s work, which touched on theoretical concepts concerning written language and civilization. “Clay has been used for centuries to hold the memory of the physicality of living beings and the environment. Relics from the past have often been ceramically excavated by layers of subsoil and substratum. Are Krieger’s caesura sculptures fossils of the Anthropocene? They investigate modes of reimagining language and communication outside of the written word while also paying homage to the excavation of our past histories. Krieger’s glazing decisions make these visual connections to archaeology.”

There are a few days left to apply for Northern Clay Center’s Emerging Artist Residencies. These are designed to provide up to four ceramic artists with an opportunity to be in residence for one year at Northern Clay Center, where they can develop their own work, as well as exchange ideas and knowledge with other ceramic artists. The residencies culminate in an exhibition in NCC’s galleries the January following the residency. Applications are open to artists from around the world.

The Gardiner Museum will host a virtual artist tour with Shary Boyle on Monday, March 28. Shary Boyle’ exhibition Outside the Palace of Me is reimagining the museum as a collective performance space, mining histories of craft and obsolete technologies to connect our current realities to legacies of the past. Tickets start at $5.

Arthur Gonzalez is the central figure in Broken Magic, an upcoming 9-part documentary web series about his work by filmmaker Isaac Pingree. The first episode is up on YouTube, with new episodes coming up every Wednesday. Arthur Gonzalez is a renowned artist and tenured Professor at the California College of the Arts. His work was on the cover of the first issue of Ceramics Now Magazine in 2011 (this brings back a lot of good memories!).

The Ceramic School announced three calls for entries in preparation for The Ceramic Congress, coming up in May. Open calls: International Ceramic Cat Show, International Ceramics Film Festival, Australian Ceramics Film Festival. Submissions deadline: March 31, 2022.

The Keramikmuseum Westerwald in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, just announced a small competition as part of their Ceramic Market (June 11-12), with the theme Jewellery and Buttons. Participation in the market is not necessary, and the applications are free.

If you’ve never heard of the term “dirt drop”, get ready for it. The Financial Times wrote about small-batch ceramic mugs that are sold out in minutes, much like a Supreme brick. “Why are so many of us caught in the crosshairs of this ceramics craze? Part of it, surely, is human nature, and the inclination to grab something before it goes. But it goes beyond that. The pieces are both functional and decorative (Sour Key holders wear their treasures as necklace pendants or hide them in their plants). Plus they Zoom beautifully. “There’s a rawness to it,” says Brooklyn-based ceramicist Dustin Barzell. “You can see the process and humanity in the pieces.”

Artsy reported that ceramics collector Louise Rosenfield donated 3,000 pieces to the Everson Museum of Art with one caveat—the works must be used at the museum’s new restaurant, to open later this year. Just reserve my table!