Students and faculty from Kent State's School of Art will be exhibiting work during the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference. Curated Storefront has organized a collaborative exhibit titled Western Reserve Currents. Exhibition opportunities like this allow students to show their work alongside peers and professionals in a gallery setting and contribute to the growth of the national recognition of Kent State’s School of Art. Western Reserve Currents is just one of nearly 100 exhibitions that will be on display during the 2023 NCECA conference.
Curated Storefront: Western Reserve Currents
Western Reserve Currents is a diverse showcase of contemporary works in clay which emanate from the rich and ever-evolving creative epicenters of ceramic education, creation, and experimentation in Northeast Ohio. Organized by the Curated Storefront. Artists include Clayton Bailey, Seuil Chung, Drew Ippoliti, Ben Lambert, Michael Lucero, Kirk Mangus, Missy McCormick, Ryan Mitchell, Seth Nagelberg, Peter Christian Johnson, Eva Polzer, and Kukuli Velarde, with a memorial showcase of Kathy Koop.
Titled Western Reserve Currents, work from artists representing the nine institutions, art centers, and art collections will be featured: Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland Institute of Art, Curated Storefront: Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders, Hieronymus, Hope Center for Arts and Technology: Kathy Koop’s Celebration of Life, Kent State University, Northern Ohio Clay, The University of Akron, and Youngstown State University.
Kent State School of Art Ceramics Program
The Ceramics program at Kent State University offers students the opportunity to hone their command of ceramic material to create both artistic and functional forms. Humans have been firing clay to create ceramic vessels and sculptures for tens of thousands of years. Students who major in ceramics at the School of Art find new ways of practicing an ancient craft, drawing on both traditional and contemporary thought and practice. Additionally, the coursework for the ceramics degrees investigates practices from around the world, providing students with a global context for understanding the medium. Graduates from our program have gone on to successful careers as educators, studio artists and industry professionals, and have been recognized nationally and internationally with notable successes and awards.
Images above: (left) Ceramic sculpture by Hannah Johnson, graduate student (right) Ceramic Sculpture by post-baccalaureate student, Eva Polzer, titled Body Language II