State of Ceramics is an ongoing series of discussions centered around evaluating the present and future of the ceramics field.
Participants are encouraged to share their unique perspectives and voices during these open and inclusive dialogues.
This is an opportunity for us to take responsibility for how our field is shaped.
Upcoming State of Ceramics
10am - Noon PST (that’s Los Angeles time), online.
As around, as below, as before: clay is ubiquitous in contemporary built- and natural-environments and threads through the histories of each. For example, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 altered the trajectory of American architecture by leveling wooden structures, thus reinvigorating the 9,000-year-old brick and increasing the durability of our cities. Ceramic construction materials are not often cited as a major player in ceramics as ‘fine art’ but they are arguably pivotal for both the technical and conceptual expansion of the field. Might a traditional vessel be reconceptualized in the form of a building? In this State of Ceramics series, which has multiple discussions through Spring 2024, we explore the roles of ceramics in architecture, and architecture in ceramics.
Current Series:
Architectural Ceramics
Information about upcoming State of Ceramics in this series will be updated throughout 2024.
Each State of Ceramics discussion is led by different ceramic artists and is prompted by specific, unanswered questions they have about the shifting dynamics of contemporary ceramics. These collective conversations are geared towards evaluating the current state of the field, expanding possibilities, and building community as we move through this process.
These online discussions are free and open to the public—the clay community and the clay curious—and are informal, open, and democratic spaces where participants are encouraged to share their unique perspectives and voices. State of Ceramics are not lectures or panel discussions; they are inclusive, video-on events where everyone present is an equal participant in collective criticality and research. This programming is currently globally accessible via Zoom.
All State of Ceramics contribute to an open source curriculum that can be used in studios, in classrooms, at dinner tables, or anywhere folks enjoy engaging in critical dialogue about clay.