Power Dynamics: When does Social Practice Patron or Patronize?

with Javier Espinosa Momox

Saturday, November 7, 2026

10am - noon PST (that’s Los Angeles time), online.

State of Ceramics events have always been free to the public because we believe in making expanded ceramics education as widely accessible as possible. Although we do not charge for attendance, we rely upon donations to sustain the extensive time and labor that is put into planning and executing these programs. We value this State of Ceramics event at $30 and appreciate donations of any amount from those who can afford to contribute.

Discussion Guide

Discussion Guide coming soon!

About the Topic

Is it possible to invert or remove hierarchical structures from artistic social practice? After all, it’s rare that all participants are viewed as equal contributors. Most often, it’s a ladder: an institution supports an individual artist; an artist facilitates a project; a particular community is the crux of a project.

How often do the narratives, projects, and institutions that are intended to support a specific community instead inadvertently obscure them? Communities and individuals are romanticized or mythologized; artists transform themselves from artist to activist to savior; and patronage becomes patronizing.

Can these hierarchical structures be counter-leveraged for personal and communal empowerment? In this State of Ceramics, we consider who gets the spotlight in socially engaged projects and how to create equitable and productive visibility for all participants. Javier Espinosa Momox’s ongoing ceramics project Herencia Means Heritage, which highlights the history and labor of traditional Mexican Talavera artisans, will be used as a case study to underpin our conversation.

About the Artist

Javier Espinosa Momox is a Mexican artist from Momoxpan, Mexico, who is trained as a traditional Mexican Talavera artisan. His practice, grounded in a Community Engaged Creative Practice model, privileges people over institutions and seeks to make visible the work and histories of artisans who have been historically marginalized.

He holds a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and is currently completing a Teaching Fellowship at the University of Notre Dame. As a researcher, Javier serves as a bridge between artisans, community, and institutions, working above all from the understanding that building relationships is the project.