Objective Clay is a group of fourteen artists who share a vision to create an online space established and maintained by artists. The space functions as a gallery to view the artists’ latest work as well as a window into their current thoughts in process. By sharing ideas and opening their studios, they invite artists, non-artists, educators, and students to actively engage in their artistic practices. In this virtual studio, the people who love pots can form direct relationships with the artists and view and purchase new work.
Objective Clay will be featured in the NCECA Gallery Expo at this year’s 50th Anniversary Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts to be held in Kansas City, Missouri March 16 through 19. As a run-up to this event, six artists from Objective Clay will host a Pre-NCECA Workshop and Pop-up Exhibition at ClayPlace @ Standard in Pittsburgh on Friday, March 11.
The workshop and exhibition will feature two demonstration workshops, from 9 a.m. through noon and from 1:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. Objective Clay’s artists Jen Allen, Blair Clemo, Sunshine Cobb, Bryan Hopkins, Dough Peltzman, and Gwendolyn yopollo will present their techniques to participants. The group states as its mission “to openly share the ideas, processes, and work as a group of professional artists committed to utilitarian ceramics.” Works by the artists will be on display in the ClayPlace @ Standard gallery. All attendees are invited back at 6:00 p.m. for an evening of libations, light refreshments, and lively music by a local band.
Jen Allen
Blair Clemo
Sunshine Cobb
Bryan Hopkins
The theme of this year’s NCECA conference is Makers, Mentors, and Milestones. Organizers describe the event as “an exploration of the personal, social and aesthetic forces that animate creative work with elemental materials, methods and ideas in the midst of the information age. Kansas City, Missouri, the geographical epicenter of the continental US, is an urban nexus of fountains, bebop and technological innovation. Its horizon connects farmland with cultural complexity. An amalgam of global traditions and local vision, the region’s legacy of great art institutions, patrons, artists and educators has long held an important role in the development of North American ceramic arts. Makers, Mentors and Milestones will highlight issues of contemporary practice, celebrate the impact of influential figures and movements that have shaped the field, and create opportunity to envision collectively what lies ahead.”
Doug Peltzman
The Objective Clay artists plan a road trip to the Kansas City event, with a stop in Pittsburgh for the day of presentations at ClayPlace @ Standard. They will repeat the program at the NCECA conference as part of the many presentations at the expo. In addition to the workshop, they will feature a large selection of their works at their booth.
gwendolyn yoppolo
Plan now to attend the 50th Anniversary NCECA Conference in Kansas City. Visit http://nceca.net/2016-kansas-city/ or call 1-866-266-2322 for more information.
Can’t make it to Kansas City? Attend the Collective Clay Demonstration Workshop at ClayPlace@Standard on March 11. Call Carla at 412.489.5240, or visit www.clayplaceatstandard.com for more information.