Spring Is Sprigging At The Clay Art Center

PORT CHESTER, NY — Spring is the time when an artist's fancy turns to thoughts of ceramic glaze. The Clay Art Center is playing cupid for enthusiasts of the versatile medium both on the national stage and a little closer to home

The Clay Art Center (CAC) has announced four new opportunities for artists of all skill levels and experience to further their professional and creative development.

The CAC is encouraging ceramic artists who are interested in selling in the shop and online to apply now. Shop applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed three times a year. The Shop at the CAC features handmade functional pottery and ceramic sculptures from local and national artists. Collectors and enthusiasts across the nation purchase from the shop year-round.

The CAC is also inviting ceramic artists to submit proposals for exhibitions to be presented in the Gallery at the CAC. Artists may apply for both solo exhibitions or in groups of two or more. The Gallery provides a platform for both established and emerging artists to explore a wide range of topics that address materials, processes and techniques, and to engage in critical thinking.

Gallery proposals for the 2024 programming year are due by June 1, 2022. The Gallery is committed to exhibiting a wide variety of work from a diverse group of artists. Several notable ceramic artists, such as Tim Rowan, Justin Novak and Julia Galloway, have had their first solo exhibitions at the CAC. Several exhibitions are hosted annually, all free of charge to the public.

The center's year-long artist in residence program, which begins every September, is designed for emerging artists who need the time and space to develop their voices. The resident artists will receive a stipend, teaching opportunities and opportunities for a solo exhibition. Applications for the residency program are due by April 8, 2022. The CAC's nationally recognized program was started in 1998 by Director Emeritus Reena Kashyap. Since then, over 50 young artists have been able to launch their careers and find their voices.

The CAC's National Call for Entry Exhibition in 2022 will be "The Family Portrait." The center is inviting artists to submit ceramic works that explore the meaning and definition of the family unit as "image, as a system, as historical reference, or metaphor for where we are as a contemporary culture and society." Artists will be able to define what family means to them through functional or non-functional ceramic works.

More information about these opportunities for ceramic artists can be found here.

The Clay Art Center is a nationally recognized non-profit center for the advancement and practice of ceramic arts offering exhibitions, clay classes for adults and children, studio spaces for clay artists and outreach programs for the community. It is located at 40 Beech St. in Port Chester. More information on joining the CAC for virtual and in-person classes, exhibitions and the shop can be found on the website.