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.
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
that can be used in studios, in classrooms, at dinner tables, or anywhere folks enjoy engaging in critical dialogue about clay.
Upcoming Events
Power Dynamics: Traditions of Misogyny in ‘American Studio Ceramics’ ... a continued conversation
with Jasmine Baetz
Saturday, December 7, 2024
11am - 1pm PST (that’s Los Angeles time), online.
Power Dynamics
Ceramics is an inherently communal field. From lifting hundreds of pounds of clay to loading kilns, firing through the night, and commiserating over shards: we need each other. And yet, much of the field continues to perpetuate embedded hierarchical structures.
Why has porcelain been historically assigned more value than terracotta? Who owns the land where our clay is sourced? What does it mean to hold mining rights? When will the history of misogyny in American studio ceramics become mainstream knowledge? How does that history persist today and what are we doing to counter it? Is contemporary ceramics education shifting towards horizontal learning formats or does it adhere to more traditional approaches? Who continues to insist upon gatekeeping? What role does the market play in entrenching such systems? Why are competitive attitudes prevalent between individual artists and what can we do to support each other as a community?
We must examine and take responsibility for how the ceramics field moves into the future amidst these structures. Conversations that tap into contemporary histories, territories, and alternative perspectives will run from Fall 2024 through Summer 2025 as part of the Power Dynamics series of State of Ceramics.
