Clay takes center stage in Detroit this week
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Work in the CCS exhibition: Kara Thomas, "The Magic of Life and the Power of Nature," left; and Laith Karmo, "Come to Terms." Photos: Courtesy of the artists and CCS
Thousands of ceramicists are descending on Detroit this week for a national conference that'll show them how the city's arts scene is taking shape.
Why it matters: The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Wednesday-Saturday is seeing record registration numbers of over 5,000, per an email sent to attendees.
State of play: The traveling, annual event centered this year at Huntington Place downtown draws artists, educators, students, curators and collectors.
- It also features 80 ceramics exhibitions spread across the city and region — like Pewabic Pottery and Playground Detroit on the east side, venues in Midtown and the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.
- Those not attending the conference can still visit the exhibitions outside Huntington.
How it works: Ceramic art is made mostly from clay heated at high temperatures. It includes functional pottery, sculpture, tiles and other experimental works.
Zoom out: The conference isn't just about education. It's also a collaborative "meeting of the minds" to dig deeper into the industry, Claire Thibodeau, ceramics section lead at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), tells Axios.
- "We talk about inclusive environments, educational practices, where we are in contemporary times as ceramic artists and in relation to the world," Thibodeau says.
Zoom in: Alongside the conference, CCS is hosting a free exhibition of 30 ceramics alumni over the last 50 years of its program.
- "The biggest thing, when you walk into the exhibition, is just how different all of the works are and techniques," Thibodeau says.
- She liked learning what students did post-graduation, and seeing the influences in their work — like renderings of gears from a student who later went into automotive design.
- It's open through April 18 on its Midtown campus, 11am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday, with extended hours during the conference.
Plus, the Cranbrook Academy of Art is hosting multiple events, including its largest-ever exhibition of Cranbrook ceramic artists.
- The free event inside the Chrysler House building downtown runs 10am-5pm Wednesday-Saturday, with a reception from 5-8pm Thursday.
- It'll host more than 100 pieces from artists across the country and world, with selected works for sale.
If you go: NCECA conference registration is available in person at Huntington Place starting at noon Tuesday. Day and week passes range from $78 to $485.
- An interactive map shows public exhibitions open to non-conference attendees.
- Look for both the NCECA's juried "featured exhibitions" section, as well as the "Clay Around Town" community series.