50 Years in the Making

Resident, Guest Artist, Associate, Staff Alumni

Jun 13th - Sep 1st, 2024

This Alumni Exhibition showcases artwork to reflect the current practice of the over 150 artist who have participated in The Clay Studio's Resident Artist Program, Guest Artist Program, and Associate Artist Program over the 50 years since its founding. 

To see the works in the show see below, or click here

The artists who work within the walls of The Clay Studio are the creative engine that keeps the organization going and focused on supporting professional artists at all levels, emerging, mid-career, and established. We are thrilled to bring together over 100 of the artists who have had meaningful, sometimes career-altering experiences at The Clay Studio while also sharing their creativity and inspiration with our entire community.

Please note that the list of artworks below will not be complete until Friday, June 14th at noon. 


50years nceca artcard3

Opening Reception

Thursday, June 13 | 5-8 pm

Join us and many of the artists to celebrate their work in the gallery as our 50th anniversary celebration continues!

For the exhibition 50 Years in the Making, we have invited current and former Resident, Guest Artist, Associate, Staff Alumni to create work that explores how being part of the community during the residency affected them as individual artists. Each will reflect on how seeing themselves as one part of a whole differed from other, more solitary times in their artistic careers.

The work in the exhibition will explore the memories of being in that place of transformation and how the artists saw their place within the larger group. The Clay Studio itself represents coalescence. The thousands of people who have come together over the last 50 years to create the organization, develop programs, and make art with us are the parts that have come together to create this wonderful entity. An organization not only reflects the people who comprise it, it is a manifestation of their collective selves. The Residents who each spent several years using The Clay Studio as their artistic home have made TCS what it is today.

50 Years in the Making will be a thought-provoking look at the artistic transformations of these artists during their time in our artistic programs and how coming together to shape The Clay Studio in turn shaped them as individuals. Many of us have been part of groups that have changed our perceptions of ourselves during our lives, and therefore the feelings they represent will be universally understandable.

The current and former Artists of The Clay Studio are some of the most acclaimed ceramic artists in the country. On the occasion of our 50th anniversary we want to bring together their amazing work and celebrate with our national community. 

2024 50 years in the making install photo 1
2024 50 years in the making install photo 10
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2024 50 years in the making install photo 9
2024 50 years in the making install photo 4
2024 50 years in the making install photo 8
2024 50 years in the making install photo 6