Off to a great start!

The past few weeks in the ceramics department have been very busy! We are starting to see self-portraits emerging from the sophomores, tile work from the juniors and a variety of work from… Continue reading →

Visiting Artist: Lindsay Pichaske

This past Wednesday the ceramics department was lucky enough to welcome Lindsay Pichaske to campus for an artist lecture and demo, as well as studio visits with some of our seniors and juniors… Continue reading →

KCAI ceramics department blog welcomes new blogger!

Hi all! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Nicole McLaughlin and I am a senior in the ceramics department. As you may have guessed by the title,… Continue reading →

Sixth Annual Art History Symposium

On Saturday February 23, KCAI’s Art History department had its Sixth Annual Art History Symposium. The symposium featured four art history double majors, two of which are our ceramics department seniors Raegan Koepsel… Continue reading →

In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Role Models and Inspirations

In honor of Black History Month 2019, the Kansas City Art Institute’s Black Artists Culture and Community organization (BACC) is proud to present In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Role Models and Inspirations. In… Continue reading →

Visiting Ceramics Department Faculty: Margaret Kinkade

The ceramics department welcomes Margaret Kinkade as our visiting department faculty! Margaret is teaching vessel curriculum to our ceramics department sophomores, juniors, and seniors while Paul Donnelly is on sabbatical. The third week… Continue reading →

Artist Lecture: Jessica Brandl

Students started this spring semester with an artist lecture from KCAI Ceramics department graduate, Jessica Brandl. Brandl spoke about how her upbringing has shaped her into the artist she is today. She strives… Continue reading →

The KCAI Ceramic Department Presents: HOT STUFF

The KCAI Ceramics Department Presents: HOT STUFF! Our semi-annual semester show will feature works created by our ceramics students this fall semester. The show will have a range of works from all levels… Continue reading →

RICHARD NOTKIN: BACK AT KCAI

Richard Notkin (Class of 1970) is back in the ceramics department! Notkin presented his closing lecture from the CrossCurrents: Clay and Culture 2018 NCECA conference in Pittsburgh, PA. The lecture was titled The Power of… Continue reading →

Exhibition: Tom Binger “Binger’s Return”

Cerbera Gallery presents the ceramics department’s very own department technician, Tom Binger, with his new show “Binger’s Return.” The exhibition will continue to run from November 7th – December 9th. Tom Binger finds… Continue reading →

Department Wide Field Trip!

This year our ceramics department took a department wide field trip. The students and teachers gathered together on a big yellow bus to participate in some of the events hosted by Open Spaces.… Continue reading →

Global Day of Clay

To celebrate Global Day of Clay (GDOC), seniors from our ceramics department posted images and responses to works they selected from the department’s teaching collection. To see all the works, follow us @kcai_ceramics… Continue reading →

Visiting Scholar: Ezra Shales

This past Friday our ceramics department had its first visiting scholar in several years. Ezra Shales is a art history professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the author of… Continue reading →

Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Penland School of Crafts Series

Thanks to scholarships and donations to the KCAI Ceramics Department, every school year four students are selected to participate in workshops at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Penland School of Arts. These… Continue reading →

Exhibition: Casey Whittier. Every Corner: A Confessional

KCAI ceramics department’s very own alumni and assistant professor, Casey Whittier started out this school year with an solo exhibition last Friday at the Lawrence Arts Center.  The show is open to the… Continue reading →

Sophomore and Junior Mentorship Program

Every year our ceramics department sophomores and juniors participate in a mentorship program. This program helps our sophomores learn more about the department and galleries in the Kansas City area from the juniors… Continue reading →

Exhibition: Cary Esser: Second Surface

KCAI’s very own Kathleen Collins Chair of Ceramics Cary Esser recently displayed a new body of work from her Parfleche series at the Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art Gallery.  The show ran from February 2nd… Continue reading →

Field Trip: Belger Arts Center!

While our teachers were off enjoying NCECA in Pittsburgh, our ceramics department juniors got to enjoy a field trip to Belger Arts Center! Students were able to hear about the history of the… Continue reading →

Ceramics Students Assist Artist Alida van Almelo at PLUG Projects

Slow Time, a recent exhibition at PLUG Projects in Kansas City, MO featured artists Alida van Almelo and Kevin Townsend.  They worked together to create new pieces within the space by responding to each… Continue reading →

Artist Visit: Kevin Snipes

As our ceramics department begins to settle into the new semester and new year, our department welcomes Kevin Snipes as our first visiting artist of 2018. Kevin was born in Philadelphia, but grew… Continue reading →

Exhibition: Private Narrative: Public Discourse

​In honor of Black History Month, The Kansas City Art Institute’s Black Artist Culture and Community organization (BACC) presents Private Narrative: Public Discourse. The artwork featured in the show evokes each individual artist’s… Continue reading →

Annual Kansas City Terra Cotta Field Trip

Our ceramics department juniors took a field trip around Kansas City to check out some of it’s awesome terra cotta architecture. As many of you know, Kansas City has a great history when… Continue reading →

George Timock: A Legacy in Clay

KCAI’s very own George Timock opened his survey exhibition at the Belger Arts Center on Friday, October 6. A Legency in Clay displays Timock’s work from 1973 to 2015, also spanning his 42… Continue reading →

Issac Logsdon: 3 Years Later in the Ken Ferguson Collection Room

Issac Logsdon is a senior majoring in Art History and Ceramics, also working toward a Social Practice certificate. He has been employed in the ceramics department Ken Ferguson Collection room for six semesters.… Continue reading →

Visiting Artist: Kosmas Ballis

Kosmas Ballis (Class of 1995) came to visit the department this past Friday to speak to the students in in Irving Amphitheater. Ballis is based in Florida but has traveled extensively throughout Asia… Continue reading →

KCAI Ceramics Department Blog: 11 Years, Going Strong!

Greetings all — my name is Shontaja Brown. I am a junior double major in art history and ceramics and working toward a social practice certificate. I will be officially taking over the… Continue reading →

KCAI Visiting Artist: Patti Warashina

This past week our KCAI ceramics department received a visit by world renowned artist Patti Warashina. Warashina earned both her BFA (1962) and MFA (1964) from the University of Washington, Seattle. She later… Continue reading →

Student Works in Progress

As the Spring 2017 semester draws nearer to its end, the atmosphere in the ceramics department is anything but winding down. The studios are packed as students push themselves to finalize their works before next week’s end-of-semester critiques… Continue reading →

Students Discuss Their Favorite Pieces in the Ken Ferguson Teaching Collection

  Katie Pilmaier, a junior, explains her love for this delicate bowl of Daniel Teran’s (BFA 2007). “Whenever I try to think about what subtlety is, I think about this piece. It’s something… Continue reading →

2016–2017 McKeown Special Project Award Recipients

The recipients of this year’s ceramic McKeown Special Project Award grants are seniors Austin Bradshaw, Maddie Scott, and Emily Souers. The grant was conceived by KCAI alums Byron and Deanne McKeown, with the goal… Continue reading →