Internships

Internships are an important part of the KCAI ceramics department curriculum, offering students professional experience in the field.  Each semester many students participate in a variety of internships in Kansas City and elsewhere.

KCAI’s campus is bounded by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.  These museums offer ample opportunities for exciting internships.

Currently, there are three ceramics majors interning at the Nelson.  Senior Ben Harle works with the exhibition lighting and design staff, designing pedestals for the upcoming, groundbreaking exhibition Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939.  Ben also recently assisted lighting for the current George Ault and Romare Bearden exhibitions.

Junior Maura Wright is interning with Catherine Futter, curator of decorative arts at the Nelson, and co-curator of the World’s Fair exhibition.  Maura is preparing information labels for this show, which opens in April 2012.

Senior Roberto Lugo is interning as teaching assistant for New Dimensions, an innovative educational program at the Nelson.

At the Kemper, Cydney Ross is assisting the museum educator, helping to develop and program workshops, lectures and events. Cydney also helped with artist Jeanne Quinn‘s installation at the Kemper Crossroads space and helped prep Teri Frame‘s performance, Lavatar’s Animals.

Cydney Ross helping Teri Frame

In Kansas City, there are many local artist’s studios, galleries, and other art institutions where students can intern and prepare for the real world.

Red Star Studios is lucky to have Sasha Alexandra as their intern.  She is working with the gallery space,  learning what it takes to run a gallery – from packaging artworks for shipping, to corresponding with exhibiting artists about upcoming shows.

Will Preman is interning with artist Andy Braymen.  Will helps Andy slip cast objects and make molds.  He is learning to use 3-D modeling software programs  and how to trouble shoot some of the technical problems that arise with this process.

Joseph Hutchins and Nate Salvin are working with artist Rain Harris, helping create her commercial line and her fine art sculpture.  They are learning what it takes to make a living as an artist.

Jordon Kern teaches art to preschool children in her internship at Children’s Song, a Lifeways Program inspired by the teaching of Rudolf Steiner.

Dean Roper is interning with artist Meredith Host.  He helps apply decals for Meredith’s commercial line, foldedpigs, and decorate her Dot Dot Dash dinner ware sets.

Molly Ryan is interning with artist Misty Gamble, helping Misty prepare work for an upcoming Exhibition  at the  Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art gallery.

Maret Miller interns at the American Jazz Museum. She assists with curatorial tasks, records and edits video, and designs print for the museum’s promotional materials.

Rob Lugo Wins Bread KC! Last Spring

Our very own ceramics major Roberto Lugo won Bread KC! in May of the 2011 spring semester.

Bread KC! is a competitive opportunity for artists to present project proposals for funding.    The public is invited to an event that offers a home made meal for ten dollars.  After eating, three artists give formal presentations describing their project ideas.   The money gathered from the purchase of dinners is awarded to one of the three artists.  The winner is decided by popular vote.

People dinning at Bread

Last spring Rob participated in Bread KC! and won.  He used his grant to attend a residency over the summer with potter Tom Jones.

Rob Lugo and Tom Jones

Visiting Artists: Richard Notkin and Jeanne Quinn

This week Richard Notkin and Jeanne Quinn have visited KCAI.  The ceramics department juniors and seniors were lucky to have one-on-one critiques with these talented and intelligent artists.

Richard Notkin‘s exhibition will open on October 6th, at the Belger Arts Center and Red Star Studios, and will run till December 31st.  The show includes large scale tile works, his signature teapots, and miniature, highly detailed objects.

Richard Notkin, Heart Teapot: Hostage/Metamorphosis IV - Yixing Series

Richard Notkin, The Last Syllable of Recorded Time

Jeanne Quinn: Ceramics In(ter)ventions will be on show at the Kemper at the Crossroads Gallery from this Friday through Janurary 6th 2012.

Jeanne Quinn, A Thousand Tiny Deaths

Jeanne Quinn, All That Is Still Melts Into Air

Victor Babu Speaks at KCAI

We were lucky to have Victor Babu, fabulous artist and former KCAI faculty member for over 30 years, come to speak to us at the ceramics department.  Victor talked to us not only about his time teaching here, but also the lovely collection of pieces he donated to the Ferguson Teaching Collection.  His donation includes works by Richard Hensley, Matthew Metz, and Molly Hatch, as well as a Romanian folk pitcher and a 19th Century Arita Japanese sake bottle.

Victor speaking to students

Victor Babu

Tuesday West examining bowl by Richard Hensley

Victor Babu

Students enjoying works after Victor's talk

Bryan Juarez looking at Matthew Metz bottle

Where Are They Now?

So where are our KCAI graduates now?  Here’s an update on exactly that!

2011 graduate Laura Campbell is in Normal, Illinois, studying at Illinois State as a post baccalaureate student.

Lora Campbell

Ryan Fletcher, 2010 graduate, is in Guldagergaard, Denmark attending a Network Residency at the International Ceramic Research Center.

Ryan Fletcher, Tapas Micros

2011 graduate Ariel Bowman won the Regina Brown Fellowship Award last spring.  She is currently traveling to the Paris Natural History Museum, the Meissen and Dresden Porcelain Factory.

Ariel Bowman

Andrew Harting, 2011 graduate, is special status student at Colorado State in Fort Collins.

Andrew Harting

2010 graduate Hannah Blackwell is at Indiana University in Bloomington studying for her MFA.

Hanna Blackwell, I Am What I Am

Tess Stilwell, a graduate of 2010, is a resident artist at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Tess Stilwell

2010 graduate Laura Blumenburg is working as collections coordinator at the Belger Arts Center in Kansas City.

Laura Blumenberg

Calder Kamin, 2009 graduate, has come back to KCAI to work as a career services assistant.

Calder Kamin

2005 graduate Johanna Keefe is studying in the MFA program at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Johanna Keefe

Cara Long is attending the MFA program at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA.

Cara Long, translucent porcelain

Tiff Hockin is attending the MFA program for Graphic Design at Yale University.

Jessica Brandl and Jo Kamm are here in Kansas City.  They were both recently awarded residencies at Red Star Studios.

Jo Kamm

Jessica Brandl, Painting

Spring 2011 Juried Exhibition: Rare Earth

The Spring exhibition was a great success.  See below photos of the show, if you didn’t get a chance to enjoy the real thing.

Sophomore wall of cups and saucers

2011 Graduate Wen Dan Lin

2011 Graduate Margeaux Claude

Juried group exhibition of sophomore and junior work

Current Senior Roberto Lugo

2011 seniors Ariel Bowman, Lora Campbell, and David Oicata

Current Senior Emily Connell

2011 Graduate Lora Campbell

Angie Rodriguez

Current junior Brett Ginsburg

Summer Scholarships

Three students were awarded scholarships to attend summer sessions at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in the Colorado Rockies and Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of North Carolina.  Emily Connell and Will Preman attended Sunkoo Yuh’s workshop The Narrative: realizing form at Anderson Ranch.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center

Sunkoo Yuh, A Bit of Roman Influence, 2010, 21 x 14 x 11 in., Porcelain

I attended Del Harrow’s workshop Modeling, Molding & Mapping Technology at Penland, where I learned to use the 3D rendering program Rhino, creating prototypes on a CNC mill.

Aerial View of Penland School of Crafts

Del Harrow, Summer 2011 work

The September 2011 Issue of Ceramic Monthly is Here!

Four recent KCAI ceramic department alumni were featured in Ceramic Monthly’s fabulous September issue!

Margeaux Claude, who graduated last May, was beautifully featured in the “2011 Undergraduate Showcase” with a photograph of her Summer Series. 

Margeaux Claude, Summer Series 2011

“The Spotlight Interview: In Service of Food” presents Ryan Fletcher’s Tapas Micros project in which he collaborated with a chef to design and produce restaurant ware.  Ryan graduated in December 2010.

Ryan Fletcher, image from Tapas Micros Project

Also check out Jesse Small’s work in “Exposure” and Meredith Host’s Foldedpigs commercial line in “Does Clay DIY?”

Meredith Host working on her Foldedpigs line

In With the New, Out With the Old

The old trusted World War II bread dough mixer finally bit the dust.  It was cut down to pieces over the summer, and finally after much sweat, a few nicks and bruises, and no tears, the mixer was moved out, and hauled away.  For good.  Thanks to Tom Binger for all his hard work!

Tom Binger and Old Mixer

 

A truck hauling away the remains of the mixter away

Our now spacious clay mixing room has a nice new shiny blue Soldner mixer.  We also have amazing new doors, and a new stack for Byrd.

The new mixer with Eli Jurado and Sasha Alexandra

It’s That Time Again!

Now that summer’s over, it’s time to get back to keeping everyone up to date about the KCAI ceramics department.  My name is Kelsey Simon, I am a senior this year, and I will be taking over as the department blogger for Lora Campbell.  We are all going to miss Lora’s giving and helpful nature, as well as her enthusiastic and happy personality.  Lora went to work as a post bac student at Illinois  State University, in Normal, Illinois.

And the Sun Came Up Over, Spring 2011, Wall piece, 30 inches by 24 inches, Ceramic (Cone 04)

I’ll be here to keep you up to date, and to fill you in on everything you missed over the summer, so make sure to check regularly for new updates.

Me During Pre-semester Clean Up

Ceramics Department Spring Exhibition 2011

2011 Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship

Ariel Bowman

This spring, NCECA awarded one of three 2011 Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowships to KCAI student Ariel Bowman.  Ariel is using the award to further her research into prehistoric and current animal anatomy through traveling to the Paris Natural History Museum, the Meissen and Dresden Porcelain Factory, and the Dresden Porcelain Museum, which houses the largest collection of porcelain in the world, including the hall of Meissen animal sculptures.

The 2010 Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship was awarded to KCAI student Harmony Chapman (BFA ’10) who used it to travel and study ceramics in China.

Paris paleontology gallery

Meissen porcelain goat

Preparation for End of Semester Show

Sarita Mahinay

David Oicata

Amber Ailor

Brett Hinsburg And Jen Watson

The end of semester is winding down quickly but not without commotion.  Every student is finishing up their projects by throwing, slipcasting, and handbuilding their work.  We all fall into a rythym of glazing and firing kilns with each other as we prepare for our end of semester show, Rare Earth, which will be on display May 6th through May 14th.

KCAI Ceramics Student Wins Zahner Competition

Wen Dan Lin won a competition with the A. Zahner Company, an acclaimed Kansas City-based firm that produces art and architectural elements in metal.  Dan’s work is being created by Zahner Company to be sold at the KCAI Auction this summer; the auction is a benefit for student scholarships.

Here is the progress of the work, photographed recently with Dan in the Zahner shop:

Six KCAI students show at NCECA

Roberto Lugo

Ryan Fletcher

Tess Stilwell

Hannah Blackwell

The 2011 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Tampa, Florida showed six KCAI students in the National Student Juried Exhibition (NJSE).  The exhibition was juried by Neil Forrest and Ayumi Horie and was on display from March 21 through April 2, 2011.  Hannah Blackwell (’10), Margeaux Claude (’11), Ryan Fletcher (’10), Lea Griggs (’11), Roberto Lugo (’12), and Tess Stilwell (’10) sent their chosen works to Florida. Of the 6, Lea Griggs won the third place NCECA Undergraduate Student Award and Tess Stilwell won the Studio Potter Undergraduate Award.  Congratulations!

2010 Ceramics Monthly Undergraduate Showcase

Mariko Brown ('10) Blue Floral Tumblers, 5 in. (13 cm) in height, wheel-thrown porcelain, fired to cone 6

Mariko Brown ('10) Mary Jane, 10½ in. (27 cm) in height, wheel-thrown porcelain, fired to cone 6.

Eric Wolever ('10), Irreverence, black walnut pedestal with maple inlay, slip-cast porcelain,

Eric Wolever ('10), Irreverence, black walnut pedestal with maple inlay, slip-cast porcelain,

Ceramics Monthly September 2010 issue contained two KCAI ceramics students in the Undergraduate Showcase - Mariko Brown (’10) and Eric Wolever (’10).

The magazine opened this undergraduate showcase opportunity to the entire nation, we were proud that two KCAI students were represented in this competition.

To read Mariko Brown’s showcase click here.

To read Eric Wolever’s showcase click here.

(Re)Action

Harmony Chapman, senior

Ariel Bowman, senior

Lora Campbell, senior

Shae Bishop, junior

Jacob Oftedahl, sophomore

Jen Watson, sophomore

The fall 2010-11 semester flew by and everyone worked hard for the end of semester show.  Sophomores, juniors, and seniors all had been planning and imagining how their own work would be on display since the beginning of the semester.  Finally seeing all our plans and drawings of our plans come together for a noteworthy show rewarded all involved.   We said goodbye to Hannah Blackwell, Mariko Brown, Harmony Chapman, Courtney Cox, Ryan Fletcher, and Tess Stilwell, who were our six graduating seniors.

The exhibition name, (Re)Action, was inspired by the H&R Block Artspace’s (Re)Form, a showcase of KCAI’s ceramic alumni. Displayed at overlapping dates, the two exhibitions enhanced the other through the dialogue created between past and current students.

(Re)Form

 

 

Kurt Weiser '72

Jesse Small '97 (foreground) and Bobby Silverman '80

Terri Frame '06

Terri Frame '06

As the Fall semester wound down, (Re)Form, at the H&R Block Artspace, exhibited current work by KCAI ceramics alumni; what a testament to the 125th anniversary of Kansas City Art Institute and the ceramics department!  The following excerpt is from H&R Block Artspace:

“(Re)Form explored recent work by graduates of the KCAI ceramics program from the late 1960s to the present.

Curated by Catherine L. Futter, the Helen Jane and R. Hugh “Pat” Uhlmann Curator of Decorative Arts at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the exhibition included pieces primarily in ceramics that have been completed in the last two years and display a wide range of perspectives.

The artists invited to participate in the exhibition include well-known, mid-career and emerging artists who offer a variety of viewpoints — from the vessel and functional work to sculptures, installations and performance art.

(Re)Form demonstrates the diversity of artistic expression in KCAI’s vibrant ceramics program.”

Lay of the Land

George Timock, Hungarian Herend Porcelain, Vessel FFF 2009 8.75"x 8"

Cary Esser, Topo 1, glazed fritware 7.75" x 23.25"x 21"

Paul Donnelly, Vase & Bowl, 2010, Oxidation fired porcelain, wheel thrown

Cary Esser, George Timock, and Paul Donnelly showed current work in Lay of the Land, September 3 through October 30, 2010 at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art.  Misty Gamble and Victor Babu each exhibited one piece for our visual pleasure.  It was a joy to see the work by KCAI faculty, past and present, in the same gallery space.  The exhibition was quite a fine way to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about Lay of the Land at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, click here.

To read Glen Brown’s review in the February 2011 issue of Ceramics Monthly magazine, click here.

KCAI Ceramics Students and Alums are Honored

Ariel Bowman

Eric Wolever

Ryan Fletcher

Harmony Chapman

Lora Campbell

Keith Whitecloud Simpson

Jo Kamm

To recap some exciting events of last year I am going to include the last, unpublished post by Laura Blumenberg.

“Quite a few of our students were honored by the ceramics community.  Ariel Bowman (junior), Ryan Fletcher (senior) and Eric Wolever (senior) were selected to participate in the NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition. Eric won the NCECA Undergraduate First Place Award for Student Excellence, and Ariel was awarded the Muddy Elbow Soldner Mixer Award for Student Excellence. Additionally, Harmony Chapman (senior) was awarded the Regina Brown Fellowship through NCECA.

Eric is also featured in the exhibition “10 Years: The Brand Boeshaar Scholarship Program” at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa.

Lora Campbell (junior) has received the Brooks Scholarship Award to fund her residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo.

Eric Wolever will be attending the graduate program at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz while Keith Simpson will be heading to the graduate program at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Meanwhile, alum Jo Kamm (2007) won an NCECA graduate fellowship award, which includes a cash prize of $2,000. Jo will travel this summer to Poland where he will work with artist Marek Cecula to set up an artist residency center. He has also been selected as an artist in residence artist for European Ceramic Context 2010, a biennial symposium on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark.  The six week residency will take place this Fall.

Congratulations everyone!”

Goodbye, Laura! Hello, Lora!

Lora Campbell, I Can't Move Mountains

Hello faithful followers!  My name is Lora Campbell, a senior in ceramics and art history, I have big shoes to fill of Laura Blumenberg, who has graduated and moved on to be gallery assistant at Red Star Studios.  Before writing about what’s happening this semester, I will be catching you all up to speed on great happenings that took place during the busy, past semester.

Progressing and Processing

With less than a month to go before the end-of-semester show arrives, students are really buckling down to finish pieces and finalize ideas.

The departmental show, which will feature ceramics from all levels including the graduating seniors, will be on from May 7 – 15th.

Here’s just a sample of the kind of hard work you see in the KCAI Ceramics Department.

Special Status student, Rachel Ray

Students glazing

Loading the KC Steamer

Margeaux Claude and Ariel Bowman, Juniors

Ashley Morrison, Senior

Mariko Brown, Senior

Dr. Margaret Carney Comes to KCAI

Dr. Margaret Carney

Lithophane from the collection

Dr. Margaret Carney from the Blair Museum of Lithophanes came to the ceramics department this month to give a lecture about these dazzling objects. Lithophanes are thin translucent porcelain tiles that are made from a mold and, when back-lit, display an image that depends on the varying thicknesses of the porcelain.

The Blair Museum of Lithophanes is the only museum in the United States devoted to this process, founded by Laurel Blair, a collector for which the museum was named.

Dr. Carney is the curator of the museum and has recently written one of the few books about these prized objects.

X-Factory: Fall 2009 Exhibition

With the snow the semester’s end brought the exhibition we were all working towards so diligently. Finally after all of the testing, the forming, the planning, the thinking and all of the firings we got to see our work presented in a gallery setting. It’s always amazing to see our work spaces transformed! Here’s a little peek to share with you.

Tess Stilwell, Junior

Shae bishop, Sophomore

Rob Lugo, Sophomore

Mihwa Im, Senior

Mariko Brown, Junior

Ariel Bowman, Junior

Laura Blumenberg, Senior

Barrett Leary, Senior

John Chy, Senior

Paul Smith, Senior

Eric Wolever, Senior

Lora Campbell, Junior

Matthew Jorgensen, Senior

Ben Harle, Sophomore

Emily Connell, Sophomore

Harmony Chapman, Junior

Melissa Lind, Senior

Kara Fosler, Senior

In the Studio – Work in Progress

As we get closer to the end of the semester and the beginning of the exhibition, students pick up the pace. Be sure to stop by the ceramics department December 4th for the show to see the end results!

Mariko Brown, Junior

Ariel Bowman, Junior

Matt Jorgensen, Senior

Tess Stilwell, Junior

Paul Smith, Senior

Andrew Harting, Junior

Paul Smith, Senior and George Timock, Faculty

Newly fired work from Vincent

KCAI Ceramics Department Exhibits in Los Angeles!

If you’re in Los Angeles this month, check out the Craft in America Study Center to view work from the Ceramics Department. Join Cary Esser, Ceramics Department Chair and Alum for the opening reception.

Andrea Martin Visits KCAI

Andrea Martin, "Lapware"

Andrea Martin, 2007 alum from the department, came to demonstrate her techniques and talk with students these past few weeks. She is a recent MA Design graduate from Central Saint Martins College of Art in London where she designed and fabricated her new line of dishes, Lapware. These ceramic vessels are formed to fit to the contours of the user’s body. They evoke warmth and familiarity, while referencing the shiny, cold, white surfaces of sanitary ceramics.

Where Are They Now?

Recent KCAI alumni get jobs, go to graduate schools and attend residencies.

Robert Wetherington is studio manager at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Robert Wetherington

 

Calder Kamin is gallery director of Red Star Studios in Kansas City, Missouri.

Calder Kamin

 

Casey Whittier is attending the MFA program at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Casey Whittier

 

Korla Luckeroth is attending the MFA program at the University of Minnesota.

Korla Luckeroth

 

Timo Fahler is attending the MFA program at UCLA.

Timo Fahler

 

Lauren Mabry is currently enrolled at the MFA program at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Lauren Mabry

 

Tara Polansky is in the MFA program at Ohio State University.

Tara Polanskty

 

Scott Rosenberg is in the MFA program at the University of South Florida.

Bowie Croisant is a resident at Red Star Studios in Kansas City, Missouri.

Bowie Croisant

 

Tyra Forker is a resident artist at the Armory Art Center in Florida.

Tyra Forker

 

Molly Jones is a resident artist with John Glick at Plum Tree Pottery.

Molly Jones

 

 Daniel Teran is a resident artist at Pottery Northwest in Seattle, Washington.

Daniel Teran

 

This summer, Sean O’Connell was the 2009 Salad Days Artist at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts.

Sean O'Connell

 

Julie Malen has joined the Urban Culture Project in Kansas City.

Julie Malen

 

Paul Storms is with the KC Clay Guild.

Paul Storms

 

Gabriel Reed is with the JET program, teaching English in Japan.

Gabriel Reed

Craft in America on October 7!

Last spring we were privileged to have the talented and admirable crew from Craft in America join us here at the KCAI Ceramics Department.  The episode, airing Oct. 7 on PBS, will be entitled “Process.”   The two-hour show will air nationally, including from 7 to 9 p.m. CT on KCPT, Kansas City Public Television. The second hour of the program includes a 10-minute segment about the strength of the KCAI ceramics program and features interviews with Cary Esser (’78 ceramics), chair of the department; Professor George Timock; Victor Babu, retired professor, and several KCAI students and alumni.

Craft in America will soon have a virtual exhibition up on their website. Click here to check it out.

The website also lists links to descriptions, photos and video footage of both KCAI students and faculty.
Click to view George Timock, Cary Esser, and students Liz Largent and Mihwa Im in action!

Visiting Artist Rain Harris Returns

Bauble, 2006

Rain Harris will be joining us here in the studio to demonstrate, critique and give a lecture about her work this week. It’s all a part of KCAI’s free weekly lecture series, “Current Perspectives” at 7 p.m., September 24 in Epperson Auditorium. Rain was last with us in the spring for critiques. We appreciate her feedback!