(Re)Action

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… Continue reading →

(Re)Form

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… Continue reading →

Lay of the Land

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… Continue reading →

KCAI Ceramics Students and Alums are Honored

To recap some exciting events of last year I am going to include the last, unpublished post by Laura Blumenberg.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

Goodbye, Laura! Hello, Lora!

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… Continue reading →

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… Continue reading →

Dr. Margaret Carney Comes to KCAI

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… Continue reading →

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… Continue reading →

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… Continue reading →

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… Continue reading →

Andrea Martin Visits KCAI

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… Continue reading →

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.   Calder Kamin is gallery director of… Continue reading →

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… Continue reading →

Visiting Artist Rain Harris Returns

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… Continue reading →

Farewell, Korla!

Hello there, Laura Blumenberg here. Our former talented blog hostess, Korla Luckeroth, has moved on to bigger and better things. She’s gone north to the graduate program at the University of Minnesota. We’ll… Continue reading →

Misty Gamble Returns to KCAI Ceramics!

Misty Gamble has returned to fill the spot of sculpture instructor while Cary Esser is away on sabbatical. Misty is just back from her residency at the Armory Art Center in West Palm… Continue reading →

Thermal Shock: KCAI Ceramics Exhibition, Spring 2009

Thermal Shock, the 2009 spring semester exhibition, showcased the hard-won pieces of the Ceramics Department. As always, this time of year was stressful, but the show went off without a hitch. All the undergraduates… Continue reading →

Craft in America Films KCAI Ceramics and Cary Esser’s Studio

Over the course of a week in February, Craft in America came to Kansas City and filmed a segment at the Kansas City Art Institute for their upcoming episode titled Process.  The episode… Continue reading →

Guest Artist Jen Woodin Gives Lecture and Student Critiques

Jen Woodin, who recieved her MFA in Ceramics from the University of Oregon and her undergraduate degree in engineering from Cal State University, Chico, came to KCAI in February and gave an informative… Continue reading →

A Glimpse of Studio Life

To be completely honest, it is very hard to describe life as a ceramics student at the Kansas City Art Institute. A day usually begins with coffee to perk up from the long… Continue reading →

New Work by Cary Esser

Cary Esser, chair of the Kansas City Art Institute ceramics department, recently showcased horizontal tile compositions that “simultaneously suggest organic yet geometric islands or hives” (quoted from the exhibition catalog essay by curator… Continue reading →

Fall End of the Semester Ceramics Exhibition

At the end of each semester, student exhibitions are presented to the KCAI community and the public. In the span of one week the studios are transformed from an intense work environment to… Continue reading →

Mid-Semester Critiques

The week of October 13th we had our twice annual mid-semester critiques. The ceramics faculty – Cary Esser, Paul Donnolly, and Misty Gamble – met with each ceramics major for 20 minute individual… Continue reading →

Another Delightful Evening at the Hoffmans

Two years in a row the ceramics department has been welcomed to an evening of dinner and art viewing at the home of John and Sharon Hoffman. The Hoffmans open their Kansas City… Continue reading →

Fall 2008 – Welcome Misty Gamble & Paul Donnelly!

We have the privilege of welcoming two new instructors to the department this fall, Misty Gamble and Paul Donnelly. Misty Gamble, who is serving as George Timock’s sabbatical replacement, is teaching the sophomore… Continue reading →

Student Work Spring 2008

Here is what the department has been cooking up this past semester. Hannah Blackwell (Sophomore) Bowie Crossiant (Special Status) Timo Fahler (Junior) Tyra Forker (Senior) Calder Kamin (Junior) Domonique Karwoski (Senior) Melissa Lind… Continue reading →

Good Bye Blog Mistress Tyra….

Tyra Forker, the original writer for our department blog, has moved on. Recently graduating from the KCAI ceramics and art history departments, she has taken a resident artist position with potter John Glick… Continue reading →

Molly Hatch Demo

Molly Hatch came to KCAI on April 25th and demonstrated her throwing and mishima techniques for the ceramics department students. Molly recently recieved her MFA from the University of Colorado, Boulder and recieved… Continue reading →

2008 McKeown Grant Awards

The McKeown Special Project Award was created to fund special artistic and research projects in the KCAI ceramics department. Students may apply for research-based travel or materials and supplies to support the creation… Continue reading →

Visiting Artist Val Cushing Comes to Town!

This past spring we had the wonderful pleasure of having Val Cushing give demos as well as individual critiques in the ceramics department. Val Cushing received his BFA and MFA from the School… Continue reading →