Dual Ceramic Art Exhibitions to Open at USM: Southern Miss Ceramics National and Cups of Contemplation

Fri, 10/11/2024 - 02:41pm | By: Ivonne Kawas

The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Gallery of Art and Design proudly announces the opening of two extraordinary ceramic art exhibitions – Southern Miss Ceramics National and Cups of Contemplation – from Oct. 14 through Nov. 8. The two exhibitions are free and open to the public, and they will be shown in tandem, with a closing reception and awards ceremony taking place on Nov. 7 from 5-7 p.m. on the Hattiesburg campus.

The Southern Miss Ceramics National is a biennial juried exhibition that showcases a diverse range of contemporary ceramic art, and viewers will be delighted by vessel forms, sculptures and installation works. Since its inception in 2016, this exhibition has risen to become one of the premier showcases for ceramic arts in the U.S., featuring emerging and established artists alike. 

New to USM this year is the Cups of Contemplation exhibition, which celebrates the craft of ceramic cup forms. As the most intimate of ceramic art objects, cups offer a personal connection to artists from across the country. This exhibition highlights the tactile and visual experience of handmade cups, each designed to enhance the mundane act of drinking and elevate it to a moment of reflection and mindfulness. 

Southern Miss is honored to host renowned ceramic artists Tom and Elaine Coleman as the jurors for the two exhibitions. “Tom and Elaine Coleman are two of the most highly recognized ceramic artists in the U.S.,” said Mark Rigsby, museum director and Art and Design professor. “Through the years they have both received numerous honors and awards for their ceramic work and have been published extensively throughout their career.” 

Featured in prominent collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Racine Art museum, Tom’s wheel thrown pottery and Elaine’s elegantly carved porcelain have earned them both national and international acclaim. With their combined experience in ceramic arts, the Colemans bring a wealth of expertise to their role as jurors, masterfully selecting 153 works from 75 artists across 32 states.

Participating artists include:

Madeleine Althoff (Stillwater, Minn.); Lori Armiger (Denver, Colo.); Becky Blackburn (New Orleans, La.); Michael Blair (Lake Worth Beach, Fla.); Shannon Blakey (Columbia, Mo.); Yana Bondar (Augusta, Ga.); Nathan Bray (Iron, Minn.); Ray Brown (Oxford, Miss.); Shannon Brownlee (Washington, D.C.); Conner Burns (Natchez, Miss.); CJ Carter (Norman, Okla.); Connie Christensen (Denver, Colo.); Dani Clark (Gulfport, Miss.); Lionel Clark (Diamondhead, Miss.); Kevin Cuervo (Perkinston, Miss.); Catie Daniel (Blountville, Tenn.); Tom Delaney (Charlotte, N.C.); J. Casey Doyle (Moscow, Idaho); Lucienne Druckman (Denver, Colo.); Ryan Durbin (Highland Heights, Ky.); Claire Elise (Des Moines, Iowa); Melanie Eubanks (Hattiesburg, Miss.); Emily Fedorchak (Greenfield, Ind.); Daniela Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas (Fort Worth, Texas); Susan Filley (Hillsborough, N.C.); Susan Finsen (Washington, D.C.); Abbi Fitzekam (Missoula, Mont.); Ann Fremgen (Golden, Colo.); Sarah Gabel (Cincinnati, Ohio); John Gargano (Lafayette, La.); Ashley Gauntt (Phoenix, Ariz.); Yuri Gershtein (Highland Park, N.J.); Dennis Gerwin (Charlotte, N.C.); Juan Granados (Lubbock, Texas); Brian Grossnickle (Maple City, Mich.); Rachel Yan Gu (Urbana, Ill.); Leigh Harney (Denver, Colo.); Stephen Heywood (Jacksonville, Fla.); Michael W. High (Chardon, Ohio); David Hill (Belton, Texas); Matt Hiller (Talkeetna, Alaska); Mark Issenberg (Rising Fawn, Ga.); Matt Jones (Baton Rouge, La.); Heather Kaplan (Las Cruces, N.M.); Colin Kerrins (Flagstaff, Ariz.); Lucien Koonce (Haydenville, Mass.); Alison Krenzer (Kansas City, Mo.); Lisa Kurtz (Knoxville, Tenn.); Tameria Martinez (Boonsboro, Md.); Guy Matsuda (Plainfield, Mass.); Andrew McIntyre (Waco, Texas); Jim Nordal (Cave Junction, Ore.); Eric Ordway (Columbia, Mo.); Lulu O’Toole (Flagstaff, Ariz.); Aurora Pavlish-Carpenter (Gainesville, Fla.); Brian Peshek (Granada Hills, Calif.); Rose Robinson (Newburyport, Mass.); Loren Scherbak (Rockville, Md.); Margaret Seidenberg-Ellis (Lebanon, Pa.); Angelo Silecchia (Orlando, Fla.); Steven Sitrin (Martinsville, N.J.); Jessica Smith (Tuscaloosa, Ala.); Marcia Gayle Snee (Bel Air, Md.); Tim Steinmann (Flagstaff, Ariz.); Lindsey Strand-Polyak (Coupeville, Wash.); Chance Taylor (Columbia, Mo.); Kennedy Turnbull (Oxford, Miss.); Von Venhuizen (Lubbock, Texas); Marina Wahbeh (Scottsdale, Ariz.); Lisa Watson (Pass Christian, Miss.); Elena Wendelyn (Poulsbo, Wash.); Mathew Wheeler (Johnson City, Tenn.); Anna Witte (Syracuse, N.Y.).

Experience both exhibitions at the Gallery of Art and Design, located in USM’s George Hurst Building. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.

These exhibitions were made possible in part to the generous support of Partners for the Arts.  

For more information, contact Mark Rigsby.