Two ceramic art exhibitions will open at USM: Southern Miss Ceramics National and Cups of Contemplation

Fri, October 11, 2024 – 2:41 p.m | By: Ivonne Kawas

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gallery of Art and Design is proud to announce the opening of two exceptional ceramic art exhibitions – Southern Miss Ceramics National and Cups of Contemplation – from October 14th to November 8th. The two exhibitions are free and open. They are presented to the public and shown in tandem. A graduation reception and awards ceremony will be held on November 7 from 5 to 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 will delight viewers with vessel forms, sculptures and installation works. Since its inception in 2016, this exhibition has become one of the premier ceramic art exhibitions in the United States, showcasing both emerging and established artists.

This is new at USM this year Cups of reflection Exhibition celebrating the craft of ceramic cup molds. As the most intimate ceramic art object, mugs offer a personal connection to artists from across the country. This exhibition highlights the tactile and visual experience of handcrafted cups, each designed to enhance the everyday act of drinking, turning it into a moment of reflection and mindfulness.

Southern Miss is honored to welcome renowned ceramic artists Tom and Elaine Coleman as judges for the two exhibitions. “Tom and Elaine Coleman are two of the most well-known ceramic artists in the United States,” said Mark Rigsby, museum director and professor of art and design. “Over the years, both have received numerous honors and awards for their ceramic work and have published widely throughout their careers.”

Tom’s pottery on the wheel and Elaine’s elegantly carved porcelain are represented in major collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Racine Art Museum, and have earned them both national and international recognition. With their combined experience in ceramic art, the Colemans bring a wealth of expertise to their role as jurors, masterfully selecting 153 works by 75 artists from 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, Missouri); Yana Bondar (Augusta, Georgia); Nathan Bray (Iron, Minn.); Ray Brown (Oxford, Miss.); Shannon Brownlee (Washington, DC); Conner Burns (Natchez, Miss.); CJ Carter (Norman, Oklahoma); Connie Christensen (Denver, Colo.); Dani Clark (Gulfport, Miss.); Lionel Clark (Diamondhead, Miss.); Kevin Cuervo (Perkinston, Miss.); Catie Daniel (Blountville, Tenn.); Tom Delaney (Charlotte, North Carolina); J. Casey Doyle (Moscow, Idaho); Lucienne Druckman (Denver, Colorado); Ryan Durbin (Highland Heights, Ky.); Claire Elise (Des Moines, Iowa); Melanie Eubanks (Hattiesburg, Miss.); Emily Fedorchak (Greenfield, Indiana); Daniela Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas (Fort Worth, Texas); Susan Filley (Hillsborough, NC); Susan Finsen (Washington, DC); Abbi Fitzekam (Missoula, Mont.); Ann Fremgen (Golden, Colo.); Sarah Gabel (Cincinnati, Ohio); John Gargano (Lafayette, La.); Ashley Gauntt (Phoenix, Arizona); Yuri Gershtein (Highland Park, NJ); Dennis Gerwin (Charlotte, North Carolina); 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, Georgia); Matt Jones (Baton Rouge, La.); Heather Kaplan (Las Cruces, NM); Colin Kerrins (Flagstaff, Arizona); Lucien Koonce (Haydenville, Mass.); Alison Krenzer (Kansas City, Missouri); Lisa Kurtz (Knoxville, Tenn.); Tameria Martinez (Boonsboro, Md.); Guy Matsuda (Plainfield, Mass.); Andrew McIntyre (Waco, Texas); Jim Nordal (Cave Junction, Ore.); Eric Ordway (Columbia, Missouri); Lulu O’Toole (Flagstaff, Arizona); Aurora Pavlish-Carpenter (Gainesville, Fla.); Brian Peshek (Granada Hills, Calif.); Rose Robinson (Newburyport, Mass.); Loren Scherbak (Rockville, Md.); Margaret Seidenberg-Ellis (Lebanon, Pennsylvania); Angelo Silecchia (Orlando, Florida); Steven Sitrin (Martinsville, NJ); Jessica Smith (Tuscaloosa, Ala.); Marcia Gayle Snee (Bel Air, Maryland); Tim Steinmann (Flagstaff, Arizona); Lindsey Strand-Polyak (Coupeville, Washington); Chance Taylor (Columbia, Missouri); Kennedy Turnbull (Oxford, Miss.); From Venhuizen (Lubbock, Texas); Marina Wahbeh (Scottsdale, Arizona); Lisa Watson (Pass Christian, Miss.); Elena Wendelyn (Poulsbo, Washington); Mathew Wheeler (Johnson City, Tenn.); Anna Witte (Syracuse, NY).

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

These exhibitions were made possible in part by the generous support of Partner for the Arts.

For further information please contact Mark Rigsby.