Ceramics Monthly Articles (Simple)

  • 🎧 Nan Coffin: Working Smarter, Not Harder
    Nan Coffin’s decades of experience working as a potter has provided ample insight into establishing a business and adjusting it to life as needed. Her practice today prioritizes efficiency.
  • 🎧 Birds as Metaphor: A Sculpted Candlestick
    With conceptual roots in the effects of climate change on ecosystems, Sarah Conti merges sculptural techniques and function in objects that incorporate birds into their structures and adornment.
  • Call for Entries: April 2024
    Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.
  • Spotlight: Play and Clay
    Gasworks NYC, founded by Cor Garcia-Held and Emiliano Garcia, is a workspace and residency program that seeks to maintain a studio that is driven by community, sincerity, and care.
  • Recipes: Versatile Finish
    Henry Crissman and Virginia Torrence of Ceramics School and Nan Coffin share the slip and glaze recipes they rely on in their studio practices for consistent results.
  • Studio Visit: Laurie Caffery, Asheville, North Carolina
    Laurie Caffery discusses how adaptability, organization, and efficiency are key to the success of a small space, and the importance of stepping away from work for well-being and creativity.
  • Clay Culture: Ceramic Coatings
    24 Ceramic Coatings by Laurel Sheppard Researchers at several Hong Kong universities have developed a ceramic radiative coating inspired by the Cyphochilus beetle, known as the whitest insect on Earth.
  • Clay Culture: A Love Story
    Founded in Hamtramck, Michigan, by Henry Crissman and Virginia Torrence, Ceramics School fosters a safe, supportive, and creative space, embodying their vision of ceramics as a catalyst for holistic living and community engagement.
  • Exposure: April 2024
    Images from current and upcoming exhibitions
  • Quick Tip: Stamping Support
    From coffee tampers to pepper grinders, the stamp support is not a new idea, but nothing beats a custom tool.
  • From the Editor: On Purpose
    The artists featured in this issue use their resources, platforms, work, research, and studio practices to address or bring attention to contemporary problems or serve their communities.
  • Techno File: China Paint Tests
    Discover how you can use everyday items like milk, gum arabic, glycerin, and 7UP as alternatives to traditional china-paint mediums.
  • Spotlight: Building Connections
    Ellen Kleckner discusses the generosity of artistic collaboration, personal evolution, and the magic of embracing the unexpected.
  • Call for Entries: March 2024
    Deadlines for exhibitions, fairs, and festivals.
  • 🎧 Vicús and Tallán Roots: Polo Ramírez
    Peruvian ceramic artist Polo Ramírez, rooted in the heritage of his Vicús and Tallán ancestors, shapes his distinctive pottery through a deep connection to the earth and traditional methods passed down through generations.
  • 🎧 Ryuji Iwasaki: Make Yourself at Home
    Ryuji Iwasaki’s distinctive pottery is influenced by his home near Osaka, Japan, designed by architect Norio Yoshinaga, where natural elements create a harmonious connection between his living space and artistic practice.
  • 🎧 Our Creative Community
    Founded by Sarah Wells Rolland, The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville’s River Arts District is a thriving creative collective with dedicated potters who prioritize community and a “people before pots” mentality.
  • 🎧 “Clay Holds Water, Water Holds Memory”
    This NCECA 2023 concurrent exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati celebrated the wisdom and work of Black women and non-binary individuals in the field of ceramics and was curated by Adero Willard.
  • Tips and Tools: Reseating Elements
    Delve into a safe and practical step-by-step guide for fixing sagging kiln elements using basic tools commonly found in clay studios.