The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is proud to present Clay+/Invitational, October 27 through December 21, 2022. There will be an artists’ reception on Friday, November 4, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Clay+/Invitational is an exhibit of works by ten ceramicists who use materials and methods that de-emphasize traditional clay-centric practices and use a more interdisciplinary approach, challenging viewers to reconsider the traditional “purist” idea of ceramics. The exhibiting artists are Audrey An, Heather Nameth Bren, Andrew Castañeda, Ling Chun, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Jason Hackett, Salvador Jiménez-Flores, Julie Malen, Kourtney Stone, and Kyle Triplett.
Assistant Professor Wade MacDonald has curated this invitational show, which was based on an international juried show he organized for the Clay Center of New Orleans.
MacDonald said that the field of ceramics “must embrace a multitude of approaches to making, along with new conceptual frameworks. Using materials other than clay to enhance and elevate the ceramic object is one such approach – it is just an alternative way to consider the histories, processes and meaning of the material.”
MacDonald said he believes the most exciting ceramics programs are welcoming interdisciplinarity. “The clay tent is big enough to include all forms of ceramic art and the larger art world supports this notion.” MacDonald hopes that this invitational exhibition and the earlier juried one will contribute to expanding the tent. “Clay+ aims to showcase artists who are changing the field by including multiple materials alongside clay within their art practice.”
Ceramics Monthly, an artists’ journal for the field, published an article, “Clay+ Expanding the Lexicon,” by MacDonald in October about his curatorial project and interviewed some of the artists involved.
Check out more of the works featured in the exhibition on Flickr.com.
Admission to the gallery is free. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. when school is in session. The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is located at 103 Garland Hall in the heart of UA campus on Woods Quad. Information about visitor parking is available on the UA Parking Services website.
The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, supported by the College of Arts and Sciences and the UA Department of Art and Art History, is an essential part of the education and development of UA students and our community. We invite you to visit us for a class, an opportunity to look at art, or just a quiet, meditative respite from the outside world. Visitors are not required but are encouraged to wear masks inside the gallery. Have questions or need assistance? Contact the gallery at 348-1891 or visit us online.
For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in art history and studio art, visit our Degree Programs page.