“Clay: A Southern Census”
January 8 – 30, 2021
Juried by Ariel Bowman
Entries due July 30, 2020
The Clay Center of New Orleans seeks applicants for “Clay: A Southern Census,” our annual juried exhibition devoted to ceramic work by artists residing in the states that make up the U.S. Census Bureau’s “South Region,” which includes AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA and WV.
Open to ceramic vessels, sculptures and wall-mounted works, this exhibition will be on display January 8 – 30, 2021 in the Clay Center’s gallery space in the heart of New Orleans.
About the Juror
Ariel Bowman was raised in Dallas, Texas where her parents are both artists. Growing up, she spent a lot of time outside with animals. The undeveloped woodlands that surrounded her childhood home inspired her to create art that focused on the natural world.
As a sculptor, Ariel works in clay using a variety of mixed media techniques. Of her work, Ariel says, “I make sculptures of prehistoric animals that represent the wonder to be found in natural history. I am intrigued by animals that evolved with distinct features, such as unfamiliar tusks, strange elongated limbs, and unusual proportions. I use clay to bring these extinct creatures back to life, sculpting folds of flesh and filling their bellies with air.”
Ariel earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2011, and a Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Florida in 2018. She has studied abroad at the International Ceramics Studio in Hungary, and was awarded the Regina K. Brown NCECA undergraduate and graduate fellowships. Ariel has been an artist in residence at the Armory Art Center and her work has been collected by the Belger Arts Center, the Florida Museum of Natural History, and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.
