Call for submissions now open! Entry fee for NCECA members only $20 (Non members $35 or BECOME A MEMBER) Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational will be on exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum from February 22 to March 23, 2014 in conjunction with Material World, the 48th Annual NCECA Conference, taking place at the Delta Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 19 – March 22, 2014.
The NCECA Invitational is a themed, curated exhibition that features
leading edge, large-scale and often challenging ceramic art. Held in
even-numbered years, NCECA’s Exhibitions Director collaborates with the
host venue curator to develop an exhibition concept and select a
foundational group of artists’ works by invitation. Augmenting this core
selection, additional artists may respond to an open call for images of
ceramic works that support the theme. This format brings established
reputations and emerging talent to bear on the selected theme and adds
vitality and fresh perspectives to ongoing discourse in contemporary
art. The exhibition is organized and co-curated by NCECA Exhibitions
Director, Linda Ganstrom and Mel Buchanan, Assistant Curator,
20th-century Design at Milwaukee Art Museum.
Concept The 2014 NCECA Invitational explores the significance of flow in
a physical, historical and symbolic sense. Water flows. Glaze flows.
Clay flows. To flow is to move in a current, like a liquid. Yet you
don’t need water to flow. A line can flow. Air flows. Music flows.
Electricity flows. Ideas flow. Artists can flow in a state of focused
motivation that brings a deep enjoyment to the process of their
activity. Energy flows. Time flows. Life flows. Our present fluidly
becomes our past. The museum promotes the flow of culture through the
presentation of artworks and ideas of material culture.
With their spectacular view of Lake Michigan, the dramatic windows of
the Baumgartner Galleria in the Milwaukee Art Museum allow the flow of
water and light to be a constant presence in the art gallery. Whether
in the atmospheric form of mist, rain, ice or snow, water in its various
physical states transforms the elegant space, marking the flow of time
and seasons. Set in this dramatic chamber of changing light and color, Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational seeks
an elite group of memorable ceramic works that embody the spirit and
physical properties of flow, as well as connect the contemporary space
of the Calatrava architecture with the historic collections of the
Milwaukee Art Museum.
Media & Limitations All works must be primarily ceramic or unfired clay. Mixed
media works will be accepted only if ceramic materials are the primary
media, although video documentation of projects involving ceramics is
encouraged. The curators will make final determinations. Large-scale
work can be accommodated. Floor works must be firmly stable.
Wall-mounted pieces can be accommodated. Works may be hung from the
ceiling in specific places. Work must have been produced within the last
five years and not have been shown in previous NCECA sponsored
exhibitions, the Milwaukee Art Museum or the greater Milwaukee area.
Entry Guidelines All entries must be submitted electronically through Juried Art
Services. The initial curatorial phase will be accomplished through
review and selection of images of works submitted and available for the
exhibition. No substitutions will be allowed. Artists may submit up to ten pieces with two images of each work, not to exceed 20 images.
Members fee is $20
Non-Members fee is $35 NCECA membership runs 12 months from the date of joining or
renewal. NCECA Membership fees are not included in any event
registration. Membership is a standalone annual fee. To renew or become
an NCECA Member go to: http://www.nceca.net/static/membership_home.php . If you are unsure of your Membership status, please contact [email protected]
Before beginning submission, applicants must be prepared to provide the following: o Biographical statement, up to 100 words.
Each work submitted must include the following image details: o Title
o Catalogue Statement – up to 200 words addressing the theme of “flow” as it relates to this piece.
o Description – Date of Completion, Photo Credit (if artist,
type in ARTIST), Clay body, materials, and decorating/firing methods
o Sale Status – For Sale or Not For sale
o Image #s – Image 1, Image 1 detail = piece 1 w/detail
Image 2, Image 2 detail = piece 2 w detail
Etc. for each subsequent piece up to 10 pieces
o Dimensions (inches) H x W x D
o Weight (lbs.)
o Retail Price
o Insurance Value: Milwaukee Art Museum requires Insurance value to equal Retail Value
o Estimated return shipping cost
No changes will be allowed once an entry is accepted into the database. Once
data is entered in the system, it cannot be altered. Proofread your
data carefully as this information will be used to generate the
exhibition budget, catalog, insurance and publicity information. Your submission is considered a formal agreement that the work is available for exhibition, accurately described and priced.
Calendar Detailed information and Online Submittal form: Available March 8, 2013
Online Submittal deadline: June 5, 2013 (midnight EST)
Acceptance notification: August 1, 2013
Contracts and Statements due: August 15, 2013
Delivery of accepted work: January 2 – January 22, 2014
Installation: February 11 – February 21, 2014
Exhibition dates: February 22 – March 23, 2014
Return of work: By April 23, 2014
Deadline for submission of shipping reimbursement form: May 1, 2014
Shipping Artists are responsible for shipping their work to and from the
Milwaukee Art Museum and insuring it while in transit. Works may be
shipped or hand-delivered to the museum. The artist must contact the
Milwaukee Art Museum registrar’s office in advance of shipment,
informing them of the method of shipment and date of shipment. The
Museum cannot accept anything over the weekend. Works should be shipped
in reusable containers with photographic documentation for re-packing.
NCECA has a limited budget for reimbursement of RETURN shipping only.
Reimbursement amounts payable to individual artists will be determined
based on estimated return shipping costs submitted at the time of entry.
The reimbursable amount will be calculated on an individual basis and
stated in the exhibiting artist’s contract.
Accepted work will be shipped to: Registrar’s Office c/o
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 North Art Museum Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Insurance and Sales The Milwaukee Art Museum will insure all work upon its arrival
and until departure under its fine arts policy for the amounts specified
by the insurance value listed and up to the limits of the Milwaukee Art
Museum’s current insurance policy. Certain restrictions apply.
The Milwaukee Art Museum will not conduct sales. Work may be offered
for sale through the NCECA Office. A 30% commission on sales will be
retained by NCECA. Return shipping reimbursement is available to
artists only. In the event a work is sold, it is the responsibility of
the artist to arrange and pay for shipping to the buyer.
Photography and Permissions Images of entries may be retained for the NCECA archives.
Images of works included in the exhibition may be reproduced in print
materials and posted on NCECA’s website, blog and social media. NCECA
also reserves the right to use images, biographical materials and artist
statements in reports and share them with the media. Images of works in
the exhibition may also be shared by NCECA within an image library as
part of accessCeramics.org
Various other educational and promotional materials may be created by
the Milwaukee Art Museum or NCECA. Works in the exhibition may be
photographed, telecast, and reproduced for press and publicity purposes
including but not limited to reproduction in newspapers, periodicals,
magazines, in television programs and on the Internet in connection with
the exhibition and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Participating artists must agree to allow NCECA and gallery visitors to
photograph work while on display for educational and publicity purposes.
Catalogue NCECA will produce a color catalogue documenting the exhibition
experience through artists’ bios and statements; color images of
artwork, and pertinent essays. The catalogue will be available for
pre-purchase and for purchase at the conference. Two complementary
copies of the color catalogue will be provided to each artist whose work
is included in the exhibition.
Reception A reception during the NCECA conference will celebrate the exhibition.
These prestigious national awards allow practicing early career ceramic and glass artists to undertake a period of independent research, or other activities that advance their artistic and professional practice at a key moment in their careers. Award winners receive $10,000 and a second prize of $1,000 is also granted.
The Selection Committee is comprised of highly respected contemporary glass and ceramic artists (both sculptural and functional) and other arts professionals. Winners will be announced and the awards presented at a gala event on November 9, 2013.
To be eligible for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics or the RBC Award for Glass, artists must be Canadian citizens or have Permanent Resident status. They must have developed skills through training and/or practice in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions) and be recognized by other artists working in the same artistic tradition. Successful candidates have a history of professional public presentations and publications, seek payment for their work, and actively practice their art. All applicants have maintained an independent professional practice for at least two to a maximum of ten years prior to their application.
To download the complete guidelines for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics or the RBC Award for Glass, visit www.theclayandglass.ca/awards. In order to be considered, applications for either award must be received electronically or postmarked by Friday, September 20, 2013.
Past recipients of both awards truly represent the best of the emerging ceramic and glass artists in Canada. Eliza Au of Richmond, British Columbia was the winner of the 2012 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. Benjamin Kikkert of Toronto, Ontario was the winner of the 2012 RBC Award for Glass.
For additional information, please contact Christian Bernard Singer, Curator at 519.746.1882 ext. 230 or email [email protected]
Presentation of these awards is made possible through ongoing partnerships between the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery and both the Estate of Winifred Shantz and RBC Foundation.
About Winifred Shantz: Winifred Shantz was a driving force for the arts in Waterloo Region for more than 40 years. A successful ceramist, entrepreneur and visionary philanthropist, she knew the importance of learning the business side of being an artist.
About RBC: RBC recognizes the role the arts play in vibrant communities and strong economies, and that enabling the next generation of artists to succeed is essential to continued vitality. From visual arts and music, to performing arts, writing and filmmaking, investing in emerging artists is a long-standing priority at RBC.
With an emphasis on supporting the work of Canadian ceramic and glass artists, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery presents exhibitions that challenge ideas and perceptions of the defi nitions of art, craft and design today. The Gallery’s public programs offer multiple pathways for engagement with contemporary artworks and art-making practices. The Gallery Shop is recognized on its own merits as a fine craft gallery, showing the best of Canadian ceramic and glass work. Housing a collection of historical and contemporary Canadian ceramic, glass and enamel art, the Gallery is proud to conserve and promote an active component of Canada’s rich cultural heritage.
The Gallery is located at 25 Caroline Street North in Waterloo, Ontario. It is open Monday to Friday, from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 5 pm.
Admission is always free.
Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery • 25 Caroline Street North • Waterloo ON N2L 2Y5 • 519.746.1882
The Gardiner Museum, Kathy Venter – LIFE opens May 30, running until September 15, 2013.
Featuring
this celebrated ceramic artist, internationally recognized for her
life-size figurative sculptures, the exhibit introduces dialogues with
time, femininity, and community, capturing the continuity of the human
condition.
The exhibition presents a large installation of
Venter’s sculptures which she produced in series, including One,
Revision, Ostraca, Immersion, Coup d’Oeil and the never seen before
Metanarrative. Most of her figures are presented full scale – standing,
sitting, reclining or suspended by cables in space – while others are
limited to heads and torsos. Each work is direct and engaging; life-size
and nude. They are a measure of our humanity. Their strong presence
derives from the artist’s intimate engagement with her models – most of
which are women – who posed over long hours in her studio.
“We
are extremely excited to present Kathy Venter – LIFE at The Gardiner
Museum this summer,” says Rachel Gotlieb, Interim Executive Director
& Chief Curator, Gardiner Museum. “Kathy Venter chooses the
terracotta as a primary medium to explore the history of representation
of the female figure. This dramatic installation stimulates discussion
about sculptural praxis in contemporary art.”
Venter describes
each work as “a slow construction” by which she “applied the clay, piece
upon piece, within a silent dialogue between the model and myself,
comfortable with my medium and tradition, accepting of their
constraints.” The forms are built from the feet up using the traditional
coiling and pinching techniques, without the use of life cast molds or
internal armatures. The sculptures’ surface treatment is inspired by the
Tanagra figures of the Mycenaean period, encrusted and worn from
centuries of burial. The exhibition is curated by Montreal author and critic John K. Grande.
What’s On Throughout the Exhibit?
Patron Circle: May 28, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Exclusively
for Patron Members, artist Kathy Venter and guest curator John K.
Grande will lead a tour of the exhibition followed by a cocktail
reception with hors d’oeuvres by à la Carte Kitchen.
Member’s Preview: May 29, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Members,
bring all of your friends and be among the first to experience Kathy
Venter – Life for this special preview. The gallery is reserved between
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. for members who have purchased tickets to the Members’
Lunch, which includes a private tour. Following the tour, artist Kathy
Venter will be available in the gallery from 1:30 p.m. Cost: Free for members
Members’ Lunch & Tour with Artist & Curator: May 29, 12 – 1:30 p.m. Enjoy
a delicious lunch prepared by à la Carte Kitchen, followed by a tour of
the exhibition with artist Kathy Venter and guest curator John K.
Grande. Cost: $30 – Members only
Not a member? You can take advantage of the Gardiner Museum’s May Membership Promotion by clicking here.
Lecture: Kathy Venter and the ‘Flesh of the World’: June 6, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Dr.
Elizabeth Legge, Associate Professor of Art, University of Toronto,
explores how Venter creates figures who seem at once ancient and fully
in the present, both a comfortable presence and an enigmatic
interruption of our experience of the world. Sponsored by Dr. Lorna
Marsden. Cost: $15 general admission, $10 for members
Lecture: Hands On: The Figurative Tradition in Terracotta Sculpture: June 20, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Dr.
Betsy Bennett Purvis, Lecturer in Renaissance Art History, University
of Toronto, will examine a variety of figurative terracotta sculptures
from the Renaissance to the present, with a special emphasis on
life-likeness and the materiality of terracotta itself. Cost: $15 general admission, $10 for members
