The Slip Trail Blog

By Darla Graff Thompson

Photos by Tomás Wolff and individual artists.

The New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists (NMPCA) annual Celebration of Clay exhibit is being held at the Light Art Space Gallery in downtown Silver City, New Mexico. The show will run from 04 to 27 April 2025. The gallery, owned and operated by Karen Hymer, is a bright open space, large enough to also house two other exhibits that are well worth viewing. The neighborhood is filled with old historic buildings, now hotels, museums, galleries, shops, theaters and restaurants--- a delightful place to stay and explore.

Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

The NMPCA organization has recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary. The group’s annual exhibit answers the question--- “What would happen if you gave a chunk of clay to 50 or so talented and creative clay artists living all across New Mexico?” The answer? A fantastically diverse set of ceramic creations, both functional and sculptural, each unique and captivating and none aspiring to be like any other. For me, that is the highlight of this show--- enjoying the elements of each piece as a projection of each individual artist, but viewing them side-by-side as a collective, witnessing the power and span of New Mexican artists.

Karen Hymer, Susan Mach, Kathleen - at the opening. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

This year’s theme for the exhibit is “Of Mind and Matter,” and several pieces struck me as being interesting and thoughtful contributions that really merge the mental and material world. Susan Mach’s beautifully-decorated bowl, titled “Burmester’s Bowl,” honors the German mathematician and inventor of French-curve tools used in architecture and design; the swirls of green lines caught my eye from afar and were only more exquisite to examine up close. Susan is from Silver City. Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, also from Silver City, won one of the group awards with his “Veiled Tiger's Eye,” which is an amazingly-engineered pot-inside-a-pot, fused together with glaze--- the outer pot largely perforated to reveal the inner tiger-striped pot, and the two pots so contrasting in color, meticulously crafted and designed. Andrea Pichaida, Santa Fe, presented “Despertar,” a large immaculately-formed seed-pod structure with a matted green hull that houses an emerging cluster of brilliant yellow and orange shoots. Organic by design and entirely inspired by nature, but at the same time exaggerated and other-worldly, Andrea’s entry won the group’s award for best color and glazing.

          

"Burmester's Bowl" by Susan Mach, photo by artist; "Veiled Tiger's Eye" by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, photo by artist; "Despertar" by Andrea Pichaida, photo by artist.

Several wall-hanging pieces impressed me with their glazed landscapes, all captivating with lots to visually explore. Judy-Nelson-Moore of Santa Fe presents “Study in Clay, Color and Other Matter,” a brilliantly glazed and textured expanse of textures (and clay cloth?) and crystals and topography, refreshingly new and delightful to view up close as well as from the across the room. “In the Beginning, God Created...” is a large plate with an intriguing and teasing design that hints of planets being born and thriving in a sea of extraterrestrial matter; it is the creation of Claude W. Smith III, of Silver City, one of the show's three jurors. John Weber of Corrales has crafted a large and intriguing slab with two- and three-dimensional elements, real and abstract components, hinting at a colorful story of water where he says he purposefully “allows for personal interpretation” by the viewer. And Lin Johnson, Albuquerque, displays her “Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie),” a wall assembly of a dozen or so playful and impeccably-crafted abstract shapes, lines straight and curved, that are immaculately created and captivating in color and design. One more in this category, out of Albuquerque, I liked Cirrelda Snider-Bryan’s mosaic of tile pieces assembled to portray a barnyard of chickens in “The Pine the Hens Chose.” A fun assembly of fragmented colors and pieces.

    

"Study in Clay, Color, and Other Materials" by Judy Nelson-Moore; "In the Beginning, God Created..." by Claude W. Smith III; "Abstract for Water" by John Weber; "Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie)" by Lin Johnson; "The Pine the Hens Chose" by Cirrelda Snider-Bryan. All photos by the artists. 

Center piece: "Claw" by Sara D'Alessandro.  Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Pondering "pronghorn" by Brian Pottorff. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

 

“light, dark, blood #1” by Robert King; “Aspidiscus Cristatus” by Jo Clay. Photos by the artists. 

Some other exhibit entries struck me as singular and fascinating. Robert King of Galisteo created an elongated structure he called “light, dark, blood #1” that to me looked like an ancient archeological find, distantly bone-like, with bubbled and boiled blood puddled on the upper surface; it was captivating in that it looked biological but unidentifiable, abstract yet reminiscent of something--- I even thought of a strange mushroom with a small hole for emitting spores. I found it intriguing. Brian Pottorff created “pronghorn,” a somewhat-primitive wall-hanging design of the animal’s head, made from wild clay he dug up near his hometown of Deming. In his description of the piece, he tells about the struggle of his creative desire working against a slightly-imperfect and unfriendly clay body, and the piece, stark in a way, feels more meaningful to know of its origins. With a group of several others that included children, I admired “Claw” by Sara D’Alessandro of Cuba. We talked about it and loved it for its largeness and asymmetry of shape (like a twisted horn or as the title suggests, a twisted tusk or claw) and its complex surface of earth-tone colors and textures with holes containing embedded but free- moving beads that begged to be touched and probed with fingertips (only some of us resisted the urge). Jo Clay of El Paso (one of the handful of out-of-state NMPCA members), created a piece entitled “Aspidiscus Cristatus,” a very large disk with a full-world display of underwater coral reef structures and textures with copper-wire plant-life. I later learned that sections of the outer walls were removable for a peek of more detail within, and I wished I could’ve explored all aspects of it. Lastly, I enjoyed hearing the details from Michael Thornton, Albuquerque, about his “Cat’s Eye Vessel” that was glazed using a technique called “naked raku,” where glaze is applied to the piece over the top of kiln wash (a glaze resist). The glaze fuses and cracks during the raku process (as it is removed from the still-heated kiln to an ambient reducing environment) but the glaze won’t actually stick to the pot, allowing diffuse lines of black combustion products to deposit on the bare white clay body. It was a beautiful piece, identifiably raku, but undeniably different. I enjoyed learning about it.

"Cat's Eye Vessel" on the right, with artist Michael Thornton. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Bottom line, great exhibit. Very enjoyable part of a wonderful visit to Silver City. The reception was very well attended, even crowded. My husband and I live in Los Alamos where I have been an active member of NMPCA for 15 years. We enjoyed the motivation to spend a few days in a corner of New Mexico that is somewhat off the beaten path, surrounded by seemingly-endless mountains and an astoundingly-vast wilderness with a fascinating history and culture and welcoming group of people.

Darla Graff Thompson, the author, with her piece in the show, "shock and awe." Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Our Meet the Member interview for March is Vickie Morrow. The Las Cruces ceramic artist was the first person to join this year's Celebration of Clay happening in Silver City. It is fitting that her interview be up as that show starts.

How did you first get interested in clay?

Always loved pottery.  I collected pottery from New Mexico and from travels in the USA and all over the world. In 2003 my mother asked me if I wanted her kiln when she was dying.  I said "Yes.  I want to make my own tile for my kitchen."

 

Photo contributed by the artist.

Describe your studio.

The main part of my studio is 20x14. At the back is a ten-foot standing height work table under a high window.  Each side of the studio has shelves filled with miscellaneous wood pieces, metal treasures and supplies and tools. In the center is a seven-foot work table where I can sit or stand to work look out the sliding glass door into my back yard and gaze at the Organ mountains.  I like to say, "I bought a studio with a house attached."

A small adjacent room has my slab roller, glazes, forms, patterns, textures and clay tools.

A second adjacent room has my bead collection and handmade parts for my mosaics and assemblages.  Hundreds of beads from all over the world, garage and estate sales and the many, many clay beads and buttons and medallions I have made.  Copper wire and sheeting, mixed patina formulas and finished copper "parts", leather cord, books and papers with two work tables.

 

 Photos contributed by the artist. 

Describe your “work.”

By 2008 I was confident enough to pursue handmade tile mosaic residential installations and Commercial and Public Art installations. From 2008 until 2018 I did kitchen and bathroom handmade tile installations and did commercial and public art installations. All of this work was made in my studio in Scottsdale. AZ and installed in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Sedona and the Ak Chin Reservation, all in Arizona. 

Each of these projects was sixteen steps from the 25-pound block of clay, cut out, in and out of the kiln a couple times glazed, assembled, set, grouted, transported, installed, finished and polished and the mess cleaned up.

Lots of heavy work.

Now my handmade tile mosaics are for my own home or as a group project.

My current work is mixed media Assemblage art.  My work is from 4x4 inches to no larger than 24x30 inches.

There are usually handmade tiles in the assemblage or they are the "star" of the art piece.

 Photo contributed by the artist. 

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I participate in Empty Bowls in Las Cruces.  In 2024 I led a group to do an outdoor handmade tile mosaic 9' x 14' for the "Healing Wings" Project installed at the Agave Artists Gallery Garden in Mesilla.  Six Las Cruces Potters Guild members worked with me and can now do their own installations.

 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy?

Working in my backyard, visiting with friends and reading.

 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

My studio is quiet.  I can hear the birds outside.

 

What other pottery do you have in your home?

As stated above, I have a nice collection of pottery from all over. Most of it is practical and use it every day. Some is hung on walls and I have an "Art Niche" with works on display.

 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved.

I am a new member to NMPCA.  My first introduction to the organization was when we applied and were the recipient for your grant in 2021 for our Healing Wings Project.  With attention to Southern New Mexico and the NMPCA show in Silver City, it was time to participate.

For more info, visit https://agaveartists.com/vickie-morrow

Three New Mexico artists will be Celebration of Clay jurors this year, two from Silver City, and one from Albuquerque. Claude W. Smith III is professor emeritus for ceramic arts at Western New Mexico University. Cate McClain, Albuquerque clay artist, won last year's Best of Show, and accepted the juror role that comes with that award. Karen Hymer is a photographer and the owner of The Light Art Space.

We are just one month away from our annual member show, this year occurring at The Light Art Space in Silver City, NM. Celebration of Clay 2025: Of Mind and Matter will open Friday evening, April 4th, from 5 to 7 pm. And to crown the evening, the jurors will announce the six awards. We thank them heartily in advance for sharing their time to collaborate on awards for the 47 pieces in our show this year. 

Read on to find out who these jurors are.

Karen Hymer

Photo submitted by the artist.

Karen Hymer was born in Tucson, Arizona. She earned her BFA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University, Medford and her MA and MFA in Fine Art Photography from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Karen actively exhibits her work both nationally and internationally. Recent solo exhibitions include SE Center for Photography, Navigating the Internal, Greenville, South Carolina (2023); Light Art Space, Navigating the Internal, Silver City, New Mexico (2022); The Photographer’s Eye: A Creative Collective, Age & Seduction, Escondido, California (2022); and Gallery 925, Solitude and Age & Seduction, Las Cruces, New Mexico (2021).

Her work is in several public collections, including the Center for Creative Photography and the Polaroid International Collection. Dark Spring Press released the first book of her work in April 2018.  Karen’s work is featured in numerous photography books including The Experimental Darkroom, Christina Z. Anderson, Jill Enfield’s Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes, Jill Enfield, and Polymer Photogravure: A Step by Step Manual, Clay Harmon.

Karen’s photography has received the following awards: LightBox Gallery, Jurors Honorable Mention Award, Melanie Walker, Serendipitous Eye, 2021, Julia Margaret Cameron 12th Annual Awards, First place, 2 categories; Honorable mention, 2 categories; 2018 Denis Roussel Award, Photographer of Merit, 2018, Southwest Print Fiesta, Best of Show, Artist Proof, 2017

LightBox Gallery, Jurors Honorable Mention Award, Kim Weston, The Photographic Nude, 2017 Rfotofolio, Choice Award, 2016, Alex Ferrone Gallery, Grand Prize residency with Dan Welden, 2016.

Karen’s experience and technical interests are wide-ranging. Although “trained” as a photographer and educator, her approach to image making explores the blending of photosensitive materials, digital media, and printmaking. She is fascinated with how the passage of time affects the human body and other natural elements in the world. In addition to working as a fine art photographer, Karen taught photography for over 25 years at Pima Community College, Tucson.

In the summer of 2018 Karen relocated to Silver City, New Mexico to open and operate Light Art Space in the historic downtown district. The space features galleries, wet darkrooms, a sculpture garden, and a printmaking/teaching studio. Karen teaches workshops and private sessions in Photopolymer Gravure and other alternative photographic processes at Light Art Space.  She lives on 28 acres of pinon-juniper forest with her standard poodle, Nigel, in an off the grid solar adobe home. 

The Light Art space has hosted the juried group show for Silver City Clay Festival since 2018, and is honored to present Of Mind & Matter in April 2025. New Mexico has a rich history of clay art, and we are excited to welcome clay work from around the state to our borderland town. Through collaboration and artistic interaction, we strive to support clay artists by presenting their work to the general public in a professional, welcoming gallery setting.   

Karenhymer.com www.lightartspace.com

Cate McClain

Photo submitted by the artist.

My first experience with clay was through my high school’s ceramics program and from the beginning I was attracted to the movement of the clay. After a long hiatus from clay while pursuing a career in medicine and while raising children, I returned to clay, slowly, as I transitioned into retirement. I realized I still loved having my hands in clay discovering what shapes and forms emerge. I am frequently surprised at the results. 

Currently, my work with clay has been inspired by shapes, forms, textures and colors I experience hiking mountain trails, wandering through the Bosque and exploring the desert in New Mexico and when traveling elsewhere. My hand-built pieces are created in my home studio in Los Ranchos, NM using a variety of different techniques, stains and glazes. 

Claude W. Smith III

Photo submitted by the artist.

Clay is my passion and throwing, my form of meditation. I love making pots. Having grown up in the agrarian Midwest, I love the hard work and physicality that clay provides. Whether functional, one-of-a-kind or sculptural, the creative act of making pots elevates the spirit of the maker to be enjoyed by the user.

I am a traditional potter. The vessel form began serving a purpose in the kitchen or on the table. Functional vessels are designed and crafted for specific purposes. The handmade object lifts the mundane act of eating three meals a day to a higher level. The maker’s personalities, friendships, and acquaintances are remembered and experiences reflected in/with our use of these vessels.

My Creation Series is a personal statement. By the grace of God seeing me through a series of medical episodes, I have been changed in the way I view life and my saggar-fired work. I compose on the platter or around the vessel surface by arranging organic materials which burn out leaving an ash residue on the vessel’s surface, much like pit firing. Once the temperature rises beyond Cone 8 (2257), the ash begins to flux different localized areas dissipating about the kiln. I like to think of this part of process as the kiln breathing on the pots. Interior kiln atmospheric conditions generate a variety of textures and colors. The end result is a total collaboration between the potter and the kiln creating gratifying and surprising results. The process is an educated gamble based on experience whereby the potter either wins or loses. Taking risks through experimentation is worth the gamble. More experimentation yields more control and success.

https://www.claudewsmithiii.com

--

Celebration of Clay 2025: Of Mind and Matter runs from April 4-27 at The Light Art Space.

Shipping address for pieces:  

2340 Highway 180 E #203,  Silver City, NM 88061. 

Bianka Groves shares stories from her life with clay, in February's Meet the Member.

How did you first get interested in clay?

I was first introduced to clay in high school in South Dakota in the 1990s. I was always getting into trouble and skipping school and spent a lot of time in ISS, (in-school suspension). The ceramics teacher would pull me out of ISS and put me to work loading & unloading kilns, scraping kiln shelves, and doing the basic odd jobs of the ceramics classroom upkeep. I loved the hard work and being productive, and I learned so much. She sort of took me under her wing and I took to the potter’s wheel. That was nearly 30 years ago and since then I have been a self-supporting clay artist for over 10 years. I received my BFA in ceramics in 2012 and have taught ceramics at Baltimore Clayworks, Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, and Santa Fe Clay. I just recently decided to go back to school to get my MFA. 

Describe your studio.

My studio is a small but easy-to-clean, 90 sq ft shed on the side of my backyard. It has a nice clay-splattered window in front of my wheel that looks out into the desert where I can watch birds at the bird feeders and the occasional coyote, deer, and rabbit who happen to pass by. I have a glass door that looks into the backyard where I can watch my dogs play and dig holes. The back wall of my studio is lined from the ground to the ceiling with shelves that my uncle and I built, and they are filled with everything you’d expect to find in a clay studio; books, dry materials, tools, greenware and bisqueware, and a little figurine of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There are lots of things hanging on the walls from an old 1940s map of New Mexico, found skulls of various animals, a chart of the periodic table of elements (which I hope to memorize one day), and a giant poster of all the different classifications of rocks. In another little makeshift building, I have my kiln. I recently upgraded from a small Paragon from 1978 to a brand-new Skutt 1027; it’s super shiny and still has that brand-new car smell. 

  

Functional ware by Bianka Groves. Photos from the artist.

Describe your “work.”

My work is wheel-thrown, porcelain, black and white, and mostly useable. For the normal functional pots, I use Bernard Leach’s white liner glaze on the insides, and on the outsides, I carve patterns and designs and inlay black slip into the carvings, similar to the art of tattooing. I also make large bowls that are a little too large to be functional and their surfaces are usually unglazed or heavily textured, making them lovely art pots. All of the unglazed surfaces are polished to a silky-smooth finish. 

Mugs by Bianka Groves. Photo from the artist.

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

Any free time I have outside of the studio is spent outdoors with my husband and our dogs. We make our way out to the middle of nowhere on old forest logging roads and hike for hours, play in the dirt, and look for treasures like rocks and old bottles. Sometimes, we find pieces of old rusted vehicles or newer, abandoned stolen vehicles. I’m in grad school and teaching ceramics at UNM now, so my time is much more strictly organized. I only get outside about once a week. 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

I listen to podcasts and audiobooks in the studio. I used to only listen to non-fiction works such as biographies and documentaries but now I listen to pretty much everything. I go through a book about every other day. The stories keep me on task much more than music, so I save music for inside the house or car. The same goes for music alongside podcasts and audiobooks, I listen to all kinds, from punk-rock to indie-Spanish. I love it all. 

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

Inside my home, I think I have a pretty impressive pottery collection. Lots of mugs, which is funny because I don’t drink coffee, I am a loyal tea drinker. I’m a sucker for aesthetics as well as good craft and design. Some of my favorite mugs are made by Sunshine Cobb and other New Mexico potters, Rachel Donner and Patty Bilbro. The plates and bowls we use the most are by Birdie Boone, Justin Rothshank, Didem Mert, and David Swenson. All of our dishes are handmade by many different potters (minus the few pint cups we accidentally left with from a bar). The ceramic art pieces we have around the house are works by Bryan Hopkins, Brett Freund, Shoko Teruyama, Kristen Kieffer, and more New Mexico artists, James Creamer and Betsy Williams. Too many to name really. And never enough. 

Bianka with her dogs. Photo from the artist. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA.

I am new to NMPCA, and it was brought to my attention through Cirrelda Snider-Bryan. I haven’t had much involvement with NMPCA yet, but I hope that will change soon. One of my goals as a grad student at UNM is to expose the art department to the wonderful world of ceramics and the ceramics community that New Mexico has to offer and I am eager to learn all I can about NMPCA to make that happen to benefit all of New Mexico’s clay people.

Bowl with luster by Bianka Groves. Photo from the artist.

Thanks to Angela Smith Kirkman for being our January 2025 Meet the Member. Angela lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

I started doing pottery when I was 18, my first week in college. Though I majored in Romance Languages at Colorado College, I spent every spare moment in the pottery studio. From the beginning, I was captivated by the sensation of clay in my hands—working with clay has always been my way of grounding myself, a kind of “mud therapy” that continues to bring me joy.

  

Describe your studio.

Paseo Pottery is my happy place. I’ve been part of this studio for over 22 years. It’s warm and welcoming, and I love coming here. This studio is full of some of my favorite people on earth. When we come together in the studio, our workdays are done, and we’re all here by choice, enjoying our free time, catching up, making art, learning, laughing—sometimes crying—aways in full expression of what it is to be human. It’s such a joyful place. 

  

Describe your “work.” 

For the first 30 years of my clay journey, I specialized in wheel-thrown rustic dinnerware and production pottery fired to cone 10 in gas reduction. I love harvesting my own clay and knowing that I have the ability to form a handful of earth into a vessel that I can use to feed loved ones. I love imagining that—maybe just maybe—hundreds of years from now when that vessel lays shattered on the ground, returning to the earth, the sight of it might still bring joy to some future being. Most recently I am enjoying delving into more exploratory work—big-ass wheel-thrown pieces as well as more experimental hand building and sculptural work. I’m still a cone 10 gas reduction gal, but I’m also enjoying a deep dive into alternative forms of firing, such as wood, Raku, and saggar.

Vessel fired with Naked Raku method by Angela Smith Kirkman, photo by the artist.

Saggar-fired vessel by Angela Smith Kirkman, photo by the artist.

Describe work you do that promotes “clay community."

Paseo Pottery has been part of the art scene in Santa Fe for over 30 years and thrives on a spirit of giving back. Run largely by volunteers, Paseo is more than a creative space—it’s a hub for connection and service. On the first Friday of each month, we host a Pottery Throw Down inviting different local nonprofits to come in and play in the mud with us. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU! to all of the nonprofits working to make Santa Fe a better place. All proceeds from our Pottery Throw Downs are donated to charity, and thus far we’ve donated over $100,000 and hosted over 40 local nonprofits. We’re so proud of this contribution, and we love sharing our passion for clay with those who may never have had the opportunity to experience the healing power of clay.

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

When I’m not in the studio, I’m generally helping my husband with his business, Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery, which is HIS happy place. Or I might be at Tumbleroot Pottery Pub, our newest location and a marriage of our two businesses. Or maybe I’m out in my garden, or on a hike, or hanging out with my kids, or perhaps with my girlfriends, or maybe traveling somewhere exotic, or just sitting by the fireplace reading a good book.

 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

Oh yes, there’s always something playing in the studio. Generally whoever’s managing the studio that day or teaching a class gets to choose the tunes, so on any given day it can be anything from classical to emo to punk to metal to salsa to Reggaeton to Ani di Franco to French language lessons or maybe just some good old rock-and-roll.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

One of my favorite moments of every morning is standing in front of my cupboard—PJs and tousled hair—picking out a mug for my morning coffee. My cupboard is full of mugs and tumblers made by a dozen different artists, and I love each and every one of them.

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA.

Joining NMPCA was recommended to me decades ago by my guru, Mike Walsh, who founded Paseo Pottery in 1991 and is still a huge part of our studio. I’ve been a member for years, and I always look forward to receiving the NMPCA newsletter and hearing what’s going on in the in greater New Mexico clay community. Clay attracts a community of good people.  I’m happy to be part of it. 

Photo of Angela Smith Kirkman, supplied by the artist. 

Amber Paz-Csibi kicks off a year's worth of monthly "Meet the Member" interviews. It's not the first time she has appeared in The Slip Trail - see her October review of Celebration of Clay 2024. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

I started to truly create art with clay when I was an art student in high school. As an art major in college, I focused and practiced ceramics. I assisted my ceramics professor to load and fire the kilns, create high fire gas and raku glazes from scratch and managed all the raku firings. At that time, I was most interested in learning how to excel as a potter by creating wheel thrown pottery. 

Describe your studio. 

My art studio is located in a small enclosed room with a window in my garage area at my home. There is a large rustic wood table (with canvas on top) and wood shelving throughout the space. I have a ceramic kiln and a glass fusing kiln in my studio. I make a mess while creating, yet I maintain a tidy studio space. 

Describe your work. 

As an artist, I create art exploring a variety of media. My personal artworks are visual explorations of my journey in life and the magical landscapes of New Mexico. My creative process embraces the simplicity of form, color and function. I would describe my artistic style as an eclectic mix of contemporary and rustic designs. I create a range of ceramic and fused glass artworks such as: tableware, decorative and functional pieces. Lately, I am exploring ways to create ceramic and mixed media wall hangings. 

Santa Fe Peace 2024 by Amber Paz-Csibi. Photo by the artist. 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

I enjoy teaching ceramics and mixed media art lessons to students of all ages, spending time with my family, friends, and my dog. Lately, I am enjoying and learning how to ice skate with my children on the weekends. It brings me joy to volunteer my time teaching youth and adults art lessons in my community. 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to? 

Yes, it depends on how I feel. I like a variety of genres of music ranging from indie folk to alternative or sometimes reggae and more. Mostly, I enjoy the surprise playlists or mixes that pop up in my music app, with a broad range of music from the past to present. 

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

I have pottery that family and friends have given me over the years. Some of the pottery in my home are from NMPCA members, thrift store(s) vintage pottery finds and ceramics from Mexico. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved. 

As an art educator, I applied and was awarded the Bill Armstrong grant (Fall 2023) to implement and develop a new ceramics program for youth. I became a member of NMPCA in January 2024, participated in the recent Celebration of Clay exhibit, and volunteer to support NMPCA. Joining NMPCA and meeting such kind and talented artists has been such an inspiration! I am grateful to have this new joy and spark as a member of a unique ceramics community. 

With Love and Gratitude, Amber Paz-Csibi www.amberpazart.com

Amber Paz-Csibi.

"Meet the Member" interview and questions have been appearing in The Slip Trail for decades. Visit the archives to read more.

-Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, editor. 

Robert Eckert, Arts Editor for The Rio Grande Sun - the Voice of Northern New Mexico, has written a review of Celebration of Clay 2024. Please click on the pdf to read it.

At the end of the review he states: "Celebration of Clay never disappoints and is an exhibit you'll want to visit." 

Saturday, November 16th is the last day of the show at Taos Ceramics Center, 114 Este Es Road in Taos. Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Sundays, Noon to 4 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 

Celebration of Clay 2024 - CMRS20241023B004.pdf

_{By Susan Voss}

_{On a glorious fall evening on October 5th, the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists (NMPCA) had the opening of their exhibition at the Taos Ceramic Center (TCC) located in Taos, New Mexico (NM). The sky could not have been bluer and the leaves on the cottonwoods were turning a stunning yellow and beginning to collect in golden piles. The TCC hosted the NMPCA for the 2024 Celebration of Clay with sixty-five artists from across NM. The opening was well attended and according to the TCC was one of the best attended openings that TCC has had.} 

^{The art at the exhibit is varied, just as ceramics are varied in shape, color, form and clay. With such a large number of artists participating a broad swath of expressions it is impossible to capture within this short article. Therefore, I am going to focus my review of the show on the various forms of sculpture that were presented. What differentiates sculpture from other ceramic pieces? After reviewing multiple definitions, I have opted for a rather simplistic definition – ceramic sculpture is a piece purely for aesthetic purposes and is not designed as a functional object. That is to say, it is a piece to convey a form or representation outside of a functional use. This can be further subdivided into pieces that are representative of a known object such as a person versus those that are purely geometric representations. There are nine figures that represent the human form, five that represent animal forms and fourteen abstract forms. A short overview of the work in these categories is presented below.} 

^{The Human Figure}

^{Three of the figures modeled the complete body. Kim Alderman’s work “Egyptian Mother is a pit fired sculpture with a computer cord providing an interesting juxtaposition between the ancient and the modern and Diane MacInne’s figure “Resilience” stand’s strong and beautiful with upward expression. Both pieces are shown in Figure 1. Hebe Garcia’s work entitled “Earth” is a contemplative figure whose feet are planted deeply into the earth. Hebe piece received a Merit Award in this year’s exhibit as shown in Figure 2.} 

    

^{Figure 1: Kim Alderman Egyptian Mother and Diane McInnes Resilience. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{Figure 2: Hebe Garcia Earth on Display at the TCC Photo credit: the artist.} 

^{Sculptures of the human bust varied from representational to abstract. Carla Bassat’s figure “En el camino” is made from mixed media and a multitude of surface treatments whereas Elaine Kidd’s mask, Mask 1, incorporates organic materials into the dark clay and uses the naked raku process to create the dark and dynamic image. Nicole Merkens’ piece “She Who Understands” incorporates contrasting stains to blend into a dynamic representation, whereas Susan Voss’ sculpture “It’s My Day” uses a minimum of surface color to allow the beauty of the clay to shine through. Lois Olcott Price imbeds the figure of a woman into a mountainside claiming the title “Still My Mountain” with glaze, oxide and tinted wax finishes. Whereas Brian Pottorff's sculpture is of a more modern representation of a face with strong features entitled “Cycladic Dreams.” Images of the figures are shown below in Figures 3 and 4.  Photo credits: the artists.} 

        

^{Figure 3: Carla Bassat En el camino, Elaine Kidd Mask 1, and Nicole Merkens She Who Understands.  Photo credits: the artists.} 

      

^{Figure 4: Susan Voss It’s My Day, Lois Olcott Price Still My Mountain, and Brian Pottorff Cycladic Dreams. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{Animal Sculptures}

^{The five animal sculptures provide a broad range of characters and expressions. Elaine Biery’s work “The Raven’s Gallery” depicts a warm mountain cliff with a curious raven looking down as shown in Figure 5. This is contrasted with Janeen Maas’ “Sing a Song” stoneware piece depicting crows baked into a pie while two watch from the side, a playful piece that received one of the three Merit Awards for the exhibit, and Sheena Cameron’s sculpture “Raven Riding-With Skull” is a translucent raku piece with a skull skillfully embedded in the side. These two sculptures are shown in Figure 6. Kim Louise Glidden's intricate sculpture entitled “Bison Vertebra & Arrowhead” provides a realistic depiction of an ancient vertebra with an arrowhead embedded deeply, suggesting a bygone day. Adam Emery’s work “Birds in the Dragon” is a multicolor expression of a dynamic dragon. Kim and Adam’s work is shown in Figure 7.} 

^{Figure 5: Elaine Biery The Raven’s Gallery at the TCC. Photo credit: the artist.} 

  

^{Figure 6: Janeen Maas Sing a Song and Sheena Cameron Raven Riding with Skull. Photo credits: the artists.} 

   

^{Figure 7: Kim Louise Glidden Bison Vertebra & Arrowhead and Adam Emery Birds in the dragon. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{Abstract Sculpture}

^{There are a large number of abstract sculptures in the NMPCA Celebration of Clay exhibit this year where the use of form and surface effects bring forth interesting and intriguing sculptures to observe. Beginning with Cate McClain’s piece “Windswept,” a saggar-fired piece with black terra sigillata surface, has an intriguing form that rolls inward. Her piece received the Best of Show Award, and is shown in Figure 8.} 

^{Figure 8: Celebration of Clay 2024 Best of Show Cate McClain Windswept. Photo credit: the artist.} 

^{Some of the more earthy sculptures include Judy Nelson-Moore’s work “Open Aging” --an expressive saggar-fired piece with fiber elements, as shown at the exhibit in Figure 9. Greta Ruiz's piece “Flame Keeper,” a wood-fired sculpture, can be seen in Figure 10. Abby Richardson’s work “Triangle 724A” is pit-fired with organic compounds providing the beautiful and flowing surface pattern, and Debi Smith’s piece “Chaco as We Know It” provides a physical representation of a beloved NM landmark with petroglyph markings. Greta, Abby and Debi’s pieces are shown in Figure 10.} 

^{Figure 9: Judy Nelson-Moore’s work Open Aging. Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews.} 

    

^{Figure 10: Greta Ruiz Flame Keeper, Abby Richardson Triangle 724A and Debi Smith Chaco as We Know It. Photo credits: the artists.}

^{James Marshall’s graceful sculpture “Untitled#98 Graphite Black”, is shown in Figure 11. His elegant design reflects the light emphasizing the long narrow shape.}

^{Figure 11: James Marshall Untitled#98 Graphite Black (Photo credit: the artist).}

^{Two of the more modern pieces include Andrea Pichaida’s “Beautiful Life” whose work has both a beautiful strong geometric shape as well as vibrant and contrasting colors, and Lin Johnson's “Jumble House” - a multipiece wall sculpture that uses interesting shapes and primary colors to represent a sense of mystery and play. These pieces are shown in Figure 12.}

    

^{Figure 12: Andrea Pichaida Beautiful Life and Lin Johnson Jumble House. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{The Coyote Color in Clay Award was given to Erik Gellert for his piece “Vistige,” a beautiful piece that reflects the light in the surface underglazes, stains and glazes. The blue and greens are reflected in the light as shown in Figure 13.}

^{Figure 13: Coyote Color in Clay Award to Erik Gellert Vistige.} 

^{The last five pieces covered in this article continue to show the beauty and versatility of the ceramic medium and the countless number of choices an artist has to express themselves. Anna Bush Crew’s work “chocolate volcanic” is a raku-fired piece that dramatically rises up with glaze and slip abstractly applied. Jim Romberg’s piece titled “Ascent” is another raku-fired piece whose form and colors capture a sense of rising upward. Both of these pieces are shown in Figure 14.}

 

^{Figure 14: Anna Bush Crew chocolate volcanic and Jim Romberg Ascent. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{Lindsay Iliff’s work “Baobab Stupa” is both abstract and familiar in its form and expression and Cathy Rapp’s work “Touch of Sky” has a rising geometric shape with touches of brilliant blue reminiscent of the New Mexico sky.  Both of these figures are shown in Figure 15.} 

   

^{Figure 15: Lindsay Iliff Baobab Stupa and Cathy Rapp Touch of Sky. Photo credits: the artists.} 

^{Sara D’Alessandro’s “Rhumba”piece is shown in Figure 16. This large sculpture provides energy and animation in an abstract form.}

^{Figure 16: Sara D’Alessandro’s Rhumba. Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews.}

^Summary

^{The 2024 Celebration of Clay representing 65 different artists is a grand success and is beautifully presented at the Taos Ceramic Center. The TCC gallery provides the perfect display for the broad array of pieces and creates an intriguing venue to spend time with each piece. In this writeup I have presented a short summary on all of the sculpture pieces presented at the exhibit, twenty-eight in all that demonstrate the power of clay to express one’s artist vision. I hope if you have the opportunity, you will visit the TCC gallery at 114 Este Es Road, Taos, NM where you can see firsthand the wide range of beautiful work from ceramic artists across New Mexico. If you do visit, please say hello to Georgia and Jules while you’re there for me! Cheers!}

^{--By Susan Voss}

^{More photos by photographer Anna Bush Crews} 

^{A wide view of the exhibit. Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews}

 

^{Adam Emery and his Birds in the Dragon.  Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews}

^{Above right: Susan Voss It's My Day. Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews}

^{Carla Bassat with her En el camino. Photo credit: Anna Bush Crews}

_{Reviewer bio - Susan Voss focuses on tiles, sculpture and large vessels in her ceramic art, working out of her Raven’s Nest studio.} 

_{Photographer bio - Anna Bush Crews describes herself as a student of the ceramic arts, learning to work with clay in various ways, concentrating on hand-building. "My travels and research have contributed to many bodies of photographic, video and sculptural works."}

By Amber Paz-Csibi

Thank you, Artists, for being part of the milestone celebration of 50 years of creativity and craftsmanship at the Celebration of Clay exhibition, showcasing the outstanding works of NMPCA members. What an amazing evening! I don't even know where to begin.

It was October 5th, the day of the COC 50th Year Exhibition opening event. We arrived at the Taos Ceramics Center and were greeted by friendly folks. The event was well-attended. We were truly in awe of all 65 exceptional pieces of ceramic art on display. 

Foreground left to right: Aurelia Gomez, Charlotte Ownby, Vincent Morales, Janeen Maas, Diane MacInnes, Gail Goodwin. Midground left to right: Brian Pottorff, Joey Serim, Leonard Baca, Cate McClain.  Photo by Stephanie Levy.

Left to right: Stephanie Levy (wall), Sheryl Zacharia, Nicole Merkens, James Marshall, Lee Akins. Photo by Stephanie Levy.

Left to right: Lee Akins, Cathy App, Hebé Garcia, Betsy Williams (wall). Photo by Stephanie Levy.

See online gallery for artist names. Photo by Stephanie Levy.

Above: Amber Paz-Csibi's "Santa Fe Peace." Below: Serit Kotowski's "Full Moon over Mora Spring 2022." Photo by Stephanie Levy.

It was wonderful to see and have an inspiring conversation with a friend, colleague, and featured artist, Elaine Kidd. Both Elaine and I are art teachers and new members. We felt truly honored to be part of this event. I enjoyed seeing and admiring Elaine's ceramic mask (Mask 1) that was showcased in the COC exhibition as well as the invitation flier and brochure. The mask was created using the Naked Raku process and is part of a mask series exploring the effects of various firing processes and the masking tradition.

Jules Epstein, Gallery Director, begins the talks, with Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, CoC 2024 Chair, behind. Elaine Kidd's "Mask 1" is above right. Photo by Stephanie Levy. 

James Marshall, Juror, speaks ahead of awards presentation. Photo by Stephanie Levy. 

Around 5 PM, Jules Epstein, Taos Ceramics Center’s Gallery Director, welcomed everyone to the event, then turned it over to Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, Celebration of Clay Chairperson and artist, who shared a heartfelt speech with the crowd. The next speakers continued to welcome and thank us for our participation and celebrating the special event together. One of the speakers, Georgia Epstein (General Manager at Taos Ceramics Center), shared details and encouraged everyone to donate towards providing much needed support, a fundraiser for Asheville flood/hurricane victims, via a fundraiser sponsored by the gallery. She was joined by Andrea Pichaida, former NMPCA board president, and Gill Bosonetto, clay artist who moved to NM from Asheville last year. Finally, James Marshall, one of the three jurors for the show, spoke about the creative process. James shared with the audience about behind-the-scenes decision making and reasoning for the awards process. He described the selected ceramic works and how the artists broke the rules, jumping off the cliff, meaning they were willing to take great risks, and try something totally different in the world of ceramic art. It was inspiring for me to think about the artworks in this way, because sometimes I see pottery and think of it as a simple and decorative form that can also be functional. All the artworks in this show communicated or inspired someone to think about ceramics in a new way. The works in this show took ceramic art to a new level and into the realm of high quality fine art. 

James, along with other jurors Jules Epstein and Betsy Williams, had met the day before to choose the artists who showcased groundbreaking techniques. Artists were given six awards in the following categories (drum roll…): 

           

Merit Awards, left to right: Luisa Baldinger's "Covered Jar" Hebé Garcia's "Earth" Janeen Maas's "Sing a Song" Photos by the artists. 

Awards CoC 2024:

Merit Award was given to Luisa Baldinger for her piece "Covered Jar."

Luisa's creative journey is a lifelong dedication to working with clay, where she expresses her art through hand building and alternative firing methods. Luisa describes her process: “A maker of containers all of my life in clay, I am intrigued by volume, negative/positive space, and complex surface, and work to have these elements orchestrate into a satisfying three-dimensional “vessel” idea.”  Her chosen medium and method are hand-built pieces and aluminum foil Saggar firing. Santa Fe,NM  luisabaldinger.com

Merit Award was given to Hebé García for her piece "Earth."

Hebé García, a ceramic sculpture artist, finds inspiration and materials from the Earth. She lives and works atop a mesa in Abiquiu, NM, with a breathtaking 360-degree view that includes the legendary Cerro Pedernal, a favorite of Georgia O'Keeffe. Her sculpture is a respectful tribute to our planet, crafted using Max Paper Clay, engobe, oxide, and glaze, fired to cone 3. Facebook: Hebé García Benitez Instagram: hebe_garcia_finearts #figurativesculptor #figurativeart #figurativeartist #contemporarysculptor

Merit Award was given to Janeen Maas for her piece "Sing a Song."

Janeen describes her work as “My current work explores childhood poems as inspiration to create a story piece that conjures a sense of whimsy, one can’t take life too seriously. In my current work I like to play with the idea of perception and therefore reality, by taking something common such as an image from nature or a childhood poem and twist it a little, adding fantasy or something quirky or ridiculous, to make that thing just a little uncommon It may turn out just plain weird but the intent is to question what is common reality.” Medium/Method: handbuilt stoneware. 

            

From left to right: Rebecca Browning-Yager's "Wood Fired Woo Blue Vessel"  Erik Gellert's "Vistige  Cate McClain's "Windswept" Photos by the artists. 

Arita Porcelain Award for Beauty, Quality, and Functionality was given to Rebecca Browning-Yager for her piece "Wood Fired Woo Blue Vessel."

Rebecca's creative process: "I am a Taos clay artist who collaborates with other artists in wood-fired kilns. My medium/method involves throwing and wood-firing in a soda-salt kiln." Currently showing at Rottenstone Pottery, Arroyo Seco, NM; Taos Ceramic Center and Magpie Gallery, Taos, NM

Coyote Color in Clay Award was given to Erik Gellert for "Vistige."

Erik H. Gellert is an artist who has been creating with clay since 2006. Erik lives and works in Lamy, NM. This piece symbolizes change, capturing the essence of transition from one form of being to another. The artwork was crafted using slab and coil building techniques and fired to cone 6 with underglazes, stains, and glazes, resulting in a stunning representation of metamorphosis. You can explore more of Erik Gellert's work on Instagram under the username @erik_h_gellert.

Cate McClain's "Windswept" earned the "Best of Show" award.

Explore the creative process of Cate McClain. "My hand-built creations are influenced by the shapes, forms, textures, and colors found in nature, both in New Mexico and throughout my travels. My hand-built pieces are created in my home studio in Los Ranchos, NM using a variety of different techniques, stains and glazes. Medium/Method: Slab construction, silver-black terra sigillata with masked resist, saggar fired."

After the awards ceremony, I enjoyed a glass of crisp, chilled white wine and a sweet treat. It was an honor for everyone, including myself to be part of a unique ceramics community, New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists.. One of the main reasons I wanted to become a member of NMPCA, because it is a gift that we are able to come together to share our artworks and meet friends that share the love of ceramics.  I took my time and explored the entire studio space. When I went outside, I was curious about the area where the kilns were and could see all the artworks in progress, and ceramic pieces waiting to be fired. I was grateful to have a moment to appreciate all the creativity, care and process that goes into creating ceramic art. The celebration of ceramic artists and their masterpieces is a must-see! The CoC show will be on display until November 16th. I am already wondering who will break the rules at next year's Celebration of Clay? 

--By Amber Paz-Csibi

Photographs by Stephanie Levy

Author bio ---Amber Paz-Csibi is an art teacher for children in grades K-8. She enjoys throwing on the wheel and creating functional pottery. She also loves to work with raku firing technique. The piece she has in the show is entitled, "Santa Fe Peace."

Photographer bio ---Stephanie Levy is a Santa Fe ceramic artist who creates porcelain jewelry and small sculptures. Her piece in the show is entitled, "Cat and Tube Bead Necklace."

Fresh from our beautiful opening just a week ago, this is a post to honor all the behind the scenes work that makes a Celebration of Clay (aka "CoC") happen each year. The purpose here is to recognize all the parts. As well, the two recent talks by Celebration of Clay Committee Chairs, 2023 and 2024, are shared below.

It was wonderful being together, wasn't it? Never enough in-person gatherings with our clay community. 

Some time ago -- 50 years ago most definitely -- organizing for annual member shows started. New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists have a well-oiled system, yes we do. Let's hear history from you past organizers -- what do you remember? When did the People's Choice voting start, for example? Please leave your comments for us readers.

Photo by Anna Bush Crews.

This year's Committee -- Leonard Baca, Serit Kotowski, Sheila Miller, Charlotte Ownby, Jenna Ritter, Joey Serim, Cirrelda Snider-Bryan -- dedicated 8 months to meetings. Elements that come together for the CoC every year include: --searching for and applying to potential locations --coordinating the long line of volunteer jobs (edited for each year depending on the needs of the gallery) --the timeline --the online gallery and voting for People's Choice --the screening of images submitted --answering questions from member artists --creating a press release and submitting twice to media outlets --organizing and posting each artist to social media --deciding and contacting jurors --creating the online documents ... and more. Each year the Committee hones these systems through discussion. 

This year's team of Volunteers numbered 33! with 12 folks contributing money in lieu. Jobs range from giving help to members photographing their work (Judy Nelson-Moore, Lee Akins, Leonard Baca), putting together the binder of artist statements (Joey Serim), checking in the work at the gallery (Joan Eichelberger, Serit Kotowski), uploading the online gallery photos (Michael Thornton, Leonard Baca), greeting at the show (Nicole Merkens, Janeen Maas), serving food (Joanne DeKeuster, Christiane Couvert, Laura Huertas), offering studio as drop off place (Andrea Pichaida, Leonard Baca), writing a review (Amber Paz-Csibi, Susan Voss, Jim Romberg), photographing the exhibit (Anna Bush Crews, Stephanie Levy), transporting work (Jenna Ritter, Abby Richardson, Leonard Baca, Elaine Biery, Charlotte Ownby, Cirrelda S-B),  posting to the backside of Facebook and Instagram (Jenna Ritter, Lois Price, Charlotte Ownby, Erik Gellert, Cirrelda S-B.), dismantling the show (Melissa Alexander), tallying the People's Choice votes (Debi Smith), and more. This is the kind of involvement many of us enjoy because it allows us to become acquainted with the makers of the pieces we love seeing. A system that has an ulterior motive - getting us together.

"Explanation" photo by Anna Bush Crews.

Now for the speeches. Here is Leonard Baca's from CoC 2023: Inhabited Earth, held at Gallery Hózhó in Albuquerque. Members of the Committee last year were Sara D'Alessandro, Andrea Pichaida, Kathy Cyman, Leonard Baca, Chair.

New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists along with Gallery Hóhzó are pleased to have you here today, the opening of Inhabited Earth. 

My name is Leonard Baca, I am on the board of NMPCA and this year’s chair of the Celebration of Clay. I consider myself kind of a new-by clay and ceramics. I have been working with clay for about 12 years. I love it when I can communicate and work with a clay artist who have been working with clay for more than 30 years, it's amazing how they want to share their knowledge.  That is one of the goals of this group, to educate and share with others. 

The committee and members of the organization would like to thank Suzanne Newman Fricke and her staff for welcoming us to this beautiful gallery.

The Celebration of Clay is our annual member show. Last year we were in Taos, and the event in the past have been in Albuquerque, Abiquiu, Los Alamos, Ghost Ranch, Santa Fe and other cities.   I am glad to bring it back to Albuquerque. 

 If you have ever put your hands in clay, form it, felt it’s movement it comes alive. From the earth, we the artist create beauty. And as you put more time into it, the glazing, the firing the pieced keeps, developing and changing, this is my take on Inhabited Earth.  A talent God has given us to create. 

The opening to me, is a social event to meet with the Artist and you the community.  I like coming back and spending time with the art and getting to know it. You need to look at it in different angles, and different light, or just walk around it.  So, I hope you come back in the next 6 weeks to look at the work and experience the gallery.

I want to thank the committee who gave their time to make this event happen, Sara Lee D'Alessandro, Kathryne Cyman, and President of NMPCA Andrea Pichaida.  Also, the membership for entering their work and for taking on one of the many tasks needed to make this event.  One member we would like to acknowledge is Cirrelda Snider-Bryan for her work with our social media.

Now it is time for the awards.   We always had the previous winner of Best in Show to be part of the jurying, so I want to bring her up. Last year's winner was Sara Lee D’Alessandro, who will share with us the jurying process.

CoC 2024: 50 Years of NMPCA opening at Taos Ceramics Center. Photo by Anna Bush Crews.

And, here is Cirrelda Snider-Bryan's speech, from CoC 2024: 50 Years of NMPCA held at Taos Ceramics Center.

Thank you, Jules! 

Welcome to our show whose theme is 50 years of clay camaraderie! Long live New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists!

We are celebrating ourselves this year.

I am Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, board member for 3 years now, so happy to be with you all.

Before presenting the 6 awards, I wish to say thank you and give perspective. 

First, thank you Jules, for excellent communication and vision, for supporting this wide array of clay artists. Thank you, Georgia, for your vision for the Taos Ceramics Center, and organization. These are folks who engage in their own practices of creativity, and that matters because they know. 

Thank you to Andrea Pichaida, President of the board for 3 great years, who helped make this show happen. 

Thank you to our committee of 7 who grabbed the baton this year back in March, and have honored the true meaning of consensus in our planning and decision making. Please thank: Leonard Baca, Serit Kotowski, Sheila Miller, Charlotte Ownby, Jenna Ritter, Joey Serim, and me. 

Thank you Volunteers on this event – you all stepped up and make this show better for your involvement.

Thank you, Jurors, for giving of your time to let these pieces soak in and let them resonate in you, collaborating in your decisions: Betsy Williams, James Marshall, Jules Epstein.

Thank you to the board members of NMPCA who listen so well and are so humane. 

Thank you to our Members who answered the call to share the piece here in this room, in this final stage of the creation process – we find the piece we most want to share, that expresses us. NMPCA gives us this opportunity time and time again.

Lastly, want to thank you, JB, my partner for 41 years, who shares my love of clay, and is such a good listener and imagination harnesser.

At last year’s CoC opening I was so heartened by the talk given by Leonard who served as chair – I wanted us to hear these again:

"If you have ever put your hands in clay, form it, felt its movement -- it comes alive. From the earth, we the artist create beauty. And as you put more time into it, the glazing, the firing, the piece keeps developing and changing, this is my take on Inhabited Earth.  A talent God has given us to create."

This show is about us over 50 years, our banding together. Originally with snail mail newsletters so well-written and dial telephones and in people’s yards doing firings or at community centers like Heights in Abq.

This is about extending relationships with small local businesses: Taos Ceramics Center, N.M. Clay, Coyote Color and Clay, Santa Fe Clay, Abiquiu Inn, a conference center called Ghost Ranch …

This array of 65 artists is about lasting as an organization for 50 years. 

There have always been folks there to pass the baton to.

Why?

Is it our land?

What makes clay artists 

In NM

Want to band together? 

Camaraderie around clay.

Somehow, the relationship --between the land formed by volcanoes and the pulling apart of the crust upon this middle of the continent plate, and its inhabitants -- is accentuated with the material with the smallest particle size, that folks, after using plants to make baskets vessels, found this magical material to form water jars and cooking and drinking vessels in their hands –the Inhabited Earth again. So many minerals here to delight us?

Long live this kind of coming together! 

NM Potters and Clay Artists Folks have made systems to facilitate collaboration, jobs to sign up for, opportunities to gather, decisions to make together - we facilitate collaboration!

What matters is that we show up for each other. 

Common Good in Clay!!

Jurors do you want to say something? May I pass the baton to you?

Thank you for reading. If you haven't submitted a piece to Celebration of Clay in a while, 2025 will happen this coming spring.

Remember there's a comment function, and please share your thoughts!

-Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, Slip Trail editor

All photos by Anna Bush Crews, copyright 2024.