N E X T - V E R S E S - WADE F. MACDONALD

N E X T V E R S E S: C L A Y + 2 0 2 4

Exhibition Title: Next Verses: Clay+ 2024

Invited Artists:
Audrey An, April Felipe, Jason Hackett, Meg Howton, Wade MacDonald, Nathan Prouty, Joey Quiñones, Amy Santoferraro, Kourtney Stone, Kyle Triplett, and ChengOu Yu

Dates: 3/19/24 – 3/23/24

Venue: NCECA Conference, Great Minds, Richmond, VA

For millennia, the meanings and processes associated with clay objects have mirrored the cultures that produced them. This rich history, deeply tied to tradition, both inspires and challenges many artists and critics in our field. For decades, a subset of ceramicists has questioned long-established paradigms, laying the foundation for current and emerging innovation. Today, the integration of multiple materials alongside clay is widely accepted, serving to enhance and expand the content and meaning of ceramic art.

Next Verses: Clay+ Invitational 2024 highlights ceramic artists who cultivate a dynamic relationship between clay and other materials, elevating the expressive potential of contemporary ceramics. Wade F. MacDonald first developed the concept of Clay+ in 2020 as a juried exhibition at the Clay Center of New Orleans. Since then, the project has evolved into an invitational exhibition at the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art at The University of Alabama, as well as the publication of “Clay+: Expanding the Lexicon,” featured in the October 2022 issue of Ceramics Monthly. Kyle Triplett and Kourtney Stone join MacDonald as co-organizers and have contributed work to each of the Clay+ exhibitions.

As the latest iteration of this project, Next Verses includes both returning artists and new voices, celebrating diverse material investigations and demonstrating the breadth of approaches in contemporary ceramic art. The exhibition aligns with the conference theme, Coalescence, both conceptually and through each piece on display. Artists from varied backgrounds unite clay with other media, synthesizing disparate elements into cohesive, powerful expressions. Through these works, our understanding of ceramics is broadened and deepened, as their strength and innovation emerge from the coalescence of clay with other materials.