Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 4 Issue 14 • Jan/Feb 1998 | Page 22

“Traditions in Transition: Shapers of Clay”

Clay Traditions Explored in Asheville

T

he National Council for
Education in the Ceramic Arts
(NCECA) held its second symposium in Asheville, North Carolina
on Thursday, November 13 through
Saturday November 15, 1997 with a
tour of Penland School on Sunday.

PHOTOS BY NEIL PICKETT

BY JOYCE MICHAUD

in establishing an identity beyond their
involvement with the clay.

Kuspit noted how popular culture’s forces have shaped the perception of art. The “spectacle” which fills
television, tabloids, advertising and
film are not however the images of corCarving time from
rupt, demented perhectic pre-holiday
sons: they are a curschedules to attend
rency of stereotypes,
this three-day symflattening real feelposium, anticipation
ing or human
was high as we travengagement. And
eled on a beautiful
even in the most
day through the
explicit sexual porexpanse of rolling
trayals of media, real
mountains tinged
intimacy or enwith the fading colcounter is absent.
ors of autumn.
Art galleries choose
Memories of the
subjects for exhibifirst symposium in
tion based on these
Santa Fe carried
values; therefore,
with us a determiextremes of image
nation to be a part
are favored. Kuspit
of the camaraderie
did acknowledge the
and intellectual
power of the handstimulation that this
made. He also
second symposium
Above: Two different perspectives of the “Traditions in Transition” exhibit at Odyssey Center for the Arts.
expressed that
promised; to experi“clay” is the subject
ence yet again the
of ceramics, and
the
stimulating
work
and
delicious
food,
warmth and sharing of the incredible
while
the
“beautiful
vessel
of daily use”
the
community
of
clay
artists
came
community of clay artists and explore the
(to
use
Andrea
Gill’s
phrase)
has an
together
to
meet
and
greet
new
acquaindiversity, challenges and directions of our
enduring
role,
the
irresistible
malleability
tances and old friends.
work.
of earth is the preeminent power of clay
art.
NCECA president James Tanner
We were greeted at registration with
opened
the
event
with
a
warm
welcome
After a break for lunch, symposium
all the warmth and caring that clay peoand introduction of critic Donald Kuspit,
participants reconvened to hear Mary
ple share, then treated to a progressive
opening reception, “A Taste of Asheville,” professor of art history and philosophy at Barringer discuss “the ways our work is
the State University of New York at
influenced by the particulars of where we
that included a bus tour of the city. We
Stoney
Brook,
and
A.D.
White,
professordo it, who we talk to about it, and what