Kent State National Ceramics Invitational

The School of Art Collection and Galleries at Kent State University present “Kent State National Ceramics Invitational” from February 22 – March 17, 2018 at the Downtown Gallery.  The exhibition was curated by Assistant Professor in Ceramics at the School of Art, Peter Christian Johnson and includes artists Kyle Johns, Shalya Marsh and Sara Parent-Ramos. An opening reception will be held on February 22 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The Downtown Gallery is located at 141 East Main Street in Kent.  A full-color catalog will be available.

In a curator’s statement, Johnson stated, “In choosing the participants for this year's invitational, I looked for artists who were innovative in their practice, had a clear perspective, and whose use of ceramic material was thoughtfully linked to the content of their work. Shalya Marsh, Kyle Johns, and Sara Parent-Ramos all make exceptional work that is innovative and confident in its identity.  Their artwork has separate conceptual concerns but share common threads in their examination of structure, their use of layering, and the vitality of the objects they make.”

This marks the second year for this exhibition in which ceramics artists from around the country are invited to show their work at Kent State.  This year’s exhibition brings a dynamic array of artists from Rockville, Maryland  (Sara Parent-Ramos), Chicago, Illinois (Kyle Johns) and Morgantown, West Virginia (Shalya Marsh), creating a compelling and contemporary example of innovative creations using ceramic material.

Downtown Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Image: Sara Parent-Ramos, Microcosm #2, Cone 5 Porcelain, Paper, Resin, Plastic, String, Glaze and Paint, 5inx8inx5in, 2017   Photo credit - Stacy Keck