NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University is set to host a juried exhibition of contemporary ceramics from March 24 through April 18. The exhibit will feature artists affiliated with Artaxis, an organization founded in 2005 that includes over 900 artists from more than 50 countries. This event, free and open to the public, will also include a reception and artist talk on April 7 at the Charles Johnson Theater in the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building.

Veronica Watkins, a Northwest associate professor of art coordinating the exhibit, expressed enthusiasm about the event: “We are getting a world-class show.” She emphasized its potential impact on students and visitors alike: “Seeing this fantastic work helps a blossoming undergraduate artist imagine possibilities for their own creative future and for the non-art major an awe-inspiring awareness of the breadth of what clay can do as a communicative material.”

Artaxis serves as an online resource for students and educators interested in discovering new artists and approaches. Watkins highlighted its significance as a networking platform: “The ceramic arts are experiencing a revival now and there is a lot of energy cycling around it.” She envisioned the exhibition as broad in context, concept, and process.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by Northwest Missouri State University and the Missouri Arts Council. As part of this collaboration, two Artaxis jurors, Margaret Bohls and Casey Whittier, will visit Northwest to present an artist talk on April 7. Bohls will also conduct a two-day workshop in Northwest art studios on April 7-8.

Watkins described this partnership as beneficial: “It is really a win-win venture with both Northwest and Artaxis bringing our strengths and assets together to do something multifaceted and quite special.” She praised Northwest's reputation in ceramic arts: “Our students are in studio practices, graduate programs, artist residencies and classrooms all over. I am proud of our legacy.”

The Olive DeLuce Art Gallery has varying hours throughout the week for those interested in visiting. For further details about the gallery or exhibition, contact information for Veronica Watkins or Dr. Karen Britt is available.