Northern Clay Center
Cause Area
- Arts & Culture
- Children & Youth
- Education & Literacy
- Seniors
Location
2424 Franklin Avenue EastMinneapolis, MN 55406 United StatesWebsite:
http://www.northernclaycenter.orgOrganization Information
Mission Statement
Northern Clay Center's mission is the advancement of the ceramic arts. Ongoing programs include exhibitions by contemporary regional, national and international ceramic artists, as well as historical and architectural ceramics; classes and workshops for children and adults at all skill levels; studio space and grants for artists; and a sales gallery representing many top ceramic artists from the region and elsewhere.
Description
Opened in 1990, Northern Clay Center is an established, regionally based national ceramic arts organization. Special programs such as the Regis Masters Series, through lectures, symposia, and publications, reach a national and international audience as well as a direct audience of regional participants. Other programs, such as the American Pottery Festival and McKnight Residency grants, bring national artists to the region to continually feed the lively exchange of ideas and aesthetics.
Exhibitions
- 10 exhibitions each year, featuring emerging and established artists, where visitors can SEE over time, the complete range of work in clay: functional, sculptural, historical, industrial, architectural, and installations
- Touring exhibitions
- Permanent teaching collection, available for loan to qualified organizations
- Catalogue and other publications
Education
- Classes offered year-round, from beginning to advanced, on a quarterly basis, where students of all ages and stages can LEARN about clay
- Summer day clay camps for children
- Short-term workshops, lectures, demos and tours for adults, children and families, and groups
- ClayToGo outreach programs, using the ClayMobile, with other arts and education organizations
- Lectures and publications
Artist Services
- Studio spaces for annual licensing, from large private studios to common spaces, where artists can CREATE new pots and sculpture
- Facility includes four gas kilns, 12 electric kilns, one raku kiln, three glazing areas, three wheel classrooms with 44 wheels, handbuilding classroom with slab roller and other equipment, plus off-site wood-fire kiln
- Artists’ grants and residency support for emerging and established artists, from Minnesota and elsewhere, ranging from free studio space for six months to $25,000 fellowships
American Pottery Festival
- Annual fall celebration of the art of the pot, where visitors can SEE, LEARN, and SHOP, with a benefit sale, workshops, lectures, collectors’ tour, and parties, with 25 visiting national and regional potters
Sales Gallery
- Primarily functional pots, with some sculptural objects, by over 50 top regional and national clay artists, offering the serious collector and the generous gift giver a chance to SHOP for some of the best ceramics in the country
- Also includes jewelry, clothing, and an extensive selection of books and magazines