Ceramic Sculpture Culture opens show at May Gallery

James May Gallery in Algoma is opening a new exhibit this month highlighting a a collective of emerging young ceramic sculptors.

Ceramics Sculpture Culture is a group show curated by Taylor Robenalt, an adjunct professor of ceramics at Auburn University in Alabama who has exhibited in numerous solo, group and juried exhibits throughout the Southeast.

The gallery is holding an opening reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 4. The reception coincides with the monthly First Friday Art Walk on Steele Street in Algoma.

Ceramic Sculpture Culture is collective of artists whose intent is to support and promote the growth and understanding of contemporary ceramic sculpture, intending to use its platform to encourage more growth in sculpture.

It plans to do this by showing as a group in galleries nationwide, creating and hosting informative workshops in studios and art centers, writing and publishing articles in contemporary art publications, and participating in panel discussions and symposiums throughout the year.

The group also plans to create and maintain a large social media platform that will highlight ceramic sculpture artists and help create a massive image library for artists and consumers alike.

“Our hope is to encourage a new generation of younger artists to push the boundaries of their medium and to continue to forge a strong voice in the overall contemporary ceramics culture,” the group said in a statement.

The artists in this collective also are united in the use of imagery to open dialogues of current social issues. Each is committed to the medium of clay as a fundamental vehicle for their unique and modern expressions with the use of dramatic imagery, unique surfaces and social commentary.

Along with Robenalt, other artists with work in the show are Kevin Rohde, Travis Winters, Rachel Ballard, Ben Lambert, Kensuke Yamada, Jamie Bates Slone, Richard W. James, Kyungmin Park and Sara E. Morales.

The Ceramic Sculpture Culture exhibit runs through Aug. 28 at James May Gallery, 213 Steele St., Algoma. The gallery also will feature jewelry artists Sarah Benforado, Cory O’Brien Borkowski, Chelsea Adele Nanfelt and ceramic artist Ben Tyjeski as pop-ups in front of the gallery during the show. Regular gallery hours are from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and by appointment.

For more information, call 262-753-3130 or go to www.jamesmaygallery.com.

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin: Ceramic Sculpture Culture opens show at May Gallery