Liz Quackenbush

Juror Statement for State of Clay 2023

Special thanks to LexArts for inviting me to jury their State of Clay 2023 exhibition. Jurying an open call exhibition is full of welcome surprises! Representing quality, diversity, and invention within the confines of LexArts’ gallery space was inevitable given all the wonderful work submitted.

I was asked to select 75-80 works for the show. Considering each of the 450 entries made by 176 artists was a formidable task. Ceramic artworks reveal a person’s unique approach to clay and life, as well as their skill level, understanding of the current cultural relevance of ceramic processes and techniques, and knowledge of the field, both current and historical. The pieces chosen for the exhibition run the gamut to be sure! Some works create a symphony of content and technique, others step forward with fearless, fringing on out-of-control invention, and many are defined by tradition.

Untangling the shear mass of entries was a truly humbling task! Thank you for the privilege intrinsic to this selection process. It took my thinking down avenues I never knew existed and am very grateful to have encountered.

Liz Quackenbush

January 2023

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Liz Quakenbush Liz Quackenbush is a practicing ceramic artist, and Professor Emeritus at Pennsylvania State University, School of Visual Arts, where she taught for 22 years before retiring in 2018. She lives and works in Seattle, WA, with roots on the East Coast in Vermont and New Jersey.

Liz’s ceramic work is inspired by the natural world and a range of cultural traditions nurtured by her foreign travel. Her ceramic art has been exhibited widely throughout the USA.

Liz has participated in residencies in the US and abroad. She has juried and curated numerous art exhibits, lectured at universities in Colorado, Ohio and the Portland (ME) School of Art. She currently serves as a Board member of Pottery Northwest in Seattle.

Liz’s work is included in collections of the Museum of Ceramic Art at Alfred University, Huntington Museum of Art, the NCECA Permanent Collection, Arizona State University Ceramic Collection, and the Aberystwyth Art Center at the University of Wales.

https://www.lizquackenbushclay.com