Claymania
Claymania at the Everson Museum of Art!
The Everson is proud to host a spring and summer dedicated to clay and ceramics with several new exhibitions and events inside the Museum and at the Community Plaza, adjacent to the Museum’s north side, on State Street, directly across from the Oncenter.
“For more than a century, ceramics have played a central role in the Everson’s exhibitions, collection, and programs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a huge upswing in collecting and learning about ceramics, and the Everson is excited to share our wealth of resources with our community,” explains Garth Johnson, Paul Phillips & Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics, Everson Museum of Art.
In Central New York, clay is a part of the landscape. The ample deposits of clay beneath our feet were formed over many millennia by the weathering of minerals, including the pink granite from the shores of Lake Ontario that comprises a substantial part of the Everson’s building. These resources made it possible for Indigenous Onondaga potters to make some of the most distinctive wares of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. As the area became colonized by Europeans, potters produced durable crockery for food and alcohol storage, and massive amounts of brick and tile.
Claymania at the Everson
Clayscapes, on view through October 20, 2024, is a tribute to clay’s ubiquitous presence in our lives, and to the powerful metaphorical and spiritual role that it can play. The Everson’s famous collection of ceramics is filled with works that explore the landscape—from artist Robert Arneson’s monumental celebration of California’s mountainous landscape to Uruguayan-born Lidya Buzio’s earthy vessels adorned with the skyline of her adopted home in New York City.
Earth Day: Sunday, April 21, 2024
During the Everson’s Earth Day celebration event on Sunday, April 21, 2024, Queens, NY artist Sana Musasama will hold a Gallery Talk and art activity from 12:00-2:00pm, centered on her exhibition, Returning to Ourselves, on view at the Everson until April 28, 2024.
Natasha Smoke Santiago
O’tá:ra, on view May 11-August 18, 2024, showcases artist-in-residence Akwesasne Mohawk artist Natasha Smoke Santiago, who has spent the past two decades mastering traditional Haudenosaunee pottery techniques. Her unique work incorporates storytelling, activism, and the exploration of native foodways, including experiments with seed-keeping and collaborations with Indigenous chefs. The exhibition’s title, O’tá:ra (pronounced oh-da-law) takes its name from a Mohawk phrase that means “our clay” and “our clan,” a testament to clay’s foundational role in Haudenosaunee culture. Smoke Santiago will conduct a Gallery Talk on May 18, 2024, and an official exhibition opening event will take place on May 23, 2024. Smoke Santiago will host a Haudenosaunee Seedkeeping Panel on June 13, 2024.
Feats of Clay
On Friday, May 3, 2024, from 9:45am-1:00pm, hundreds of New York State high school students will compete in the annual Feats of Clay competition. Students will compete in several categories, including “pot put,” “blindfold throw,” “cylinder stack,” and more. Additionally, a student exhibition will be on display in the Everson’s Green Room from April 13-May 4, 2024.
Louise
The Everson Museum of Art is excited to announce their partnership with well-known Syracuse-based restaurateurs Drēmer Restaurant Group, who will be operating its new café Louise—a unique and interactive dining experience inside the Museum. Louise is scheduled to open in summer 2024. Of the 3,300 pieces in the Louise Rosenfield Collection, approximately 1,500 will be available for use in the café, where diners are invited to not only enjoy the pieces but use them as part of their dining experience.
A Day Without a Clock
On June 6, 2024, artists-in-residence Amanda Leigh Evans and Tia Kramer present A Day Without a Clock, an interactive, audience participation event that will be interesting, intriguing, and timely. Clay-making workshops centered around the theme of “time” will be presented by the artists for the community to enjoy. The product of A Day Without a Clock will be used to complete the exhibition, The Constellational Now.
Don’t Miss Claymania at the Everson!
Clay and ceramic events and exhibitions are constantly being added to the Everson’s busy schedule, so keep up to date by checking everson.org for the latest in … Clay!
The Everson Museum of Art is located at 401 Harrison St., Syracuse, NY 13202, at the intersection of State and Harrison Streets, across from the Oncenter.
315-474-6064 | everson.org
