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Mishima Kimiyo (b. 1932) is a prolific contemporary, sculptural ceramist currently living and working in Osaka, Japan. She is known for her ecocritical analysis of media and material consumption. Mishima began her artistic career as a painter, but quickly switched to working with clay. In interviews, Mishima states that she felt motivated to create ceramics because clay was more suitable to interrupting discourses on materialism and directly engaging with the viewer. Read More

Nakamura Kimpei (b. 1935) has a strong family connection to ceramics reaching back to the Meiji era. Born in the town of Kanazawa, which is best known for its sixteenth-century castle for feudal lords of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Nakamura grew up in an old, wealthy home surrounded by artwork and pottery from the past. Nakamura’s great-grandfather, a Meiji-period industrialist, avidly collected tea ceremony ceramics, while his grandfather and father were potters of significant renown. Kanazawa wares were known for their focus on exquisite craftsmanship and respect for the material. Read More

Yanagihara Mutsuo (b. 1934) is a prominent Japanese ceramist known for his graphic and bold use of color and form. He began his artistic career at the Kyoto City University of the Arts, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1958 and a master’s degree in 1960, studying with Kenkichi Tomimoto. Initially, Yanagihara pursued graphic design, but he later switched to ceramics after working with Tomimoto. In the 1950s and 1960s, Tomimoto and Yanagihara were two of many artists challenging accepted ceramic traditions in Kyoto. Read More

It is with great sadness that the Everson Museum of Art acknowledges the passing of former director Ronald Kuchta, who passed away peacefully on November 22, 2020. He was 85. Kuchta served the Everson for more than two decades. Under his leadership, the Museum grew its national reputation as it toured major exhibitions and broadened its base of patrons and supporters. Kuchta’s international travels and enthusiasm for art made him a global ambassador for both the Everson and the field of ceramics, for which he was a tireless champion. Read More

Kate Gilmore (b. 1975) is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in installation, sculpture, performance, and video art. Born in Washington D.C., Gilmore earned her bachelor's degree from Bates College in 1997 and her master of fine arts from the School of Visual Arts in 2002. She has exhibited work at the Whitney and Moscow Biennials and in solo exhibitions at the Everson, MoCA Cleveland, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Public Art Fund at Byrant Park, Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, and the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati. Read More