Alfred Ceramic Art Museum

Jim and I were excited when we received an invitation to the opening of the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum on October 28. About a hundred and fifty people gathered in this impressive newly opened building designed by the architecture firm Kallmann, McKinnell and Wood of Boston. Within the spacious, light-filled museum was a small portion of the University's enormous ceramic collection in a show called Core Sample. In the words of museum director Wayne Higby; they started with thousands of pieces to choose from in the collection, honed it down to 500, and then again to about 200. The pieces on view were impressive and representative of the many influential makers who have passed through the doors of Alfred University. Many of the pieces were by current or former Alfred teachers, others were by important artists who have changed the field with their work in a meaningful way.

There are many pieces on view, from a vibrantly glazed porcelain covered jar by Linda Sikora, to a tall muscular jar by Val Cushing, to a huge, strikingly beautiful sculpture by Ann Currier. All these artists have been heads of the ceramic department at Alfred. They have influenced thousands of ceramic artists for over 50 years.

The dynamic work of Andrea Gill and Wayne Higby is exhibited as you walk into the first gallery. Their work will certainly go down as some of the most important ceramic art of the 20th century. Both will also be acknowledged as two of the finest teachers in the modern ceramic art field. It made this viewer happy to see their work and many other well-known ceramic artists shown on such an impressive stage.

The museum was built with a gift from Dr. Marlin Miller. After joking with Jim and myself about having several pieces of Bailey pottery equipment in his home, he got down to discussing why it mattered that the Alfred Ceramic Art Collection have a home. The museum is indeed a profound and meaningful gift. It is a tribute not only to Alfred and its leadership in the field of ceramics but to the memory of his late wife, Ginger, who was a potter. The museum is wondrously spacious and the downstairs will house the rest of the collection, which will be used for teaching and research.

You must go see it. It was a four-hour drive from Kingston, New York, but well worth the trip. We all owe much gratitude to Wayne Higby’s vision and the generosity of Marlin Miller. They have worked together to build this magnificent ceramic art museum for all of us to enjoy.