NCECA 2018 Highlights from Bailey Pottery

NCECA 2018 Highlights from Bailey Pottery

The Bailey Booth Was Hopping!

Our Bailey booths were very busy all day every day at NCECA. Many schools and studios came by to tell our team of kiln builders how pleased they are that their Studio Pro Gas Kilns fire consistently perfect glaze results. There was a lot of interest in our PugmillsSlab rollers in many sizes, the front-loading electricThermal Logic, and the Bailey Pottery Wheels.

Potter, Cory Brown was demonstrating again this year on our Bailey Pro-XL Wheel. Large crowds formed to watch Cory demonstrate a unique technique that he has developed. He paddles thin layers of colored porcelain onto his nearly completed porcelain forms and continues forming the shape using wooden wheel tools that he has made himself that keep his fingers from smearing the colors. Corey was very generous with his knowledge to the appreciation of his admirers.

A Visit to the Exhibitions at Standard Ceramic Supply

We really enjoyed seeing the exhibitions at Standard Ceramics Supply. There were several ceramic exhibits in different locations at Standard’s sprawling facilities. Jack Troy and Kevin Crowe's “A Long Friendship” was in an intimate gallery in the Standard's ClaySpace. In a larger gallery, The Nevica Project and Cerbera Gallery presented “10”, work by five deceased ceramic legends (Peter Voulkos, Betty Woodman, David Shaner, Ruth Duckworth and Akio Takamori) and five notable living ceramists (Kensuke Yamada, Magdalena Suarez, Warren MacKenzie, John Balistreri, and Julia Galloway). Several cargo containers were exhibiting student and instructors' work from some of the top ceramic programs in the US.

The Kyle and Kelly Phelps exhibition – “Honoring the Blue Collar Working Class”, was in the production facility among the equipment used to manufacture prepared moist clay. A perfect location for the Phelps’ mixed media sculptures portraying working class culture. The production process of manufacturing clay also fascinated our group. There was an informational video playing about the process involved in creating moist clay from dry ingredients. The process ends with the clay going through the biggest pugmill we ever saw and those perfect blocks of freshly pugged clay traveling down a conveyer belt to be bagged and boxed!




Sunkoo Yuh, Akio Takamori


Julia Galloway


Sunkoo Yuh


Kyle and Kelly Phelps



Kevin Crowe and Jack Troy



Pop-Up Shops

The front row in NCECA's Resource Hall was where the Pop-Up Shows sponsored by galleries specializing in ceramics were found. We visited them daily as the displays were always changing as pieces left with happy shoppers! The Bailey Collection of Contemporary Ceramics is welcoming some great additions.





Jose Sierra, Michael Hunt Naomi Dalglish



Kevin Snipes



Cory Brown


The K-12 Show

The National K-12 Exhibition is always a delightful display of youthful creativity. Bailey Pottery Cash Awards are given to sixteen of our favorite works.

Vyper LaTulippe, Michael McEwen



Elena Catrambone, Catherine Senseni



Manchester Guild

Manchester Craftsmen's Guild's exhibition "Funk: American Dada" featured the work of contemporary African American artists, Malcolm Mobutu Smith, Kelly and Kyle Phelps, Lydia Thompson, David MacDonald, Yinka Orafidiya, Janathel Shaw, James Watkins, Sharif Bey, and Angela Pozo.

 James Watkins


James Watkins, Richard W. James



Richard W. James



During NCECA Anne Bailey made a trip over to the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. "I had always wanted to see the Guild. The Guild has a Bailey Gas Kiln and a Large Bailey Electric Kiln in their ceramics room, and I had heard so many positive things about the program and their founder, Bill Strickland. I had a great time walking around and as I was standing in the beautiful art-filled hallway getting ready to leave, in walked Bill Strickland. Now there is a man with presence! We had a nice conversation and Bill said he wanted to visit us in Kingston, New York. "

"Bill Strickland is one of my heroes and I explained that Kingston could really benefit from his knowledge and inspiration. His journey has been one of revelation and deep reflection. He has transformed what was a run-down part of Pittsburgh into an incubator for programs in art and technology. These programs serve the local community and give the youth of the area an opportunity to discover their potential and perhaps have their first experience in making art. For Bill, clay has been that magical material that has opened minds and hearts."



Next year NCECA will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you have ideas for panels you can learn more about how to submit them on this page. Every ceramic artist should experience NCECA at least once. If you have never been to one you owe it to yourself to see how rich our field truly is!





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