American Museum Of Ceramic Art

CHAMPIONS THE ART, HISTORY, CREATION AND TECHNOLOGY OF CERAMICS.

EXHIBITIONS: AMOCA'S FOUR GALLERIES SHOWCASE A VARIETY OF CERAMIC EXHIBITIONS, FROM SHOWS BY EMERGING ARTISTS TO CAREER RETROSPECTIVES OF MASTER CERAMICISTS TO PERMANENT COLLECTION REVIEWS OF HISTORIC ARTWORKS. EXHIBITIONS ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY PRINT CATALOGS THAT LEAVE A LASTING SCHOLARLY LEGACY FOR THE EXHIBITING ARTISTS, UNDERSCORING THEIR IMPORTANCE IN THE ART HISTORICAL RECORD. AMOCA PRESENTS EXHIBITIONS THAT SHOWCASE AND CHAMPION CERAMIC ARTISTS, REFLECT ON HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ART MOVEMENTS, ADDRESS OVERLOOKED AND/OR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, AND EXAMINE CONTEMPORARY ISSUES THROUGH ART.

EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND CERAMICS STUDIO: ALL EXHIBITIONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY ARTIST TALKS, CURATOR PRESENTATIONS, TOURS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND SPANISH EXHIBITION TEXT TRANSLATIONS. ALL EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING IS FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION.K-12 FIELD TRIPS PROVIDE A 2.5-HOUR MUSEUM EXPERIENCE AND INCLUDE ADMISSION, DOCENT-LED TOURS, GALLERY GUIDES, AND A HANDS-ON CLAY ACTIVITY. AMOCA ALSO OFFERS COMPLIMENTARY EXHIBITION TOURS FOR ADULTS ENROLLED IN COLLEGE-LEVEL PROGRAMS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.THE ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL CERAMICS EXHIBITION IS THE LARGEST JURIED EXHIBITION OF ITS KIND ON THE WEST COAST. THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION RECEIVES MORE THAN 500 APPLICATIONS FROM OVER 100 SCHOOLS IN 25 STATES AND FEATURES THE WORK OF APPROXIMATELY 100 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12. THERE IS NO FEE TO APPLY.MUDMOBILE MOBILE MUSEUM VISITS INCREASE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ARTS AND ARTS EDUCATION FOR K-12 STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND FAMILIES, FOCUSING ON SERVING TITLE 1 SCHOOLS WITHIN 20 MILES OF THE MUSEUM. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A POP-UP MUSEUM EXHIBITION AND HANDS-ON CLAY ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPLEMENT TEACHING CURRICULUMS SUPPORT TEACHERS IN MEETING STATE STANDARDS, AND FACILITATE STUDENT EXPOSURE TO THE RICH CALIFORNIA CERAMIC ARTS TRADITION.ESTABLISHED IN 2015, TEEN COUNCIL PROVIDES WEEKLY STRUCTURED PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A COHORT OF LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (AGES 14-17). MEMBERS LEARN FROM PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS IN AMOCA'S CERAMICS STUDIO, HONING ARTISTIC TECHNIQUES AND PROFESSIONALSKILLS (INCLUDING RESUM WRITING AND PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT).THE CERAMICS STUDIO STRIVES TO MAKE CERAMICS ACCESSIBLE TO OUR SURROUNDING CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY. SINCE 2011, OUR 12,000 SQ FT STUDIO HAS BEEN A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR CERAMIC ARTISTS IN OUR AREA AND, INCREASINGLY, A PLACE FOR THOSE NEW TO CERAMICS TO LEARN BASIC SKILLS TO DEVELOP THEIR WORK AND STYLE.AMOCA'S ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM, ESTABLISHED IN 2012, OFFERS ONE OF THE FEW LONG-TERM FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ON THE WEST COAST. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES STUDIO SPACE, HOUSING FOR LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, MATERIALS, FIRING, AND LIVING STIPENDS. IN 2022, AN ADDITIONAL 6-MONTH RESIDENCIES BECAME AVAILABLE FOR ARTISTS BASED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. RESIDENTS ARE SELECTED BASED ON THE QUALITY AND ARTISTIC MERIT OF THEIR WORK AND THE STRENGTH OF THEIR RESIDENCY PLAN.ARTIST WORKSHOPS, SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS INVITE PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS INTO THE AMOCA STUDIO TO SHARE SIGNATURE TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES WHILE GIVING OUR COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO FOCUS ON AND EXPAND THEIR PRACTICE. WE ACCOMMODATE WEEKLY COMMUNITY FIRINGS AND 200+ PRIVATE FIRINGS PER YEAR. MONTHLY INTRODUCTORY CLASSES FOR ADULTS 18+ ALLOW NEW CERAMICISTS TO LEARN THE BASICS OF THROWING ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL, INCLUDING CLAY, GLAZE, AND FIRING SERVICES. SIX-WEEK CLASSES, OFFERED QUARTERLY, INCLUDE INSTRUCTION IN WHEEL-THROWING AND HAND-BUILDING FOR NEW AND SEASONED ARTISTS TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS. STUDENTS ENJOY ACCESS TO OPEN STUDIO HOURS DURING THE DURATION OF THEIR COURSE.AMOCA'S CERAMICS STUDIO RENTALS ACCOMMODATE AROUND 65 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARTISTS. INDIVIDUALS RENTING ONE OF 52 PRIVATE OR SEMI-PRIVATE STUDIOS RECEIVE 24/7 ACCESS TO STUDIO FACILITIES (INCLUDING A COMMUNAL GLAZE AREA, SPRAY BOOTHS, SAND-BLASTING EQUIPMENT, AND COMMUNAL FIRING SERVICES). THE STUDIO SCHOLARSHIP FUND, LAUNCHED IN 2024, ENSURES THAT ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO OUR PROGRAMS, NO MATTER THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

COLLECTIONS: AMOCA PRESERVES AND COLLECTS SIGNIFICANT CERAMIC ACHIEVEMENTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE PRESENT. OUR PERMANENT COLLECTION, WHICH CONSISTS OF OVER 13,000 PIECES, IS A GROWING REPRESENTATION OF THE IMPACT OF CERAMICS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN CULTURES.