In 2016, Elaine and Sidney Cohen of Phoenix, Arizona, donated an important group of contemporary ceramics to the Crocker Art Museum. The collection includes pieces by many of the country’s best-known artists working in clay, approximately 60 of which will be on display in this exhibition. In terms of decoration, examples range from the bold minimalism of Jun Kaneko and Claude Conover to the figurative exuberance of Rudy Autio and Edwin and Mary Scheier. Some works are expressively raw, like those by Don Reitz and Tim Rowan; others, such as the porcelain works by Tom Rippon and Nobuhito Nishigawara, are elegantly refined. There are pieces that hint at functionality but are not meant to be used, including a covered jar by Viola Frey and the teapot-based forms of Rick Dillingham and Peter Shire, whereas other works are purely sculptural. Despite these differences, all extend the traditional boundaries of clay, just as the Cohen Collection itself expands the Museum’s holdings and further reinforces its position as a leader in collecting and exhibiting the medium.

Read more about this event and related programs on our blog, here.