Arts Alive Grants Available for Local Artists and Arts Groups

This article looks at Clay Art Center’s “Concepts in Clay” exhibition and explores how ceramics and pottery can be used as a conduit for activism.

The balancing act for contemporary artists is complicated; they must be relevant to the narrative of art history while embracing the themes of current trends. This challenge is compounded by an inescapable need for the artist to promote their self-interest in a global time warp. The consistency of change for the artists is as regular as a heartbeat, to create something new and innovative needs to be a byproduct of intense observation, disciplined and deliberate self-examination. Artists that jockey for inclusion in the mainstream of art have an additional responsibility to consider. They carry the burden of telling their personal stories with high expectations of bridging multiple worlds; they look to examine their ethnicity and simultaneous connections to the mainstream of American history and culture.

Derrick Adams and Bisa Butler have both navigated their particular and universal environments with insightfulness and clarity. In their aesthetic practices, they have masterfully made artwork that speaks to their provincial and universal viewers. Adams and Butler are two artists who personify the words of Walt Whitman: “That you are here—that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.”