For the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, bringing the world’s largest ceramics conference to Richmond has been half a decade in the making.
“We were supposed to be here in 2020,” explains Edith Garcia, spokeswoman for NCECA. “We were days away from having the conference in 2020, and then of course there was a universal hiatus where COVID came and put everything on hold. It was an absolute heartbreaker that we had to cancel that year, so we were very, very excited to come back in 2024.”
Today marks the start of this year’s NCECA’s conference in Richmond. Titled “Coalescence,” the four-day conference brings together some of the world’s top ceramicists to show off their wares. NCECA expects roughly 6,500 attendees this year.
“We like to refer to it as the Olympics of clay,” Garcia says. “It’s four days of 100 presentations, 80 exhibitions throughout the region, demonstrating artists, networking, making new connections.”
Much of the action will take place at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. There, the Gallery Expo will showcase extraordinary works of clay, offering visitors the chance to view and purchase pieces that they might not otherwise be able to locally. The convention center will also host a Projects Space where ceramic artists will create and present works live while interacting with visitors.
Demonstrating artists Paul S. Briggs, Andréa Keys Connell, Jabulile Nala and Justin Paik Reese will come onstage two at a time to team up on projects in Exhibit Hall C.
“That’s a wonderful opportunity to see two different individuals that work in different ways and create a dynamic onstage that you usually wouldn’t have the opportunity to see elsewhere,” Garcia says. “They demonstrate for eight hours, and they share their traditions, their techniques onstage, and you’re able to ask questions.”
“Coalescence” also has exhibitions around town, including at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Gallery5 and Studio Two Three. The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is cohosting the NCECA Multicultural Fellowship Exhibition, an annual showcase of ceramics by artists of color. The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is cohosting three exhibitions onsite, including the 2024 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition.
As pottery saw a surge in popularity during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, Garcia says the convention is a great way for hobbyists to learn new skills and techniques.
“This convention is really an opportunity for the general public, anybody who might have an interest in clay,” she says. “If you have a home studio, you’re just trying to expand a little bit more in your practice, this would be the place to come.”
NCECA’s annual conference “Coalescence” runs March 20-23. For more information visit nceca.net.
