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The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts hosts a juried ceramic competition every two years. The competition is open to all artists who are residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. All work completed within the last two years, both functional and sculptural, is eligible.
25th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition
April 19 - June 23, 2024
In Loving Memory of Darlene Williams
Hosted By:
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
Angelo State University
The Chicken Farm Art Center
Sponsors:
San Angelo Museum Endowment for Ceramic Events
Darlene and John Williams
Tile Heritage Foundation
San Angelo Area Foundation
San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council
Supporting Participants:
The Concho Clay Studio
San Angelo Cultural District
San Angelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Downtown San Angelo Inc.
Juror: Louise Rosenfield, Dallas, TX
Louise Rosenfield is a Dallas, Texas potter who enjoys playing with clay and making functional vessels for daily use. She prefers making her work from porcelain, which she either decorates with patterns and fires in a wood kiln or applies colorful illustrations and fires in the electric kiln. 
She proudly serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, the Everson Museum of Art, in Syracuse, New York, where she is proud of her work on the Collections Committee. Beginning in 2019, Rosenfield has participated as a member of the Archie Bray Foundation Board of Directors, in Helena, Montana. The Bray is known internationally for its Artist Residency program. Rosenfield concentrates her efforts on the Development Committee. Rosenfield is also a founding organizer of the Dallas Pottery Invitational, an annual show and sale established in 2008 whose mission is to widen public knowledge about the breadth and depth of functional ceramics today.
In addition, Rosenfield has established a website resource for scholars or others looking for inspiration, to see appropriate images of functional pots she owns and uses. The website, rosenfieldcollection.com, offers several views of each work. High-quality images may be downloaded and used without attribution. Currently over 4,000 works, all made by artists with individual studio practices, are available to examine.
Invited Artist: Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Ada, OK
I create my tribe's traditional pottery to help educate and carry on the culture of my people. The once grand and widespread tradition of my people's Caddo pottery has now been reduced to a shadow of its former self and almost even disappeared completely. With the help of the only living Caddo pottery revivalist, I got started down the path of my artistic expression of our tribe's traditional pottery to help current and future generations of our people understand the beauty, craftsmanship, and uniqueness of our ancient pottery methods and culture.
Born in Oklahoma, I have always been an artist as long as I can remember, from the day the art teacher in kindergarten pulled me aside to draw something for the school. From then on I was always drawing and painting, but until I found pottery I really didn't have a voice or a reason. Even as I decided to pursue pottery as a more hands-on approach and a closer-to-earth approach to art, I was still lacking meaning. I had considered creating Pueblo pottery from the southwest as that is what had inspired me until I realized that because I am not a Pueblo native, I would be simply replicating Pueblo pottery and not truly creating it. That is until I connected with my tribe and my heritage and learned of the true grandeur of our tradition and how it has been lost and hidden from the public. I then set forth almost obsessively learning the methods and designs of our tribe, creating works of art that are modernized, to educate my tribe's people and the public about our tradition.
All of my tribe's ancient traditional pottery was hand-coiled from clay that was handmade from the local river source, which most notably included the Red River and the Arkansas River. These pottery pieces are then hand-burnished with a rock to look like glass without any glaze. The final touch before firing is the hand carving of the scrolling ancient designs which include motifs centered around the origin stories of my Caddo people. Objects in the motifs include feathers, serpents, the sun and moon, and the everlasting fire. What motivates me and challenges me to push the limits of describing our culture in my pottery art is the desire to truly educate people about what sets our tribe's tradition apart from all the other Southeastern tribes and to reveal to people the extent of which the Caddo's tradition was cherished by everyone across the nation in prehistoric and historic times.
Artwork by Chase Kahwinhut Earles
Schedule of Events
Thursday, April 18
Ceramic Workshop with Andrew McIntyre at ASU
9 - 12:00 p.m.
Angelo State University main ceramics studio
Clay Play Day!
3 – 6 p.m.
Education Studio at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
SAMFA Education Staff and ceramic artist Ariel Bowman will be on-hand to help with clay activities for families and kids. Everyone welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Friday, April 19
Ceramic Workshop with ASU Invited Artist Eric Ordway
9 – 11:30 a.m.
The Concho Clay Studio at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
Atmospheric Vessels: Selected Works by McIntyre and Ordway
Eric Ordway & Andrew McIntyre
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mayer Museum 2nd Floor, Angelo State University, 2501 W. Avenue N, San Angelo
April 18 – May 10, 2024
Sponsored by the ASU Department of Visual and Performing Arts
39th Annual Ceramic Symposium
1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Room 101, Carr Education-Fine Arts Building, Angelo State University
Panelists: Louise Rosenfield, Ceramic Competition Juror; Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Invited Artist; ASU Invited Artists: Eric Ordway & Andrew McIntyre
25th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition in loving memory of Darlene Williams
Opening and Awards Reception
5 – 8 p.m.
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
Juror: Louise Rosenfield, Dallas, Texas
Invited Artist: Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Ada, Oklahoma
Narrative Offerings 2024 Invitational (Opening Reception)
Curated by Exponential Art
5 – 9 p.m. - Gallery Verde
417 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Ceramic Student Art Show (Opening Reception)
5 – 8 p.m. – Coop Gallery
423 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Downtown San Angelo’s Spring Fling Event (Stroll)
5 – 8 p.m.
Visit local shops, restaurants, and organizations. Enjoy light refreshments, music, fine art displays and event discounts from various participants!
The Oakes Street galleries are within easy walking distance of the museum. Also, free trolley transportation will be available from 5 – 8 p.m. between SAMFA and the Oakes Street galleries, as well as other venues participating in the Downtown San Angelo’s Spring Fling.
Saturday, April 20
Invited Artist Workshop with Chase Kahwinhut Earles
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
($45 regular admission; $25 for students)
The Chicken Farm Art Center
2505 Martin Luther King Blvd.
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Open
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Narrative Offerings 2024 Invitational
Curated by Exponential Art
10 a.m.– 5 p.m. - Gallery Verde
417 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Ceramic Student Art Show
10 a.m.– 4 p.m. – Coop Gallery
423 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Openings at the Art Center
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Chicken Farm Art Center studios will be open with new work.
Clay and Play!
4 – 6 p.m.
Clay activities for families
The Chicken Farm Art Center
Texas Barbeque Dinner and Dance
6 p.m.
($17 per person)
The Chicken Farm Art Center
Sunday, April 21
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Open
1 – 4 p.m.
Narrative Offerings 2024 Invitational
Curated by Exponential Art
12 – 5 p.m. - Gallery Verde
417 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Narrative Offerings Artist Talk
3 p.m. – Gallery Verde
417 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Ceramic Student Art Show
1 - 4 p.m. – Coop Gallery
423 S. Oakes St., San Angelo
Monday, April 22
Walk-Talk with Hayun Surl
12 p.m.
Take a tour through the Ceramic Competition exhibit with ASU Ceramics Professor Hayun Surl
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St., San Angelo, TX (Second Floor)
Most events are free and open to the public. If there is a fee for admission, it is listed under the event.
The Ceramic Competition will be on display at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts from April 19 to June 23, 2024.
The learn more about Past Ceramic Competitions click HERE.
Future Ceramic Events:
September 27, 2024 – February 2, 2025
Special Ceramics Invitational, featuring Elaine Coleman, Tom Coleman, and Frank Boyden
April 25 – June 29, 2025
San Angelo Ceramic Invitational, featuring Margarita Cabrera
Hosted by:
The learn more about Past Ceramic Competitions click HERE.