Annual High School Ceramics Exhibition

Since 2014, AMOCA has hosted an annual juried exhibition showcasing the remarkable talents of high school students studying the ceramic arts. Starting this year, we are excited to introduce our first hybrid exhibition in over 6 years! Along with our virtual showcase, the winners of each grade category will be on display at AMOCA this summer. All high school students in the U.S. are eligible to apply. 

Apply

Applications for the 2026 High School Ceramics Exhibition will be open in March 2026. Details about the application process are below, for reference.

• Entrants must be currently enrolled in high school in the United States
• Applications are free 
• Artists can submit up to 2 different artworks per application, with up to 2 images per piece
• Work submitted for consideration must be at least 60% ceramic. Works may be made using air dry clay, oven-baked clay, or claymation video
• Teachers may submit on a single student’s behalf but must provide contact information for the student entrant; each application requires a unique email address, so students are encouraged to apply themselves
• Contact information for student entrant must be included in application
• Work submitted for consideration must be at least 60% ceramic with a max height of 27″. Works may be made using air dry clay, oven-baked clay, or claymation video
• All applications must be submitted through SlideRoom during the month of March

Questions? We’re here to help! Email our Education Manager Chinelo Ufondu at education@amoca.org.

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2025 Annual High School Ceramics Exhibition

Tune into the Virtual Premiere of the 2025 High School Exhibition.

AMOCA premiered a pre-recorded awards ceremony, including a presentation of the entire 2025 High School Ceramics Exhibition, on our YouTube channel at 10 AM PDT on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Virtual Premiere

View the virtual 2025 Annual High School Ceramics Exhibition online.

Past Exhibitions

• 2025: 52 students from 32 schools in 15 states
• 2024: 101 students from 52 schools in 17 states
• 2023: 109 students from 67 schools in 13 states, plus Washington, DC
• 2022: 99 students from 50 cities in 16 states
• 2021: 100 finalists from 38 schools in 17 states
• 2020: 74 finalists from 27 schools. A digital-only exhibition and accompanying online awards ceremony (AMOCA was closed, as were all museums in LA County, to support efforts to contain the COVID pandemic)
• 2019: 85 finalists from 19 schools. AMOCA committed to hosting this program annually in an exhibition gallery, and mounted this exhibition in the Julianne and David Armstrong Gallery.
• 2015-2018: Images from these exhibitions, held in Education Hall and the Studio Artists Gallery, are not yet available.
• 2014: The first exhibition in this program, titled Emerging Artists: High School Exhibition, presented 75 works from 25 schools.

I’ve had students participate in [the high school ceramics exhibition] over the years, and I’ve had a couple get honorable mentions…it’s such a great thing to be able to participate in…. I’ve been able to share [the online high school exhibitions] with my classes and show them the work that other high school students around the country and around our county make. It’s been a great resource for me.

Mike Flower, Ceramics Teacher, Crescenta Valley High School

This program is generously funded provided, in part, through grants from Ruth and Joseph C. Reed Foundation for the Arts, and the DEW Foundation.