June @AMOCA
Summer is here, and we’re celebrating at the American Museum of Ceramic Art! On Friday, June 2 we’re hosting First Fridays, when you can choose your own ticket prices and enjoy current exhibitions – Making in Between: Queer Clay, From a Gift to a Collection: Igal & Diane Silber, Waiting in silence (through the long years), and The Artists of Mettlach – , thanks to generous support from our Board of Directors. If you haven’t yet had a chance to explore the downstairs Mettlach exhibition, make your plans to visit soon! The Artists of Mettlach will close on June 11, 2023, while we work on creating a new Mettlach-focused exhibition for you, to open later this summer.
We’ve been keeping busy in the studio and have welcomed two of our 2023-24 Artists in Residence: Natalia Arbelaez and Claudia V. Solórzano. Be sure to say hello to these artists when see them working in the studio! If you’re eager to try creating with clay, you can join the June 9 Introductory class and learn how to throw on the potter’s wheel. AMOCA’s introductory sessions, offered monthly, are the perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! Be sure to register early to reserve your spot! Our studio classes and workshops frequently sell out.
While our studio classes are for adults only, aspiring artists of all ages are invited to join us for a Paper Mâche & Collage workshop, a family-friendly collaboration with Self Help Graphics & Art from East Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 17. This month’s Family Day event is “pay what you can” – choose your donation amount when you book your tickets.
Everyone can tune into Nick Vest: Report from Jingdezhen on Thursday, June 22. In this virtual talk, former AMOCA Artist-in-Residence Nick Vest will share the historic and contemporary importance of Jingdezhen porcelain, created in the Jiangxi Province in southern China where Vest lives. Vest will also discuss his current practice, working as a ceramic artist and running the MenLo Gallery and Studio in Jingdezhen. There will be an opportunity for Q & A following the presentation.
AMOCA members can continue to enjoy the museum without the crowds on Wednesdays and Thursdays all summer long during Member Bonus Days. Don’t forget that AMOCA members are also invited to our upcoming June 7 Members Tour of current exhibitions with Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein. Later this month, members can attend Members Clay Day, a special Introductory Wheel Throwing class on Friday, June 23. These events are complimentary for members! Not yet an AMOCA member or need to renew? You can call us at 909-865-2146 or visit our membership page to renew or purchase a membership online.
Thank you for being a partner in AMOCA’s mission to champion the ceramic arts! We look forward to welcoming you to the museum Friday through Sunday, from 11 AM to 4 PM. Museum tickets may be purchased at the door or reserved online.
See you soon,
Genevieve Kaplan
Associate Director of Communications & Stewardship
Upcoming Programs & Events
First Fridays at AMOCA
Friday, June 2 • 11:00 AM–4:00 PM • In-person
Thanks to generous support from AMOCA’s Board of Directors, Museum admission for First Fridays at AMOCA is pay what you can (while tickets last). Each month, visit the Museum and choose your own ticket prices!
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 • 12:00-1:00 PM • In Person
Members Tour
Join us for a special members tour of the exhibitions From a Gift to a Collection: Igal & Diane Silber, Waiting in silence (through the long years), and Making in Between: Queer Clay with Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein. This in-person event is complimentary for members.
Introductory Clay Class • Wheel Throwing
Friday, June 9 • 5:00–6:00 PM or 8:00–9:00 PM • In Person • $50
Introductory sessions are the perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! Learn the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze and fire it after the class is completed—all included in the price of the class. If you’d like to take the piece home with you, you can come back and pick it up.
Skill Building Workshop: Soda Firing
Saturday & Sunday, June 10, 11, & 17, 2023 • times vary • In person • $300
This 3-day workshop with artist Sam Lopez will introduce students to the soda firing process and will include demonstrations for glazing, loading, firing, and spraying the sodium solution into the kiln.
Family Day • AMOCA + Self Help Graphics
Sunday, June 17 • 1:00–2:30 PM • In Person
Join AMOCA for this special Family Day Paper Mâche & Collage workshop in collaboration with Self Help Graphics & Art from East Los Angeles. AMOCA’s family workshops are for all ages and everyone is welcome. All art supplies will be provided.
Nick Vest: Report from Jingdezhen
Thursday, June 22, 2023 • 5:00–6:00 PM • Virtual
Join former AMOCA Artist-in-Residence Nick Vest for a virtual talk about ceramic life in Jingdezhen, China. Vest will share the historic and contemporary importance of Jingdezhen porcelain, created in the Jiangxi Province in southern China where Vest lives. Vest will also discuss his current practice, working as a ceramic artist and running the MenLo Gallery and Studio in Jingdezhen. There will be an opportunity for Q & A following the presentation.
Members Clay Day – Introductory Wheel Throwing
Friday, June 23, 2023 • 6:00–7:00 PM • In person
Learn the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel! It’s the perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze and fire it after the class is completed. If you’d like to take the piece home with you, you can come back and pick it up. This summer Clay Day event is a 60 minute hands-on clay class is complimentary for current AMOCA members.
Skill Building Workshop: Figurative Sculpture
Saturday & Sunday June 24 & 25, 2023 • 10:00 AM–4:00 PM • In person • $250
Join Biliana Popova for a two-day ceramic sculpture workshop that will be full of helpful information on solid sculpting a human figure. The focus will be on interpretation from 2D sketch to 3D format, giving special attention to the anatomy and balance of the sculpture.
In Case You Missed It
Artist Talk with Kim Tucker
In this April 25 virtual presentation by AMOCA Artist in Residence Kim Tucker, the artist shared about their practice, past work, and future directions. Kim Tucker, born in Hollywood, California, holds a MFA in Ceramics from The Ohio State University in Columbus and a BFA in Ceramics from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Their work has been exhibited nationally and is included in AMOCA’s permanent collection. Tucker lives in Los Angeles, California and was in residence at AMOCA January–April 2023.
Exhibitions on View
Visit Friday–Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM by purchasing tickets online or at the door.
The Artists of Mettlach
On view through June 11, 2023, this exhibition presents a selection of works from the Villeroy and Boch Mettlach Collection (donated by Robert D. And Colette D. Wilson). It features original research on notable artists involved in the production of these historic works.
Making in Between: Queer Clay
On view May 6-December 30, 2023, Making in Between: Queer Clay shifts the lens of the Making in Between series from national heritage to explore broader influences on identity, centering queerness as an unapologetic presence. Queer Clay features works by historical artists, whose identities have remained largely unseen until recently, alongside contemporary makers.
From a Gift to a Collection: Igal & Diane Silber
On view April 1-October 1, 2023, From a Gift to a Collection: Igal & Diane Silber celebrates AMOCA’s recent acquisition of more than 300 ceramic pieces collected by Igal and Diane Silber. The exhibition presents a selection of 100 works from this unparalleled collection, representing artists from Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Rim, and North America.
Waiting in silence (through the long years)
The exhibition Waiting in silence (through the long years) features new work by Southern California artist William Catling. It will be on view in the Vault Gallery April 1–August 20, 2023.
Bring Some Culture to Your Inbox
399 N Garey Ave Pomona, CA 91767
909.865.3146 | info@amoca.org
The museum is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 11 AM–4 PM. Plan your visit by clicking here.
For information about Ceramics Studio hours and availability, please click here for the Ceramics Studio.