Heirlooms: The Enduring Legacy of Ceramics at the University of Iowa

January 15, 2024 - April 15, 2024

heirloom - something of value handed down from one generation to another

The title of this exhibition uses "something of value", not a value tangible to the eye, but rather, this value is the significance of the imparted knowledge creating numerous generations of passionate educators and an ever-flourishing ceramics community. Ceramics at the University of Iowa has an incredibly rich history, many current and past contributors to the program also went through the MFA program themselves. This has largely impacted the program as it is amongst the premier MFA programs in the country, with this continuous growth the artists in this exhibition have all played a role in this momentous trajectory.

This exhibition is a blended collection of the current and past contributors to the program, while there are numerous others, this small selection spans decades. Current faculty featured are Andrew Casto (Program Head of Ceramics), Heidi McKay Casto (Visiting Assistant Professor), and Benj Upchurch (Studio Specialist). Project Art encourages viewers to further explore various artworks by the University of Iowa Ceramics faculty located throughout the hospital.

Artists featured in this exhibition: Andrew Casto, Heidi McKay Casto, Gerry Eskin, Chuck Hindes, Clary Illian, Bunny McBride, Dan Murphy, Glenn Nelson, Benj Upchurch, and Reagan Yoder.