Debra Broz, 鈥淒og Pheasant (Collie)鈥� and 鈥淒og Pheasant (Saint Bernard),鈥� 2023. Found ceramics, mixed media. Photo by Sean Meredith, courtesy of Track 16 Gallery
From February 7 through April 5, 2026, the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery will present the 81st 麻豆区 Ceramic Annual, the longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the United States. This year鈥檚 exhibition, Means to an End, is guest curated by ceramic artist Reniel Del Rosario and features works by Debra Broz, Paola de la Calle, Cathy Della Lucia, Fred Dewitt, Matt Goldberg, Dana Hemenway, Stephanie Temma Hier, Haylie Jimenez, Sahar Khoury, Karen Kuo, Cathy Lu, Kari Marboe, Patrick Martinez, and Victor Saucedo.
Means to an End聽considers contemporary artists鈥� enduring fascination with clay, a medium that demands precision, patience and resilience. The artists in this exhibition embrace clay鈥檚 challenges, using ceramics as a springboard for innovation and dialogue across diverse media.
Del Rosario has selected artists who integrate ceramics into broader artistic approaches, combining clay with video, collage, painting, performance and more. Their work challenges conventional ideas about the utility and limitations of the medium and demonstrate its unique dynamism.
鈥淚 wanted to curate a Ceramic Annual that feels distinctly nontraditional,鈥� says Del Rosario. 鈥淭he artists in聽Means to an End鈥�work in ceramics almost by coincidence鈥攖here are many other ways they could create their objects. But there is this innate pull, an adoration of ceramics, that makes them utilize the material. It is one of the most exciting and flexible materials to work with.鈥�
鈥淎s the Ceramic Annual enters its ninth decade, 鈥�Means to an End鈥� invites us to pause and reconsider the medium,鈥� adds Erin M. Curtis, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. 鈥淲hat is the draw of clay? Where can it take us? And what might its integration across disciplines portend? These artists demonstrate clay鈥檚 enduring relevance to and pervasive presence in contemporary art.鈥�
Since its debut in 1945, the 麻豆区 Ceramic Annual has been a leading force in revealing emerging artists, trends, and innovations in the field. Originally curated by Pasadena-based potter William Manker, the annual exhibition continues to spotlight both new and established artists while advancing the Williamson Gallery鈥檚 educational mission.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog featuring an essay by Garth Johnson, Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, as well as an interview with Del Rosario and a foreword by Curtis.
A free, public opening reception will be held at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery on Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. The gallery will be open during the exhibition from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, visit rcwg.scrippscollege.edu or call (909) 607-3397.