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2025 Participating Artists:
Grant Akiyama, Marissa Y Alexander, Alejandra Almuelle, Chris Alveshere, Olivia Avery, Juan Barroso, Ian Bassett, Jamie Bates, Eric Beavers, Casey Beck, Milo Berezin, Ashley Bevington, Andy Bissonnette, Nikki Blair, Bekah Bliss, Eric Botbyl, Evie Botbyl, Annie Boyer, Jessica Brandl, Nathan Bray, Kaitlyn Brennan, Ray Brown, Wesley T. Brown, Laurie Caffery, Laura Casas, Heidi McKay Casto, Pattie Chalmers, Adam Chau, Brian Chen, Ian Childers, Marissa Childers, Mike Cinelli, Andrew Clark, Bede Clarke, Blair Clemo, Jenn Cole, Gabs Conway, Jillian Cooper, Kyla Culbertson, Lyndee Deal, Chandra DeBuse, Dehmie Dehmlow, Audra Doughty, Brenton Duhan, Carole Epp, Michelle Ettrick, Lauren Faust, Celia Feldberg, Marty Fielding, Yoshi Fujii, Steph Galli, Andrea Garcia, Forrest Sincoff Gard, Mike Gesiakowski, Candace Gooch-Ward, Delvin Goode, Chris Gray, Kyle Guymon, John R Hamilton III, Casey Hanrahan, Steve Hansen, Maxwell Henderson, Alisa Holen, Samantha Hostert, Haylie Jimenez, Sydnie Jimenez, Kirsty Kash, Kristen Kieffer, Tim Kowalczyk, Jessie Kristy, Marina Kuchinski, YoonJee Kwak, Bri Larson, Stacy Larson, Robert LaWarre III, JeeEun Lee, Kyle Scott Lee, Keok B Lim, Chris Long, Renee LoPresti, Coleton Lunt, Anika Major, Marita Manson, Tammy Marinuzzi, Liz Mazurek, Will McComb, Taylor Mezo, Samantha Momeyer, Sarah Mundy, Richard Munster, Melissa Mytty, José Flores Nava, Samuel Newman, CJ Niehaus, Marcè Nixon-Washington, NOM Ceramics, Erika Novak, KyoungHwa Oh, Joe Page, Kyungmin Park, Stephen Phillips, Zoë Pinnell, Ashlyn Pope, Tyler Quintin, Taylor Robenalt, Justin Rothshank, Johanette Rowley, Dwayne Nii-Teiko Sackey, Rosa Salas, Amy Sanders, Masa Sasaki, Ali Schorman, Chanakarn Semachai (Punch), Anagha Sheth, Taylor Sijan, Mitchell Spain, Constance Stotzer, Mike Stumbras, David Swenson, Olivia Tani, Zach Tate, Chance Taylor, Alex Thomure, James Tingey, C.A. Traen, Sami Tsang, Nala C. Turner, Taylor Whyte, Bryan Wilkerson, Travis Winters, Julie Woodrow, Dexter Woods, Qi Zhang, Rebecca Zweibel
Opening Reception Friday September 5th at 7:00pm CST
Available Online September 6th

Mike Cinelli Solo Exhibition
Mike Cinelli is a ceramic artist, father and occasional husband residing in Taylor, Mississippi. His work has been displayed nationally and internationally in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions, with work displayed as far away as Skopelos, Greece, where he attended a one month residency at the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts. He has received various jury awards, including the Studio Potter Merit Award. He was featured in the August 2016 issue of Ceramics Monthly as a contributor to “From Idea to Finished Form”. In March of 2019, his work was featured on the cover of Pottery Making Illustrated. Currently, he is attempting to juggle his studio practice, being a father and husband, and maintaining a rigorous schedule of complaining on the internet.

Carly Slade & Tim Kowalczyk Collaborations
Limited series. Slade/Kowalczyk Mini USPS Mail Tote Planters with Cardboard Saucer and Pallet.
Mini mail tote planters are slip cast by Carly Slade using a translucent porcelain, screenprinted with underglaze, and fired to 2232*F. Cardboard saucers and wooden pallets are hand built by Tim Kowalczyk using paperclay stoneware, underglaze, and glaze. These USPS planter sets are intentionally distressed by both artists to imply age and use. Each set is paired with a miniature parcel which is intended to sit on top of the soil–suggesting a careless mail carrier or a delivery which ended up in the shrubs.

Ewer Invitational
Participating Artists: Jen Allen, Osa Atoe, Eric Beavers, Eric Botbyl, Evie Botbyl, Ray Brown, Wes Brown, Marissa Childers, Mike Cinelli, Andrew Clark, Blair Clemo, Dehmie Dehmlow, Lauren Faust, Katie Fee, Marty Fielding, Candace Gooch-Ward, Martha Grover, Ashton Keen, Renee LoPresti, Anika Major, Candice Methe, NOM Ceramics, Ronan Kyle Peterson, Taylor Sijan, Shawn S Spangler, Mike Stumbras, David Swenson, Olivia Tani, Zach Tate, and Nathan Willever

Featured Artist: Anika Major
Anika Major is a Texas-born artist living in Seattle, Washington. She received her BFA in ceramics and painting from the University of North Texas in 2018. After graduating, she moved to Seattle to work at Rat City Studios where she has spent the last several years working as a studio assistant for Deb Schwartzkopf, and teaching clay classes in the greater Seattle area. She was the studio manager at Rat City Studios, and is now the studio manager at the newly opened sister studio, Rain City Clay, where she teaches and maintains a full-time studio practice. Anika combines her love of clay and figure painting in her colorful painted pots created using thrown and handbuilt methods of production. The shapes of her pots imitate the lumpiness of the human body, and her surfaces come alive with expressive and flamboyant heroines, exploring narratives of romance, individuality, and queer domestic comforts. Growing up in Texas, Anika developed an affinity for the symbolism of the feminine, overly glamorized cowgirl. Her work is currently developing larger forms and narrative vessels exploring romantic themes between cowfolks and other tender imagery.

Dreamers and Makers Art Club Fundraiser
Our dear friend and former CG resident, Ashley Akerson, is working on an amazing project called the Dreamers and Makers Art Club, which has just received approval for 501c3 nonprofit status. We are so proud of Ashley and her selfless vision of bringing the visual and culinary arts to local youth here in West Tennessee. In an effort to support Ashley, a group of 40 artists have donated work for the Dreamers and Makers Art Club Fundraiser. Participating Artists: Ashley Akerson, Grant Akiyama, Juan Barroso, Eric Beavers, Casey Beck, Eric Botbyl, Evie Botbyl, Nathan Bray, Cory Brown, Ray Brown, Wesley T. Brown, Ian Childers, Mike Cinelli, Andrew Clark, Jillian Cooper, Dehmie Dehmlow, Michelle Ettrick, Marty Fielding, Forrest Sincoff Gard. Candace Gooch-Ward, Delvin Goode, Chris Gray, Casey Hanrahan, Shikha Joshi, Kirsty Kash, Bri Larson, Keok B. Lim, Anika Major, Taylor Mezo, Richard Munster, NOM Ceramics, Taylor Robenalt, Justin Rothshank, Rosa Salas, Zach Tate, Mallory Wetherell, Rebecca Zweibel

Ceramics 2025/Spring Exhibition
This exhibition originated in 2020, where we had planned a series of exhibitions at NCECA in Richmond, VA. When the conference was canceled at the last minute (for very good reason) we pivoted, had everything redirected, and hosted the exhibition here at the gallery. It was a frantic, whirlwind experience which has evolved into an annual exhibition and Spring tradition here at Companion Gallery. We now view the spring exhibition (Ceramics 2025) as an annual survey, highlighting the best of contemporary functional & sculptural ceramics. Our hope is to feature emerging artists alongside mid-career and veteran makers. Participating artists: Marissa Y Alexander, Juan Barroso, Eric Beavers, Eric Botbyl, Evie Botbyl, Ray Brown, Dawn Candy, Mike Cinelli, Andrew Clark, Andrea Garcia, Candace Gooch-Ward, Steve Hansen, Kirsty Kash, Tim Kowalczyk, Yoonjee Kwak, Bri Larson, Candice Methe, Marcè Nixon-Washington, KyoungHwa Oh, Ali Schorman, Chanakarn Semachai (Punch), Malcolm Mobutu Smith, and Zach Tate.

Last Call X: Handmade Ceramics for Storing, Pouring, and Sipping Fine Libations
2025 Juror: Carly Slade
2025 Participating Artists:
Chris Alveshere, June Ambro, Kait Arndt, Kara Artman, Jennifer Azzariti, Ian Bassett, Chandra Beadleston, Eric Beavers, Casey Beck, Marla Benton, Ashley Bevington, Erica Bleu, Tony Borchardt, Eric Botbyl, Evie Botbyl, Annie Boyer, Yael Braha, Angel Brame, Jessica Brandl, Nathan Bray, Cory Brown, Ray Brown, Hunter Cady, Taylor Callaway, Laura Casas, Douglas Caulfield, Ian Childers, Marissa Childers, Mike Cinelli, Gabs Conway, Ann Marie Cooper, Jillian Cooper, Emery Cotten, Michael Cottrell, Chandra Debuse, Karley Deets, Jennifer Dormuth, Brenton Duhan, Ben Eberle, Lori Elling, Michelle Ettrick, Sarah Feingold, Jesus Fernandez, Marty Fielding, Susan Finsen, Yoshi Fujii, Andrea Garcia, Forrest Sincoff Gard, Joey Gerace, Candace Gooch-Ward, Delvin Goode, Kristin Gruenberger, John R Hamilton III, Eunkyung Han, Casey Hanrahan, Steve Hansen, Monica Hewryk, Stephen Heywood, Luke Huling, Amy Joy Hosterman, Scott Jones, Zae Karee, Kirsty Kash, Jamie Kelly, Tim Kowalczyk, David Kruk, Marina Kuchinski, YoonJee Kwak, Bri Larson, Stacy Larson, JeeEun Lee, Anika Major, Aimee Marcinko, Autumn McKay, Esther Mech, Dane Meier, Taylor Mezo, Nara Mills, Samantha Momeyer, Sarah Mundy, José Flores Nava, Irene Stivers Nelson, Samuel Newman, Marcè Nixon-Washington, KyoungHwa Oh, Carrie Ohm, Doug Peltzman, Stephen Phillips, Ashlyn Pope, Ashley Porrini, Tyler Quintin, Melodie Reay, John Reinking, Jade Ruscio, Dwayne Nii-Teiko Sackey, Signe Sampou, Amy Sanders, Brian Sarama, Catherine Satterlee, Alexandra Saunders, Rebecca Schedl, Ali Schorman, Brad Schwieger, Chanakarn Semachai (Punch), Anagha Sheth, Matt Sloan, Carly Slade, Oscar Sloop, Amy Song, Matthew Straka, David Swenson, Olivia Tani, Zach Tate, Chance Taylor, Angela Tilley, Sami Tsang, Pradnya Venegurkar, Colin Vent, John Vorstadt, Bryan Wilkerson, Travis Winters, Meghan Yarnell, Qi Zhang

Figuratively Speaking IV
Participating Artists: Marissa Alexander, Alejandra Almuelle, Juan Barroso, Evie Botbyl, Jessica Brandl, Adam Chau, Andrea Garcia, David Kring, Keok B Lim, Anika Major, Marcè Nixon-Washington, Kyungmin Park, Taylor Robenalt, Jo Rowley, Chanakarn Punch Semachai, Sami Tsang, Nala C Turner, Mallory Wetherell, Travis Winters

New Work by Brett Kern

Wesley T. Brown Solo Exhibition

Candace Gooch-Ward Solo Exhibition

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Artist Insights

A Conversation with Horacio Casillas

CG: What can you tell us about your early years that informs your work today?

HC: I was raised in Mexico and raised Catholic. Growing up in a country where 95% of the population is Catholic, it’s not only a personal faith journey but a communal one. I grew up surrounded by beautiful churches on almost every block but the memories I have aren’t just about the church buildings, but the events associated with those churches. In La Parroquia de San Jose, my grandpa along with my dad and his brothers would help with the procession of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi, the whole neighborhood would gather to sing songs and pray as we walked around the block. In El Santuario del Señor we celebrate in April the feast of El Señor de la Misericordia, hundreds of people make a 76 km pilgrimage by foot to this church and thousands more come from all over to celebrate the feast in various ways. Essentially the whole town turns into one big party that lasts several days. The influence the Catholic church has had on me hasn’t just been a spiritual one but a cultural one, and those experiences drive my work.

CG: How did you get into ceramics? Could you articulate what it is about clay that drew you in?

HC: I didn’t have a declared major when I first entered college so for a couple of years, I just took basics and random classes that seemed interesting including art classes. I got into ceramics because it was just the next class on the list, but it was pretty much love at first touch. I hadn’t encountered a material that was as versatile as clay, a material that could bend to my will. Of course, it often felt like clay wanted to bend to its own will but the challenge to conceive what was in my mind’s eye was attractive along with its use for functional pottery.

CG: You are currently pursuing two (seemingly different) bodies of work. What insights can you give us into both of these series?

HC: The first series was the work I developed in graduate school after I was told my work was too generic (which I agreed with). After throwing so many different variations of forms and altering them and pulling hundreds of handles, at some point during the evolution I felt proud of what I was making. And even though evolution never stops I’m happy to continue making this series that I now think of as my corporal body of work. This work is typically wood or soda fired and references the body and the beauty of imperfection.

My current series is a spiritual body of work which references the soul or spirit. This work is more visibly religious, and although I consider my corpus series to also be spiritual, it is not as obvious. I’ll talk a little more about my spiritus series in the next question.

CG: In a previous conversation you described the impact of watching Notre Dame burn. How did that loss impact your current work?

HC: My goal has always been to glorify God with the work I make. While I do appreciate subtlety, I wanted to represent my faith more than just conceptually. I couldn’t help but remember a comment from my undergrad sculpture professor “religious art doesn’t sell, don’t make it”. But when I noticed the visceral reaction many had when Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) burned, something clicked and I had a deep urge to make cathedral inspired work. It was inspiring to see people from different faith backgrounds from all over the world be affected by something that hit so close to home for me as a Catholic. Whether it was the recognition of the community that was being affected by this loss or recognizing the loss of art and architecture- society was affected on a higher level. Many people gravitate towards the ornate, the detailed, the decorative- and though I consider myself to be somewhat of a minimalist there is something to be said about the beauty of ornamentation.

Juan Barroso: Immigrant Narratives

My work is about Mexican labor and the plight, struggle, hope, and heritage of Mexican immigrants. With political administrations that continue to enforce policies that dehumanize and force immigrants into the shadows, recognizing an immigrant’s humanity is vital. As the son of immigrant parents, I hope to pay homage to my people and the dignity of their labor. This exhibition, Immigrant Narratives, focuses on the stories of undocumented immigrants along the US-Mexico border.

I see the water jug as a symbol of the dangerous journey across the desert. I grew up hearing stories of family friends that died in the desert before making it to the US. The water jug form was also my response to a video of an ICE officer dumping out water jugs that had been left behind by a humanitarian group. The water bottles had been left behind to prevent deaths from dehydration, and to see this man essentially condemning people to death with a smile on his face showed me what can happen when human beings are separated by an “us” and “them” mentality.

The water jug form references the journey, and the hand-painted images on them depict some of the consequences undocumented immigrants face when the search for a better life is unsuccessful. The image of a child’s hand behind a chain link fence references the harsh living conditions for undocumented children in detention facilities at the border, including dehydration and more than 4000 allegations of sexual abuse in the last 5 years. This image is painful to paint, but I hope that when people see it, it can spark much needed conversations on human dignity.

I have included a limited series of iron decal mugs with images of the ICE officer that was recorded dumping out water, a caged child, and a monarch butterfly. These images were turned into decals from photographs of two large-scale graphite drawings I drew during a short-term residency at Companion Gallery. Because of its migration between the US and Mexico, I see the monarch butterfly as a symbol for the immigrant. The inclusion of the concertina razor wire reminds me of the photographs I saw of a mother and her child severely cut from the wire in an attempt to cross the border wall. In those images I saw an example of the price people are willing to pay for a chance at the American dream and a chance to provide a decent meal for their families. I made this series in an attempt to have both a more affordable tier of work and more pieces with these images out in the world. If I had hand-painted these images on each mug, the price would be higher than $350 just to get above minimum wage and this show would have taken all year to complete. Using a hand-drawn reference, different colors, and different image placement felt like a great way to still make unique pieces with a significant message.

Before my parents became legal residents, I spent my childhood in Mexico waiting for my mother to get her green card. She sewed clothes, repaired clothes, washed clothes, and sold clothes so my sister and I could eat. We would ride around on bicycles to collect small payments because the people of San Miguel Octopan, Gunajuato could not afford to pay full price. The pitcher forms I have in this show are made from molds of detergent bottles. It was a way to honor my mother and everything she did for my family. The happier images on these pitchers have become a way for me to cope with the political work that takes an emotional toll over time.

For the hand-painted images I use a small watercolor brush and paint my images with Amaco’s black underglaze on functional vessels. I use a pointillism technique because the process is time-consuming and labor intensive. The process, with time invested, becomes an act of devotion.

After the imagery is painted on bisqueware, I bisque again to set the image and avoid smearing the underglaze. I protect the images with liquid latex and airbrush a clear glaze on the rest of the piece. I make the work permanent and functional by firing to cone 10 in an electric kiln. – Juan Barroso

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