Coming back for its 14th year, Visions in Clay features 46 artists out of over 100 applicants and 55 artworks from around the country including five Delta College alumni: Melodie Sidhu, Bonny Barker, Samantha Holcomb, Zoe Nelson and Abraham Alvarez.
“We have five Delta alumni here and I could not be more proud because they’re coming full circle,” Delta Art Gallery Coordinator Jan Marlese said during the opening reception.
Prior to this show there had been two other Delta alumni in the two other years of Visions in Clay according to Marlese.
Professor of Ceramics and Product Design Joan Takayama-Ogwa from Otis College of Art of Design was the juror for this exhibition who selected the awards and artwork for this show.
Barker, one of the Delta College alumni, took Best of Show for “Recoil,” “Hide Heels” and “Unshackled.”
“When I found out I won I was initially excited to have my work recognized, but mostly I felt validated,” Barker said, noting how competitive Visions in Clay would be. “It was my first time getting into a juried show and that was huge for me, so winning the award on top of that boosted my confidence in my work a lot.
Second place was won by Washington Unified School District Ceramics teacher Joe Schumacher for “Bob’s Bait Shop” and “20 miles north of here.”
“I was so excited to have one of our students win the show,” Marlese said.
Third place was won by Suhn Lee for “Dripping in Grief” and “Samsara 31921”.
The San Joaquin Potters Guild Founders Award won by Lois Harbaugh from Bellevue, Wash. for “Figuring out ceramics” and “Cut Cup.”
The Artist-in-Residence Award was won by Ianna Nova Frisby from Sacramento for her “Sexy Ceramics Mosaic.”
Barker thanked several people at Delta for the win.
“I will always shout-out to my grandpa, who gave me a passion for art and supported my journey from the beginning,” Barker said. “I am grateful to Shenny Cruces, the ceramics professor at Delta for showing me the possibilities of clay. She supported me as I first began to fall in love with this material, and her efforts to make clay accessible during the pandemic literally kept me sane during quarantine. My place in this show wouldn’t have been possible without Jan Marlese, the gallery director here. While earning my associate’s she provided me with a position working at the art gallery. I installed many exhibits and handled artwork that shaped my perspective on how things can be constructed and installed. She strengthened my skill set and my passion for the arts, and has shown me continuous support years after graduating.”
Delta College alumni Zoe Nelson presented their piece, “Bottle 2,” mentioned how a strong foundation is important in success.
“I’m so thankful for the arts program, for Shenny Cruces, with whom it all began. Without taking her class, I would not have chosen to pursue a BFA in Ceramics. I’m thankful for Jan Marlese as well for giving me so much amazing experience working in the gallery,” Nelson said.
When giving advice to future students that want to be featured, Barker says students should know that their ideas are valid.
“If I were to give advice to future ceramic students, I would say your ideas are valid,” Barker said, urging ceramic students to not second guess their abilities and to always ask questions. “The more you apply to shows or post your work, more opportunities will start presenting themselves to help you move deeper into your craft.”
The Visions in Clay exhibit began on Aug. 28 and runs through Sep. 21 in the L.H Horton Art Gallery in Shima 144. The gallery is open to the public. Admission is free.