August @AMOCA
This month we’re excited to share the launch of the public phase of “Growing Into Our Future,” our first-ever capital campaign. We’re raising funds for a facility upgrade that will transform and strengthen AMOCA’s ambitious education, community, and family programs. You can learn about the renovation progress we’ve been making, see photos and renderings, and learn about where we’re going next when you visit the Growing Into Our Future page online.
On Friday, August 4 come on out to the museum for First Fridays, when you can choose your own ticket prices and enjoy current exhibitions, thanks to generous support from our Board of Directors. Exhibitions on view this month include Making in Between: Queer Clay and From a Gift to a Collection: Igal & Diane Silber. Be sure to visit AMOCA this month to catch William Catling’s vault installation Waiting in silence (through the long years) before it comes down on August 20.
For adults who want to try creating with clay, you can choose from two one-hour introductory sessions on August 18. Introductory sessions are a great way to relax, get your hands dirty, and have some fun! If you’re looking for a more intensive hands-on experience, you can join Breana Ferrerira’s Clay Collage Skill Building Workshop on August 19, 20, and 26, Nathan Stanfield’s Soda Firing workshop beginning on August 26, or another of our upcoming workshops. Seats in studio classes fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up soon if you’re interested in participating in an introductory session or workshop.
All are invited to tune in on August 22 for a Virtual Artist Talk with Breana Ferreira, celebrating the culmination of her long-term residency at AMOCA. Ferreira has been in residence September 2022-August 2023, and in this virtual talk she’ll share what she’s been working on lately and offer insights into her artistic process; there will be an opportunity for Q & A after the presentation.
Also online this month is The Hotter and Gayer Narrative in Ceramics with scholar Matthew Limb and exhibition co-curators Beth Ann Gerstein and Pam Aliaga, who will further the dialogue on queer ceramics history and delve deeper into Making in Between: Queer Clay, the second exhibition in AMOCA’s “Making in Between” series. At this Zoom event, Limb will explore how queer identity plays a role in the clay community; a Q & A will follow the presentation.
August means back-to-school, and applications for AMOCA’s teen council program for high school students are open through August 25! Let the teen in your life know about this free program where teens meet weekly in-person to create ceramics in our studio, explore behind the scenes of AMOCA, take field trips to other art museums, develop professional skills, and more.
Educators, it’s time to plan to bring your class to AMOCA this school year! Fall field trips are open for booking, and your students can get an interactive tour of the largest ceramic collection on the west coast and create their own work of art with air dry clay. Tours are fully customizable, and requests can be completed online in less than five minutes. If your class can’t make it out to AMOCA, bring the museum to your school with a MudMobile visit! Visit our Education page to find more information on our educational opportunities and book a tour or mobile museum visit today.
AMOCA members can continue to enjoy the museum without the crowds on Wednesdays and Thursdays during Member Bonus Days this month. Members also enjoy discounts at the museum store, invitations to exclusive events, and more!
Not yet a member? Now’s a great time to become part of AMOCA: new members who join in August at any level will also get 2 free admission passes to the museum. 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 when you arrive or reserved in advance online.
See you soon,
Genevieve Kaplan
Associate Director of Communications & Stewardship
Upcoming Programs & Events
First Fridays at AMOCA
Friday, August 4 • 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!
Starting now • In Person & Online
Capital Campaign: Growing Into Our Future
The American Museum of Ceramic Art is launching the public phase of our first-ever capital campaign to raise $2,000,000 for a facility upgrade that will transform and strengthen AMOCA’s ambitious education, community, and family programs.
Introductory Clay Class • Wheel Throwing
Friday, August 18 • 5:00–6:00 PM or 7:00–8:00 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: Clay Collage
August 19, 20, & 26, 2023 • Days & times vary • In Person • $350
Join long-term Resident Artist Breana Ferreira in the AMOCA studios for a three-day surface decoration and application workshop.
Virtual Artist Talk with Breana Ferreira
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 • 12:00–1:00 PM (PDT) • Online
Join us for a virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira, to celebrate her residency in the AMOCA Studios. Ferreira will share about her practice, past work, and future directions
The Hotter and Gayer Narrative in Ceramics with Matthew Limb
Thursday, August 24, 2023 • 5:00–6:00 PM (PDT) • Online
Join us for a virtual discussion on The Hotter and Gayer Narrative in Ceramics with scholar Matthew Limb and co-curators Beth Ann Gerstein and Pam Aliaga. There will be an opportunity for Q & A following the presentation.
2023-2024 AMOCA Teen Council
Apply today! • Applications accepted through August 25, 2023
High School students interested in art are invited to join AMOCA’s free Teen Council Program! Join like-minded teens for weekly, in-person gatherings to create ceramics in our studio, explore behind the scenes of AMOCA, take field trips to other art museums, develop professional skills, and more.
Skill Building Workshop with Nathan Stanfield
August 26, 25, 30, & September 2, 2023 • Days & times vary • In Person • $350
Join Nathan Stanfield, AMOCA’s Studio Manager, in the AMOCA studios for a multi-day Soda Firing workshop.
In Case You Missed It
Natalia Arbelaez: Artist Talk
Tune into an audio recording and slide show of the in-person artist talk with Natalia Arbelaez given in AMOCA’s galleries on Saturday, July 8. Arbelaez shares about her practice, past work, and future directions in this talk celebrating her 2023 residency.
Exhibitions on View
Visit Friday–Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM by purchasing tickets online or at the door.
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 8, 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.
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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.