AMOCA Announces New Artists in Residence

(California, April 21, 2025)—The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) announced today five artists in residence for 2025–2026 (in order of arrival): Yoon Hwang of Walnut, California; Bianca MacPherson of State College, Pennsylvania; Maxwell Henderson of Red Lodge, Montana; Kristy Moreno of Los Angeles, California; and Liz Stringer of Long Beach, California.

Beth Ann Gerstein, Executive Director of AMOCA, commented: “The Artist in Residence program at the AMOCA Ceramics Studio supports emerging, mid-career, and established artists, allowing them time, space, and resources to develop their creative work. Our studio residency program is an important component of the museum’s commitment to supporting contemporary artistic practice, and we’re pleased to be able to bring diverse artistic voices and talents to our region each year. On behalf of our partners, donors, members, staff, and current artists-in-residence, I enthusiastically welcome the 2025–2026 cohort of ceramic artists to AMOCA.”

Launched in 2012, AMOCA’s Artist in Residence program is one of the few long-term fellowship opportunities for ceramic artists on the West Coast. Located an hour from the desert, mountains, and beaches of Southern California and forty minutes east of Los Angeles, the residency space provides artists an opportunity to produce or develop a new body of work while also participating in AMOCA’s programs. Shorter residency opportunities for artists commuting from Southern California locales encourage artistic exchange with artists visiting from other parts of the world.

The Artist in Residence program at the AMOCA Ceramics Studio is made possible with support from the Windgate Foundation, the D&M Trust (David W. and Julianne M. Armstrong Living Trust and Mary Rini), and the Laguna Clay and Glaze Company.

2025-2026 AMOCA Artists in Residence
(in order of arrival)

Yoon Hwang is an American artist born in Busan, S. Korea. Beginning his art practice in two-dimensional art, he eventually became interested in ceramics as a companion to his drawing and painting practice. He combines traditional ceramics techniques, western art, eastern art, and modern visual language to create works that are reminiscent of nature and ancient art. He earned his BFA in Ceramics at California State University Long Beach and his MFA in Studio Art at the University of Georgia. Prior to starting his MFA program, he studied abroad in S. Korea at Hongik University and completed apprenticeships under ceramic artist Inchin Lee and one of Korea’s living national treasures, Kim II Man, at his Obuza Onggi Factory. Hwang later completed a residency at Township 10 in Marshall, North Carolina. A new husband and first-time father, he is currently practicing his art in Southern California. His work was recently showcased at AMOCA’s Fahrenheit 2024 exhibition. Hwang will be in residence from April–September 2025.

Bianca MacPherson’s ceramic work solidifies the psychological unseen. Drawing from the complexities of American history and personal experience, her forms instigate dialogues around identity, race, and perception, forcefully pressing us to confront the tension between what is seen and what is assumed through abstraction. Originally from Buffalo, New York, her work has been exhibited nationally. MacPherson received her MFA from Penn State University and her BFA from Buffalo State University, and has participated in residencies at Penland School of Craft, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. MacPherson will be in residence at AMOCA from August 2025–July 2026.

Maxwell Henderson is a nationally recognized ceramic artist. Born in Arizona in 1996, he received his BFA from Arizona State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Furthering his education, Henderson completed a post-baccalaureate program at Pennsylvania State University before earning his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023. His work has been prominently featured in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions since 2018. Henderson’s work has earned him multiple awards, including a grant from the Rudy Autio Endowment Fund. He has participated in several esteemed residencies, including the Archie Bray Foundation, where he was a summer residence in 2023 and has a piece included in their permanent collection. Currently, he is a long term resident at the Red Lodge Clay Center. Henderson has served as instructor of record at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, teaching courses in ceramics and three-dimensional design. His commitment to education extends to the general community, including teaching at Belvoir Terrace, the LUX Center for the Arts, and Red Lodge Clay Center. Henderson will be in residence at AMOCA from September 2025–August 2026.

Kristy Moreno received her Associates in Arts from Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, CA and her BFA in ceramics from California State University, Chico in Chico, CA. Moreno’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA; Glassell Gallery in Baton Rouge, LA; Lucy Lacoste Gallery in Concord, MA; Volery Gallery in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and at Thinkspace Projects and Tlaloc Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been featured in publications including Voyage LA, Las Vegas Weekly, Beautiful Bizarre, and Artfix Daily. Moreno is the recipient of various awards and residencies including the Taunt Fellowship, the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, and the Jack Winsor Memorial Scholarship. Moreno will be in residence at AMOCA from October 2025–March 2026.

Liz Stringer is a multidisciplinary artist based in Long Beach, CA, whose work explores embodiment and corporeality through ceramics, sculpture, and installation. She holds a BA in Art and a BS in Biology from UC San Diego, as well as an MFA from UC Irvine. Drawing from science fiction, biopolitics, and feminist theory, her practice examines the intersections of physical and metaphysical narratives, challenging societal constructs and prompting reflection on vulnerability, transformation, and resilience. Stringer has had solo exhibitions at the Contemporary Art Center Gallery at UCI (2024) and Bread and Salt in San Diego (2025). Her work has also been included in group exhibitions at UCSB’s College of Creative Studies Art Gallery, the BEALL Center for Art + Technology, Phase Gallery, Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library San Diego. Stringer will be in residence at AMOCA from April–September 2026.

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