Events & Programs

Join us in person and virtually for upcoming events & programs at the Museum. Discover art, meet artists, create, learn, and engage! Art and artists have the power to transport us and to give insight into pressing cultural, political, and social questions.

First Fridays

Friday, January 3, 2025 • 11:00 AM4:00 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. Each month, visit the Museum and choose your own ticket prices!

Do You Wanna Docent?

Thursday January 9, 2025 • 5:006:00 PM (PST) • Online

Join this free, virtual information session to learn more about AMOCA’s docenting program, and how you can make a difference by becoming a volunteer docent.

Introductory Clay Class

Friday, January 10, 2025 • 5:306:30 PM or 7:308:30 PM • In person $75

The perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! In this one-hour introductory class, you’ll learn the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel.

Second Saturdays Docent Tour

Saturday, January 11, 2025 • 2:003:00 PM • In person

On the second Saturday of each month, AMOCA’s docents offer a guided look into one of our current exhibitions. Our January tour will focus on Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape.

Talking Architectural Pottery: History and Collecting

Sunday, January 12, 2025 • 2:003:30 PM • In Person

Join us for an engaging discussion, moderated by Curator Jo Lauria, centered around our current exhibition Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape and its accompanying book.

Artist in Residence Information Session

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (PST) • Online

Join us for a conversation with AMOCA staff, alongside current/former resident artists, to learn more about the Artist in Residence program.

Opening Reception: Currently: Artists in Residence

Saturday, January 25, 2025 • 4:006:00 PM • In Person

Join us for the opening reception for Currently: Artists in Residence, a new exhibition  featuring work by three AMOCA Studio Artists in Residence: Stephanie Kim, Reniel Del Rosario, and Michelle Solorzano.

Recordings of selected programs are highlighted below. You can explore a more complete collection of videos on our YouTube channel.


Artist Talk with Christina A. West

Friday, November 22, 2024 • 12:00 1:00 PM • Online

A recording of the virtual talk with Christina A. West, the talented artist behind Strut, currently on view in the Igal & Diane Silber Vault Gallery. Content note: this recording includes images, photographs, and discussion of nude human bodies.


Artist Talk with Reniel Del Rosario

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 • 12:00 1:00 PM • Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Reniel Del Rosario, to celebrate the beginning of his residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Virtual Artist Talk with Michelle Solorzano

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 • 12:00 1:00 PM • Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Michelle Solorzano, to celebrate the beginning of her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Luke Shalan

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 . 12:00 1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Luke Shalan, to celebrate his residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Fahrenheit 2024 Artist Panel w/Chidi Ukwuoma & Wansoo Kim

Thursday, July 25 2024 . 12:00 1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the panel discussion with Chidi Ukwuoma and Wansoo Kim, two artists featured in Fahrenheit 2024.


Closing Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Paige O’Toole

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 . 12:00 1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Paige O’Toole, to celebrate the culmination of her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Mary Cale Wilson

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 . 12:00 1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Mary Cale Wilson, to celebrate her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Virtual Artist Panel w/Susannah Israel & Luke Huling

Thursday, May 23, 2024 . 12:00 PM 1:00 PM . Online

A recording of the virtual artist panel with Susannah Israel and Luke Huling, two artists whose work is featured in Fahrenheit 2024.


HS Exhibition: Virtual Premiere & Awards Ceremony

Saturday, May 4, 2024 . 10:00 AM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the May 4 Virtual Premiere & Awards Ceremony , celebrating pieces selected for the 2024 High School Ceramics Exhibition.


Fahrenheit 2024 Artist Panel w/Adam Chau and Peter Olson

Thursday, April 25, 2024 . 12:00 1:00 PM . Online

A recording of the virtual panel with Adam Chau and Peter Olson, two artists featured in Fahrenheit 2024.


Artist Talk with Jasmine Baetz

Thursday, February 22, 2024 . 11:00 AM-12:00 PM . Online

A recording of the virtual talk with Jasmine Baetz, the talented artist behind Blood in the fire, sugar in the milk, on view January 13–April 21, 2024 in the Igal & Diane Silber Vault Gallery.


Artist Talk with Claudia V. Solorzano

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 . 12:00-1:00 PM (PST) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Claudia V. Solorzano to celebrate her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Artists in Conversation with Mark Burns and Vick Quezada

Thursday, November 16, 2023 . 5:00-6:00 PM (PST) . Online

A recording of the virtual discussion with Mark Burns and Vick Quezada , two of the talented artists behind our current exhibition Making in Between: Queer Clay.


Virtual Artist Talk: opening talk with Artist in Residence Jolie Ngo

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 . 12:00-1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Jolie Ngo, to celebrate the beginning of her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Virtual Artist Talk: opening talk with Artist in Residence Paige O’Toole

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 . 12:00-1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Paige O’Toole, to celebrate the beginning of her residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Queer Clay: Artists in Conversation

Thursday, September 14, 2023 . 5:00-6:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual panel discussion with Alex Anderson and Julia Kunin, two of the talented artists behind our current exhibition Making in Between: Queer Clay.


The Hotter and Gayer Narrative in Ceramics with Matthew Limb

Thursday, August 24, 2023 . 5:00-6:00 PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual discussion on The Hotter and Gayer Narrative in Ceramics, with scholar Matthew Limb and co-curators Beth Ann Gerstein and Pam Aliaga.


Virtual Artist Talk: closing talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 . 12:00-1:00 PM (PDT) . Online

Coming soon! A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira, to celebrate her residency in the AMOCA Studios.


Queer Clay: Artists in Conversation

Saturday, July 15, 2023 . 12:001:00 PM . In Person

Coming soon! A recording of the panel discussion with Nicki Green and Tamara Santibañez, two of the talented artists behind our current exhibition Making in Between: Queer Clay.


Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Natalia Arbelaez

Saturday, July 8, 2023 . 12:00–1:00PM . In Person

An audio recording and slide show of the in-person artist talk with Natalia Arbelaez given in AMOCA’s galleries. Arbelaez shares about her practice, past work, and future directions in this talk celebrating her 2023 residency.


Virtual Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Kim Tucker

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 . 12:00–1:00PM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Kim Tucker. Tucker shares about their practice, past work, and future directions in this talk celebrating their 2023 residency.


Virtual Premiere & Awards Ceremony – 2023 High School Exhibition

Saturday, April 22, 2023 . 10:00 AM (PDT) . Online

A recording of the premiere of our 2023 High School Exhibition! This pre-recorded awards ceremony, hosted by Education Manager Carly Lake-Irigoyen, Guest Services Manager/Teaching Artist Aida Lugo, and Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein, includes a presentation of the entire virtual exhibition.


Artist Roundtable: Feminist Explorations in Contemporary Ceramics

Thursday, March 9, 2023 . 11:00 AM12:00 PM (PST) . Online

A recording of the virtual discussion featuring artists from the third chapter of AMOCA’s current exhibition Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay. Exhibitions Manager Pam Aliaga and Breaking Ground artists Jenny Hata Blumenfield and Julia Haft-Candell explore the influence of feminism on contemporary ceramics.


Virtual Artist Talk with Artist in Residence Christopher Suarez

Thursday, December 15, 2022 . 11:00 AM12:00 PM PST . Online

A recording of the virtual talk with Artist in Residence Christopher Suarez. Suarez shares about his practice, past work, and future directions in this talk celebrating his Fall 2022 residency.


Virtual Artist Talk: opening talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 . 11:00 AM-12:00 PM . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira. This talk marks the beginning of her September 2022-August 2023 residency in the AMOCA Studios.


Curator Talk: Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay

Sunday, October 9, 2022 . 1:00-2:30 PM . In Person & Recorded

A recording of the curator talk in the exhibition galleries with Breaking Ground co-curators Jo Lauria, Edith Garcia, and Beth Ann Gerstein.


Virtual Artist Talk: opening talk with Artist in Residence Nick Vest

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 . 12-1 PM . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Nick Vest. This talk marks the beginning of his 2022-2023 residency in the AMOCA Studio. Vest shares about his practice, past work, and future directions.


Virtual Artist Talk: closing talk with Artist in Residence Colby Charpentier

Saturday, July 23, 2022 . 11AM-12PM . Online

A recording of the artist talk with Artist in Residence Colby Charpentier. This talk marks the closing event of his September 2021-August 2022 residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Artist Talk: Blooop by Alina Hayes

Thursday, June 23, 2022 . 11AM-12PM . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with artist Alina Hayes and Exhibition Manager Pam Aliaga to celebrate the exhibition Blooop by Alina Hayes.


Virtual Artist Talk: closing talk with Artist in Residence Kirstin Willders

Saturday, June 11, 2022 . 11AM-12PM . Online

A recording of the virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Kirstin Willders. This talk marks the closing event of her 2021-2022 residency in the AMOCA Studio.


Artist Talk: 50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires with Elaine Olafson Henry

April 30, 2022 . 12–1 PM . Virtual & Recorded

A recording of the virtual artist talk with artist Elaine Olafson Henry and curator Jo Lauria to celebrate the exhibition 50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires.


Short Film Screening: Inside the Studio with Claudia Solórzano

Thursday, April 28 . 12 PM . Online

Join us for a peek inside the mind, practice, and studio of artist Claudia Solórzano. This short film will introduce Solórzano ahead of a forthcoming podcast which she will cohost alongside AMOCA Exhibition Manager Pam Aliaga.


Virtual Awards Ceremony & Reception: 2022 Annual High School Ceramics Exhibition

April 9, 2022 . 12-1 PM (Pacific) . Virtual & Recorded

A virtual awards ceremony and reception for the 2022 Annual High School Ceramics Exhibition, celebrating work by 100 student artists from 50 cities and 16 states.


Artist Talk: Connected Spaces: Cheryl Ann Thomas + Michael Rohde

Saturday, March 12, 2022 . 4 PM . In-person

A recording of the artist talk to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Connected Spaces: Cheryl Ann Thomas + Michael Rohde.


Artist Talk with Ashwini Bhat: IMPRINTED, Assembling California

Saturday, January 22, 2022 • 12–1 PM • Virtual

A recording of a virtual talk to celebrate the exhibition Ashwini Bhat: IMPRINTED, Assembling California, which will debut a new body of work.


Artist Talk with artist in residence Colby Charpentier

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 • 12–1 PM • Virtual

A virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Colby Charpentier. Charpentier has been an Artist in Residence at AMOCA since September 2021.


Artist Talk with artist in residence Kirstin Willders

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 • 12 PM (PST) • Virtual

A virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Kirstin Willders. Willders has been an Artist in Residence at AMOCA since July 2021.


Nicole Seisler: Holding Patterns • Lecture & Reception

Saturday, October 9, 2021 • 3 PM–5 PM • In-Person & Recorded

A recording of the lecture by Nicole Seisler celebrating the opening of the exhibition.


MIND+MATTER & Don Reitz: Panel Discussions and Reception

Saturday, September 11, 2021 • 3–5 PM • In-Person & Recorded

Recordings of a panel discussion and artist talks hosted by Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein and featuring Brent and Donna Reitz, Paula Rice, Peter Held, Arthur Gonzalez, Beverly Mayeri, and Nancy Selvin.

Panel discussion for Don Reitz: Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal.

Artist talks for MIND+MATTER: Five Bay Area Sculptors.

Saturday, August 14, 2021 • 4 PM (Pacific) • In Person & Recorded

A curator-led gallery walk of the new exhibition Mind+Matter: Five Bay Area Sculptors with co-curators Jo Lauria and Beth Ann Gerstein.


Studio Visit and Sale with Grayson Fair, Artist in Residence

Saturday, July 24, 2021 • 11 AM (Pacific) • In Person & Virtual

A hybrid in-person and virtual event in the studio of Artist in Residence Grayson Fair.


Artist Talk with Grayson Fair, Artist in Residence

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • 12 PM (Pacific) • Virtual

Join us for a virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Grayson Fair. Fair has been an Artist in Residence at AMOCA since the fall of 2020. His introduction to ceramics was through functional pottery, but now his focus is nonobjective, action-based sculpture. Most of his work is wood-fired, a process of firing a kiln exclusively with wood.

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Artist Talk for Amy Santoferraro: Two on a Lot, Three on the Tree

Recorded Saturday, July 10, 2021 • 4 PM Pacific

Two on a Lot, Three on a the Tree is Amy Santoferraro’s site-specific installation in the Vault Gallery at AMOCA. The installation includes a number of live documentary explorations of Santoferraro’s installation process, broadcast and recorded on YouTube Live.

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ARTxSCIENCE 01: Recovering the Future

Recorded Tuesday, March 31, 2021 • 5 PM Pacific

Featuring composer and sound artist Ellen Reid in conversation with physician and scientist Carl Grunfeld, MD-PhD. Moderated by Andrew Vosko, PhD.

What can a Pulitzer Prize-winning artist teach us about healing? What can a distinguished physician-scientist teach us about creativity? What can collective trauma teach us about ourselves? Don’t miss this conversation about the post- pandemic world with two distinguished luminaries who will suggest ways that art and science inform our journey from here to there.

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Closing Panel for Making in Between: Contemporary Chinese American Ceramics

Recorded Thursday, February 18, 2021 • 4 PM Pacific

To celebrate the closing of the exhibition, join Beth Ann Gerstein and the artists for a final walkthrough and conversation. Featuring Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Sin-ying Ho, Beth Lo, Cathy Lu, Stephanie H. Shih, and Wanxin Zhang.

This event took place live on Zoom.

Learn More


In Conversation: Stephanie H. Shih + Mei Lum

Recorded Wednesday, August 26, 2020 • 5 PM Pacific/8 PM Eastern

A special engagement with New York-based ceramic artist Stephanie H. Shih and Mei Lum, 5th generation owner of New-York based Wing on Wo and the founder and director of The W.O.W. Project. Shih and Lum converse on a wide-range of topics, discussing art, politics, community, culture, and legacy.

Stephanie H. Shih

Stephanie H. Shih is a Taiwanese American artist exploring concepts of home, not just as a physical place, but also as cultural, generational, and emotional spaces we inhabit. Her work has been shown at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona, CA), Wieden+Kennedy (Portland, OR), and Hashimoto Contemporary (San Francisco, CA) and featured by NPR, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. She lives in Brooklyn.

Visit her website or follow her on instagram.

Mei Lum

Mei Lum is the 5th-generation owner of Wing on Wo & Co, the founder and director of the The W.O.W. Project, and one of the leading voices for placekeeping in New York’s Chinatown. In 2017, Lum was recognized as an emerging voice in the Asian and Pacific American community by NBC Asian America. She received the 2019 Community Builder Award from OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates and the Rubinger Community Fellowship from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. In 2020, she became a Civic Practice Partnership Artist in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Events and programs at the museum are made possible by our members and community. For more information, or to suggest a program, contact us.

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