AMOCA Announces New Artists in Residence

(California, April 8, 2024)—The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) announced today four artists in residence for 2024–2025 (in order of arrival): Mary Cale Wilson of San Diego, California; Michelle Solorzano of Bloomington, Indiana; Reniel Del Rosario of Vallejo, California; and Stephanie Kim of Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Beth Ann Gerstein, Executive Director of AMOCA, commented: “The Artist in Residence program at the AMOCA Ceramics Studio provides necessary time, space, and support for emerging, mid-career, and established artists to continue and expand their creative work. A key component of the museum’s commitment to supporting contemporary artistic practice, the residency program is also part of our ongoing efforts to bring diverse artistic voices and talents to our region. On behalf of our partners, donors, members, staff, and current artists-in-residence, I enthusiastically welcome the 2024–2025 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, Julianne and David Armstrong, and the Laguna Clay and Glaze Company. 

2024-2025 AMOCA Artists in Residence
(in order of arrival)

Mary Cale Wilson‘s sculptures, ceramics, and paintings explore themes of visual culture, memory, and home. She holds Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Ceramics and Art Education from the University of Georgia and an MFA in Ceramics from San Diego State University. Wilson has participated in prestigious residencies, including the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, where she was a Windgate Scholar, and a winter residency at Penland School of Craft. In recognition of her work, she was named a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist in 2019. Wilson’s work has been showcased extensively, with exhibitions at venues such as the Clay Studio of Philadelphia, The American Museum of Ceramic Art, and The California Center for the Arts. Notably, her pieces have been featured in the 76th Scripps Ceramics Annual as well as the 2020 and 2023 NCECA Annuals. Mary Cale shares her love of clay as a ceramics instructor at San Diego State University. Wilson will be in residence at AMOCA from April–August 2024.

Michelle Solorzano is a figurative ceramic sculptor whose work explores themes of immigration, identity, and culture, all woven into a narrative shaped by her personal experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Ceramics from the State University of New York at Potsdam and is currently in the last semester of her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics at Indiana University. Originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Michelle relocated to New York with her family when she was fifteen. Her artwork serves as a testament to the diverse tapestry of Dominican heritage, blending Taino, African, and Spanish influences. Solorzano will be in residence at AMOCA from August 2024–July 2025.

Reniel Del Rosario (b. Iba, Philippines) uses ceramics, quantity, and satire to discuss themes of commodification and value. His projects range from interactive mimicries of consumer establishments, to reimaginings of artifacts, to imperfect copies of already-existing objects. He holds a BA in Art Practice from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a 2019 recipient of the Center for Craft’s Windgate-Lamar fellowship, a 2022 SFMOMA Artists Soapbox Derby racer, and has been featured in writings such as ARTFORUM and Bon Appetit. His work has been exhibited internationally through traditional and alternative venues such as West Coast Craft, Meta Open Arts, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Catharine Clark Gallery, the 79th Scripps Ceramics Annual, Load Na Dito, San Francisco Art Fair, Praise Shadows Art Gallery, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Jane Lombard Gallery, and simply on the public sidewalk. Del Rosario will be in residence at AMOCA from September 2024–August 2025.

Stephanie Kim is a ceramic artist based in California who also works remotely as a software engineer. She has completed short residencies at Clay Studio of Missoula, Baltimore Clayworks, AIR Vallauris, and Red Lodge Clay Center. Stephanie has also exhibited work in many juried exhibitions across the United States. As an artist, Stephanie is constantly pushing herself to explore new techniques and styles, always striving to improve and evolve her craft. She creates large sculptural forms, each one adorned with intricate and expressive drawings that bring her creations to life. Kim will be in residence at AMOCA from October 2024–March 2025.

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Images

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Mary Cale Wilson

Michelle Solorzano

Reniel Del Rosario

Stephanie Kim