Across the Table, Across the Land, a project of the National Ceramic Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), is designed to to be a snapshot of what is happening today at the intersection of food, clay and community.
When you stop and think about it…
That is probably EVERYONE in our amazing clay community. Not just potters or “social practice” artists. Our practice is often a social endeavor – from firing kilns and sharing glaze recipes to gathering 5,000 people at an NCECA conference, we depend on and enjoy the gathering of people. We bring value to community in so many ways, and have been inherently “social” before it was a trend.
So what is Across the Table looking for?
Nom Nom’s!
THE COMMON: Ceramic artists are known for their potlucks and feasts. Often these gatherings bring more than pots and people together to share a meal, they increase a sense of belonging, connect people who may not be part of the same circles and create a safe common space for conversation.
Would this be enough for Across the Table?
OF COURSE!
We are looking to tell the story of what is happening today. We are coming up on significant holiday gatherings, we want to see how you gather people, pots and food to celebrate together!
Tall sculpture by Ernest Gentry, Chef: Tony Wise, Photo by Kyler Balsley courtesy of CulinaryClay.com
THE COLLABORATIVE: Ceramic artists have been working with cooks and chefs for ages. Today there is a strong trend for artists to be part of the experience of dining via collaboration with restaurants.
Do you know someone who is working with a chef/restaurant? Please let us know!
Are you doing this? We want to know, and we want to tell your story.
Bowl by Ernest Gentry, Chef: Tony Wise, Photo by Kyler Balsley courtesy of CulinaryClay.com
THE CONCEPTUAL: Ceramic artists are working in highly inventive ways to utilize the natural gateway into people’s lives that food and ceramics provides to create projects that are profound.
Do you know someone who is working on project based work that is at the intersection of Clay, food and community? Let us know!
Are you doing work that we should hear about? We want to tell your story!
So where do I go from here?
- It’s simple – all we ask is for a few minutes of your time to share your story with project/event information and an image that supports it to the Across the Table WebApp here – (you can use a mobile device or a desktop platform) – http://app.ncecaacrossthetable.com/add-response/?challenge=451
- Once this is uploaded your submitted into the project and from here we may share your story in multiple ways. First, through consultation with you, we will share a brief synopsis of and a supporting image on the WebApp site. Depending on the content of what you shared, we may also blog about this on the NCECA site. We will also be telling the story of submitted projects at the 50th Anniversary of NCECA in Kansas City as an exhibition at Charlotte Street Foundation Gallery.
- Exhibition: A selection of ceramic objects selected from documentary images will be curated into the exhibition as supporting “artifacts” that will accompany the images and story of your project/event. The focus is on the story. The objects, which are central to these stories, take on a different meaning when connected to these events. We want to share that reality with the public.
- Once the exhibition is over, objects are returned to the artists and the lights are turned off – your project lives on. It will become part of a digital archive, a “time capsule” telling the story of how ceramic artists in 2015-16 are natural and powerful community connectors. A treasure trove of digital information for generations to come.
Visit app.ncecaacrossthetable.com/about/ for more information about this project.
Here’s a link to download the webapp http://app.ncecaacrossthetable.com/get-started/
Lastly, make sure you follow all of the events happening on our instagram @AcrossTheTable2015 !
