UMBC's Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) presents three exhibitions as part of the Baltimore area-wide Tour de Clay, held in conjunction with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 2005 Conference. The exhibitions open on March 10 and continue through April 2. An opening reception for all three exhibitions will be held on Wednesday, March 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the CAVC.

The largest of the exhibitions--and the largest Tour de Clay exhibition in Baltimore--is the "NCECA 2005 Clay National Exhibition,? a nationally juried exhibition of over 70 emerging and established artists. This exhibition will be presented in CAVC's main exhibition space on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building.

"Series of Echoes: Anderson Ranch,? featuring work by past and present Anderson Ranch resident artists, is curated by Jill Oberman and organized by the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado. "Series of Echoes? showcases the diversity and individual strengths of the artists in residence, and highlights the emerging and established artists who have left a legacy at the Anderson Ranch while contributing to the field of contemporary ceramics. It will be presented in the Gallery on Upper Main at The Commons.

"Contemporary Codex: Ceramics and the Book? is a traveling invitational exhibition exploring the written word, curated by Holly Hanessian and Janet Williams and organized by the University Art Gallery, Central Michigan University. Ceramics and books share a common history: The earliest book forms, imbued with power and intimacy, were cuneiforms, small terra cotta tablets with orderly symbols easily tucked into a side sleeve and carried around. The book objects or installations in this exhibition stretch the boundaries of both ceramics and the book form, interpreting the book with integrity and a variety of aesthetic viewpoints. "Contemporary Codex" will be on display on the Second Floor of The Commons in Room 2B24.

A full-color catalog with essays from both curators will be available for purchase at the CAVC for $10. For more information, call 410-455-3188.

Credits:
Top photo: Dana Morales, DNA 78
Middle photo: Bede Clark, Lidded Jar
Bottom photo: Tom Bartel, Figure in Diaper and Glasses