Hands of clay on display: ‘It’s Only Clay’ competition, exhibit back for 13th year

BEMIDJI - Artists who like to get their hands dirty are coming back to Bemidji this week.
The 13th annual It’s Only Clay National Juried Ceramics Competition and Exhibit will feature four days for ceramics fans to enjoy.
The event will feature artists from across the United States, a release said, and guest artist and 2015 juror Butch Holden of BSU will have a selection of his work on display as part of the 2015 It’s Only Clay exhibit. This year’s reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, with a brief presentation at 6 p.m., at the Watermark.
The events start on Tuesday. Awards for It’s Only Clay include prize money for first, second and third place, a release said.
Also, BSU offers purchase awards, choosing pieces to be included in their Margaret H. Harlow Teaching Collection. Awards will be announced at the opening and all work will be on display through mid-December.
In addition to the exhibit at the Watermark, the following events are at BSU and are free an open to the public.
Tuesday: “Optimism,” an exhibit featuring work by Butch Holden, opens at the Talley Gallery at BSU, from noon to 3 p.m., with an artist talk at 12:30 p.m. There also will be a continuing ceramics exhibit in Gallery X – “Ceramics: Past and Present” by Tim Brockman.
Wednesday: TAD Talk and Harlow Collection Exhibit. Reception will be at the Ramsey Gallery at 6:30 p.m., featuring work from the Margaret H. Harlow Teaching Collection.
A TAD Talk will begin at 7 p.m. in Thompson Recital Hall, Bangsberg Fine Art Complex, BSU. The TAD Talk will feature Holden speaking on “A Brief History of Butch Holden Ceramics: Fifty Years of Making Art.”
Thursday: There will be a workshop with Butch Holden from noon to 4 p.m. in the Ceramics Studio, Bensen Hall 105, at BSU.
Demonstrations will include wheel and hand forming and surface techniques, such as texturizing and glazing, a release said.
For more information, visit www.watermarkartcenter.org .