5 Ceramicists Reshaping Philly's Art Scene
Living Philly means we are surrounded by brilliant, innovative, and unique creatives. That is true for every medium, specifically ceramics.
Living Philly means we are surrounded by brilliant, innovative, and unique creatives. That is true for every medium, specifically ceramics. Whether they have come from across the globe or nation, or they live across the street, Philly’s art scene is all the more better having them here to shape it. Molding more than clay, meet the visionaries giving Philly's ceramic scene a new form.
Isaac Scott: @this_is_ceramics
“Through the clay and the lens I can shift the focus of the viewer or bring them closer to my own experience.” Isaac Scott is a ceramic artist from Madison, WI currently living in Philly. He received his MFA in Ceramic Art at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in 2021. His ceramic work has been exhibited nationally, from Design Miami Podium in 2020 to the National Conference for Education in the Ceramic Arts in Minneapolis in 2021.
Donte Moore: @mooreofanartist
Donte Moore has a passion for human and mechanical form. His works display that passion, tapping into futuristic expressions and organic shapes. He received his MFA from the University of Delaware in 2019. He currently serves at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture as the ceramic studio manager and technician. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, from Pennsylvania State University all the way to Heit Berlin, Germany.
Gerald A. Brown: @geraldbrownstudio
While she is a Chicago Southside native, Gerald A. Brown is currently based in Philadelphia. Gerald received her BFA from Syracuse University with a double emphasis in Sculpture and Ceramics. Here in Philly, Gerald is doing the work as a member of the art collective Vox Populi, responsible for curating special programming and shows. She is a co-founder of the Clay Siblings’ Project, a non-profit initiative providing free ceramic workshops around the country. Gerald is also the Social Media Curator for NCECA and a member of the Board of Directors at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts.
Michael Dela Dika: @mcmichaeldika
Michael Dela Dika was born in Ghana and is currently based in Philly. He is an award winning artist and educator whose work explores “feelings of displacement and belonging”. Michael’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, from Berlin to closer to home at Delaware Contemporary. He is currently the resident artist at Tyler School of Architecture in Philadelphia.
Michelle Ettrick: @michelleettrick
“Clay is a very personal material to me. When I put my hands in the clay and my fingers get lost in the mixture, for the moment, we become one.” Michelle Ettrick is a proud ceramicist who traveled to the US at 12 years old from Panama. She has taught across the nation, most recently at the University of Pennsylvania here in Philly. Her work explores identity, acceptance and beauty and is an embodiment of Black girl magic.
