arts & entertainment

Indian River Clay, a community studio in Vero Beach, Fla., invites clay artists from across the Treasure, Space, and Gold Coasts – actually, any area of the state and nation — to take part in the 2025 Form + Fire, a prestigious exhibition showcasing contemporary ceramic artwork.

Application deadline is Jan. 26, 2025, for the show, which will run from March 7 to March 21, 2025, at Raw Space Gallery, 1795 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach.

The Form + Fire application fee is $45 and covers up to three pieces of artwork. Apply online at http://www.JuriedArtServices.com; or check Indian River Clay’s website: www.indianriverclay.org for details.

All artists working in clay are eligible to enter. All entries are welcome. There are no size restrictions. However, if your piece needs installation or special handling, please contact the studio directly at info@indianriverclay.org.

This highly anticipated event celebrates the creativity, innovation, and artistry of those working in the diverse and ever-evolving medium of clay. The exhibition is open to submissions in a variety of forms, including functional, sculptural, decorative, and experimental ceramic pieces, with the requirement that clay serves as the primary material.

This dynamic show invites artists to explore the boundless possibilities of the medium and share their unique interpretations of clay’s potential.

Serving as the juror for this event is the renowned Bruce Helander, a celebrated artist, critic, and curator. Helander’s discerning eye and expertise will ensure a thoughtfully curated selection of pieces that embody technical mastery, originality, and aesthetic impact.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Artists can contact Jean Gaul at 579-956-6943 for more information; or Indian River Clay at 772-202-8598; email: form&fire@indianriverclay.org; website: www.indianriverclay.org.

HOW IT STARTED

The inaugural 2023 Form + Fire exhibit created much excitement with more than 100 applicants and a packed house during the month-long show.

Vero Beach is an elegant coastal city located along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Known as a culturally rich town, it is home to a professional theater, a world class art museum, luxury resorts and Indian River Clay.

Indian River Clay is a 501(c)(3) non-profit studio founded in 2018 with 65 working potters and a similar-sized waiting list. Through outreach programs and classes, studio members have been fostering interest in and curiosity about ceramic art in the community. In turn, the community has responded with resounding support.

SALES AND COMMISSIONS

All accepted artwork must be for sale. The artist must price every accepted piece. Indian River Clay collects and pays sales tax, retains 35 percent commission from all sales and will pay the net proceeds due the artist by April 30, 2025. All such payments will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with their requirements.

JUROR: Bruce Helander

Bruce Helander is an internationally recognized artist-critic-curator based in Wellington, Fla. His specialty is collage and assemblage; and his work is in more than 50 museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian, Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. His collages appear in “The New Yorker” and many other magazines.

He has a master’s degree in painting from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. He is a fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts and has won the South Florida Cultural Consortium fellowship for professional achievement in the visual arts. He is an inductee member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, alongside Rauschenberg and Hemmingway. 

He has juried over 1,000 events for museums, including the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Museum and many gallery and art center exhibitions.

EXHIBIT LOCATION

Raw Space Gallery, 1795 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach, is a privately owned gallery that provides an ongoing platform of exhibits, Artist-in-Residence programs, workshops and events that have made a strong impact in the community, strengthening the dialogue between artists and audiences. Founder Silvia Medina and her team believe in the power of art to inspire and transform lives.

TIMELINE

• Application deadline: Jan. 15 at http://www.JuriedArtServices.com.

• Notification of acceptance: Feb. 7

• Artwork delivered to Indian River Clay: Hand delivered: March 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Shipped: Feb. 20 to Feb. 28

• Exhibit Opens/Artist’s Reception: March 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.

• Exhibit Closes: March 21

• Unsold work picked up on March 22 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Raw Space, 1795 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach.

• Unsold shipped works packed and shipped by March 30