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Artist: John Utgaard


John Utgaard, KENTUCKY

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Bio  

John Utgaard grew up in Carbondale, Illinois and initially became interested in  Ceramics while in high school. In the summers his father taught field geology  near Red Lodge, Montana, and from an early age John was influenced by the  

scope and solitude of mountains. He is an alumni of Alfred University where he  received his MFA in 1999. John has been a resident at the Archie Bray  Foundation, the Northern Clay Center, and the Red Lodge Clay Center, and has  been honored by NCECA as an emerging artist and a demonstrator. John  currently teaches at Murray State University. His artwork includes both pottery  and sculpture. Recent exhibitions featuring John’s work include a 2020 solo  show, Mind-Matter at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts in Emory, Virginia, and  Pattern: Transmit, Impart, Convey at Schaller Gallery in Baroda, Michigan in  2021.  

 

Artist’s Statement 

When I was growing up, my family had a way of holding on to broken pots, tools  and utensils that went beyond mere thrift. There was an unspoken sense that  the wares of our everyday lives had a significance to them, that damage and  wear didn’t necessarily detract from an object, and that the improvised solution  (of say, a particular plate as the replacement lid for a saucepan) was a good  solution. I remember in particular the chipped ironstone platter whose glaze was  crazed and deeply stained from serving decades of bloody roasts. I hope my  work has some sense of this spirit in it. 

I want my pots to fit into their users’ lives with a sense of humility and ease of  use, but also with mystery, wonder, humor, and serendipity, like a three-legged  cat that follows you home and unexpectedly becomes a member of your family. 

 

Professional Experience 

2004—present Murray State University, Murray, KY 

Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Dept. of Art & Design 

2002-2004 The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA Senior Lecturer, School of Visual Arts 

2000-2002 Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

Artist in Residence, Technician, Instructor of community classes 

1999-2000 The University of Texas at Austin 

Lecturer, Department of Art 

Education 

1992-1994, 

1996Student, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 1999 MFA, NYSCC at Alfred University, School of Art and Design, Alfred, NY 1996 BFA, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO 

Honors and Awards 

2018 Short-Term Artist’s Residency 

Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT 

2008 CHFA Distinguished Researcher Award 

College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Murray State University, Murray, KY 

2007 Demonstrator, NCECA 07 Louisville 

National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 

2007 McKnight Fellowship and Residency for Ceramic Artists Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN 

2003 Emerging Artist 

National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, San Diego Conference 

2001 Lilian Fellowship 

Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts

Exhibitions 

2021 Little Wonders in the Palm of your Hand 

National invitational group exhibition, Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI 

2021 Pattern: Impart, Transmit, Convey 

National invitational group exhibition, Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI 

2021 Layers of Being 

Regional invitational group exhibition, Bill Ford Gallery, Paducah School of Art & Design,  Paducah, KY 

Juror: Anne Beyer 

2020 The Plate Show III 

National invitational group exhibition, Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI 

2020 John Utgaard: Mind-Matter 

Solo exhibition, McGlothlin Center for the Arts, Emory & Henry College, Emory, VA 

2020 Design & Pattern 

National invitational group exhibition, Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI 

2019 27th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 

National juried group exhibition, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA 

Juror: Malcolm Mobutu Smith 

2018 26th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 

National juried group exhibition, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA 

Juror: Ben Carter 

2018 Plates, Platters, Nothing Else Matters 

National juried group exhibition, Long Beach Island Foundation, Loveladies, NJ 

Juror: Roberto Lugo 

2018 6th Annual Central Time Ceramics 

Regional juried group exhibition, Heuser Art Gallery, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 

Juror: Gail Kendall 

Purchase Award

2017 Bolster: a benefit to support CERF+ 

National juried invitational to support the Craft Emergency Relief Fund 

Schaller Gallery, St Joseph, MI 

Curator: Anthony Schaller 

2017 Kentucky Clay 

Regional group invitational, the Living Arts & Science Center, Lexington, KY 

Curators: Hunter Stamps, Associate Professor, University of Kentucky 

 Amelia Stamps, Professional potter 

2017 Beyond the Brickyard 

National juried group exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

Juror: Josh Deweese, Associate Professor of Art, Montana State University Bozeman 

2016 CraftForms 2016 

National juried group exhibition, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA 

Juror: Stefano Catalani, Executive Director of the Gage Academy of Art 

Award of Merit 

2016 65th Anniversary Benefit Auction and Brickyard Bash 

National group invitational, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, MT 

2015 Vivid Dreams: Work by John Utgaard 

Solo exhibition in conjunction with Potter’s Council Conference Ceramic Boundaries Opened,  Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mt Vernon, IL  

2015 2015 Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition National juried group exhibition in association with a conference of Potter’s Council, 

Zanesville Museum of Art, Zanesville, OH 

Jurors: Garth Johnson, Julia Galloway, Doug Jeck 

Honorable Mention 

2015 NCECA 2015 Biennial 

International juried exhibition, David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University, Providence, RI Jurors: Linda Christianson, Jo Ann Conklin, Anders Ruhwald 

2015 Beyond the Brickyard 

National juried group exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

Juror: Mark Hewitt

2014 The State of Clay 

Regional invitational group exhibition, ArtsPlace, Lexington, KY 

Juror: Joe Molinaro 

2014 2014 Zanesville Prize For Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition National juried group exhibition in association with a conference of Potter’s Council, 

Seilers’ Studio & Gallery, Zanesville, OH 

Jurors: Sherman Hall, Brad Schweiger, Angelica Pozo 

2014 The Clay Studio National 

National juried group exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

Juror: Garth Johnson 

2013 Beyond the Brickyard  

National juried group exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

Juror: Andrea Gill 

Juror’s Award 

2012 Sculpt EVV 2012 

National juried group exhibition of outdoor sculpture, Sculpt EVV, Evansville, IN 

Juror: Marilu Knode, Executive Director, Laumeier Sculpture Park 

2012 PSA National Ceramics Invitational 

National invitational group exhibition, Clemens Fine Art Center Gallery, Paducah, KY 

Curator: John Hasegawa 

2012 Ceramic Artists of Kentucky 

Regional invitational group exhibition, the Clay Place at Standard Ceramics, Pittsburgh, PA Curator: Joe Molinaro 

2011 Beyond the Brickyard 

National juried group exhibition, The Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT  

Juror: Paul Mathieu 

Director’s Award 

2011 Visual Territory 

National juried group exhibition, Pittsburg State University Art Gallery, Pittsburg, KS 

Juror: Sherry Leedy 

Mission Clay Purchase Prize 

2011 Carillon 

Local solo exhibition, Murray State University, Murray, KY

2011 Two by Two 

National juried group exhibition, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA 

Juror: Rain Harris 

2011 Some Like it HOT! Silent Auction 

National invitational group exhibition and benefit auction, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2011 From the Center to the Edge Live Auction 

National invitational group exhibition and benefit auction, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

2010 Bricks and Mortar 

National Invitational group exhibition, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM 

2009 There and Not There 

Solo exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2009 Ab.strac.tion 

Invitational group exhibition, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM 

2008 Six McKnight Artists 

Juried group exhibition of McKnight fellowship recipients, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis,  MN 

2008 The Archie Bray Foundation: Present and Past Residents Invitational group exhibition, The Galaxie, Chicago, IL 

2007 John Utgaard: Featured Artist 

Solo exhibition, Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT 

2007 NCECA Clay National 

National juried exhibition in conjunction with NCECA, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft,  Louisville, KY 

2007 Resident Artist Scholarship Benefit Auction 

National invitational exhibition and auction to benefit the Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

2007 2007 Invitational 

Heike Pickett Gallery, Versailles, KY 

2007 Unadorned 

National invitational exhibition, Santa Fe Clay, NM 

2007 Best of Kentucky Clay 

Regional juried exhibition in conjunction with NCECA, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft,  Louisville, KY 

2007 Kentucky Faculty Exhibition 

Regional invitational in conjunction with NCECA, Mellwood Arts Center, Louisville, KY 

2007 Two By Two 

National juried exhibition of small sculpture, Eastern Washington University Gallery of Art,  Cheney, WA 

Juror’s Award—Best in Show 

2006 Mastery In Clay 

Invitational group exhibition and benefit auction, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2006 Archie Bray International 

Invitational group exhibition and benefit auction for the Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

2006 Ceram-a-rama 

Invitational group exhibition and benefit auction for the ASU Art Museum, Nelson Fine Arts  Center, Tempe, AZ 

Minimal/ist 

2006 

Invitational group exhibition in conjunction with NCECA, Archer Gallery, Clark College,  Vancouver, WA 

2005 School’s out 

Invitational group exhibition in conjunction with NCECA, Community College of Baltimore  County Catonsville, Baltimore, MD 

2005 NCECA Clay National 

Juried group exhibition, Center for Art and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore 

2004 Benchmark 

Invitational group exhibition, The Longhouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY 

2004 The Clay Studio 30th. Anniversary Exhibition Auction Invitational group exhibition and benefit auction, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2003 John Utgaard 

Solo exhibition, Garth Clark Gallery L.I.C, Long Island City, NY

2003 Facets of Clay 

Invitational group exhibition, Macalester College Art Gallery, St. Paul, MN 

2003 Impending Lineage 

Invitational group exhibition, Arts and Industry Gallery, San Diego, CA 

2002 Mastery In Clay 

Invitational group exhibition and benefit auction, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2002 New Talent/New Work 

Invitational, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA 

2002 Lilian Fellowship Exhibition 

Solo exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT 

2002 34th Annual Art Auction 

Invitational group exhibition, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT 

2001 Gallery Group + 

Invitational group exhibition, Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 

2001 In the Spirit of sharing 

Group exhibition curated by regional collectors, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT 

2001 Viewpoint: Ceramics 2001 

Juried national exhibition, Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA 

2000 Clay on the Cusp 

Juried national exhibition, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD 

2000 Ceramic International 

Juried international exhibition, Zanesville Arts Center, Zanesville, OH


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