All Fired Up! A Celebration of Clay in Westchester

Clay is not just about teapots. From the simple pottery of early man to its contemporary use in computer

chips, catalytic converters and space shuttles; from sturdy terra cotta to delicate porcelain; from folk art

to fine art; clay arts run the gamut from the ordinary to the extraordinary. This manifestly plastic

medium has been used for millennia to reveal human existence - clay informs about a civilization,

providing a continuous history of human achievement. There is hardly a world culture without a clay

identity; indeed, clay is often the only record available.

Some of the most exciting art work being made today is in clay. Clay is natural, tactile; it encourages

direct and focused involvement with the material; and an appreciation for the serene beauty of the

natural world. Whether porcelain, earthenware or stoneware, clay is a material worthy of celebration as

it continues to inform and impress with an abounding practice and a diverse expression. We are all fired

up about presenting a series of high-caliber exhibitions and events that will illuminate and educate the

public on the myriad of ways that this most elemental of materials can be transformed and molded, to

take shape as art.

About All Fired Up:

From October 3 – November 30, 2008, more than 50 venues throughout Westchester County

will participate in All Fired Up! A Celebration of Clay in Westchester. This consortium

project, led by the Westchester Arts Council, the Clay Art Center, and a steering committee of

eight cultural institutions, will encompass museums, multi-art centers, library- and college-based

galleries and alternative sites hosting parallel exhibitions of regional, national, and international

works of art that explore the breadth and depth of ceramic expression- from folk arts to fine

arts, historical to contemporary.

To view an All Fired Up! Fact Sheet in PDF format, click here: AFU Fact Sheet.pdf

To view a map of the All Fired Up! Exhibitions, click here: All Fired Up! Exhibition Map.pdf