Yellow Springs Ceramics National

Since the founding of Chester Springs Studio in 1978, The Village of Yellow Springs has dedicated itself to supporting artists, fostering critical engagement in ceramics, and introducing new audiences to this diverse medium.

The Yellow Springs Ceramics National takes a unique approach to format: instead of isolating individual works, it presents bodies of work by each artist, thoughtfully interwoven throughout the gallery space to foster dialogue and visual interplay.

The goal is to offer a more layered and nuanced view of contemporary ceramics—one that reflects the complexity, versatility, and depth of artists working today. Through a careful juror process, the exhibition highlights makers whose practices explore material, form, and surface in distinctive ways.

Taylor Sijan’s richly detailed, tactile approach to functional pottery aligns closely with this vision. Her work embodies the kind of multifaceted storytelling—both visual and material—that invites deeper engagement, making her an exciting and essential voice in this exhibition.

With a focus on material innovation, exceptional craftsmanship, and the interplay between functional and sculptural approaches, The Yellow Springs Ceramics National celebrates the vibrant voices shaping contemporary ceramics across the country today.

2025 Juror: Taylor Sijan

Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University (2016) and an MFA with ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2021). In 2020, Taylor was named one of Ceramics Monthly’s Emerging Artists. These days, she enjoys traveling to teach techniques to students and has demonstrated at institutions including Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Peters Valley School of Craft, Wooten Clayworks, Gasworks NYC, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, Snow Farm, and Hudgens Center for Arts and Learning.

“Balancing comfortable utility and expressive aesthetics is an interesting challenge to navigate because these pots are designed to be used, but paradoxically, decoration is often a signal to someone to not touch. To get people to overcome initial cautiousness, I inspire curiosity through complexity and mystery by selectively hiding and/or highlighting the many techniques I use throughout my process.”

Questions?

Contact Jaclyn Clark at jclark@yellowsprings.org