On view September 19 – November 1, 2026
Main Gallery
Virtual 3D Tour on view September 24
Free public opening reception Friday, October 2 , 6 – 8 pm
Remarks at 6:30 pm
Clay remembers every touch. It holds the imprint of fingers, the weight of emotion, and the passage of time. To Be Human is a provocative exploration of the human condition through the poignant work of four artists whose work centers the human figure as both subject and symbol. Each of these makers celebrates clay’s ability to hold complexity, contradiction, tenderness and truth while they bring their own lived experience to the work. To Be Human is not just about what a body looks like, but what it carries. The exhibition aims to be a meditation on empathy and our ability to see ourselves in others– to be curious about the stories we do not yet know.
Participating artists include: Cristina Córdova, Michelle Gregor, Ashlyn Pope, and Kensuke Yamada.
About the Artists
Cristina Córdova is a contemporary artist and sculpting instructor from Puerto Rico. She earned her BA from the University of Puerto Rico and her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico; and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, among others. Her work has been widely featured in major ceramics and arts publications, including the cover of Ceramics Monthly, and was highlighted in the PBS series Craft in America in the episode “Identity.” Córdova is the recipient of a United States Artists Fellowship and the 2024 Maxwell-Hanrahan Craft Award. In 2026, she was inducted into the American Craft Council College of Fellows. Cristina has taught and demonstrated internationally. Her residencies, workshops, and lectures have included Harvard University; the Australian National University in Canberra; Ceramistas de Reñaca in Chile; Gaya Ceramic Arts Center in Bali; and Penland School of Craft (NC), among others. “The sea has long existed as a space of passage, encounter, and myth, a vast and unstable territory where destinies unfold. In this body of work, I return to that ancestral ground that shaped my island youth, proposing the ocean as both origin and archive.”
Michelle Gregor received her BA in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Cruz (Chancellor’s Grant) in 1983 and her MFA from San Francisco State University in 1994 (Outstanding M.F.A. Candidate, Art Department). Rooted in a tradition of Abstract Figuration, Gregor is a multifaceted artist who works in clay, bronze, paint and drawing media, handling each medium with a process-oriented and intuitive approach that results in painterly forms and images. A tenured Professor of Art at San Jose City College, Gregor brings to her teaching the same sensibility that defines her studio practice. The human figure has become a central focus in Gregor’s practice, serving as a consistent point of exploration across media. Her work often involves multiple firings in ceramic pieces and layered applications of color using water-based techniques that allow for natural movement and variation. This additive and subtractive method creates surfaces with a patina-like quality, emphasizing depth and the passage of time.
Ashlyn Pope is an Assistant Professor in 3-d foundations at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She is also a ceramic and textile artist of Gullah descent. Pope earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kennesaw State University in 2013. There, she received her degree in Ceramics and Printmaking. She went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Ceramics at The Pennsylvania State University in 2019. Recently, Pope completed a solo exhibition at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum named A History of Moving Forward II in which she had 6 gallery spaces. Pope in the last few years, has had her work published in the book Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists and had an article written about her work in Ceramics Monthly Magazine. She was honored with having her work grace the cover of that particular issue. “Some of my forms hemorrhage colonialism through designs inspired by historical ceramic wares like delftware while some other forms have golden crowns to reclaim self-love.”
Kensuke Yamada draws on his Japanese heritage to explore identity, folklore, and the emotions found in moments in everyday life. “Through this mix of the familiar and the fantastical, I aim to create a space for connection, where distant worlds and shared stories come together.” He has participated in numerous artist residencies and visiting artist programs, including The Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and it is included in various museum and institutional collections. He is currently an assistant professor at California State University, Chico CA.
About the Curator:
Kelly Connole combines the tactile nature of clay with visual interpretations of memories and emotions that address relationships within environments: natural and constructed, human and animal. Her work has been exhibited at the NCECA Biennial at the Kentucky Art Museum and NCECA Invitational at the Bellevue Arts Museum, as well as the Flaten Art Museum, Contemporary Crafts Museum, and numerous galleries and museums across the country. She has received a McKnight Residency Grant and Artist Fellowship, a Jerome Project Grant, a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, and the SeaCast Residency Fellowship. She is currently a Professor of Art and Art History and Associate Department Chair at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Connole received her MFA from San Francisco State University in1996 and her BFA from University of Montana in 1991.
Related Events
Artist Talk: Michelle Gregor
Saturday, September 26, 11 am CT, FREE
Main Exhibition Gallery, Northern Clay Center
Michelle Gregor will discuss her work in the exhibition To Be Human, delving into how she uses the figurative motif along with decades of experience working with clay.
Artist Talk and Demonstration: Kensuke Yamada
Saturday, October 3, starting at 11:00am CT, FREE
Main Exhibition Gallery (Artist Talk)
Teaching Studio C (Demonstration)
Join us for a special presentation and live demonstration with artist and educator Kensuke Yamada. Drawing on his Japanese heritage, Yamada will share how he combines contemporary imagery with elements of Japanese folklore. Through this mix of the familiar and the fantastical, attendees will see how he explores the emotional depth of everyday life to create a space for connection.
Curator Talk & Virtual Panel: To Be Human [International Sculpture Center Conference- Optional Trip]
Wednesday, October 21, from 6:30-8:30pm CT, FREE
Main Exhibition Gallery, Northern Clay Center
Join us for an immersive Discovery Series presentation with curator, Kelly Connole, centered on her approach to developing the exhibition To Be Human. This in-person discussion includes a virtual conversation with participating artists who will discuss their diverse approaches to the figurative motif and share insights into their creative processes. Open to all, this event is offered in partnership with the International Sculpture Center’s 2026 Conference hosted in the Twin Cities.
Virtual Tour
Virtual 3D Tour on view September 24, 2026.