A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
March 7 – April 19 CST
On view March 7 – April 19, 2026
Main Gallery
Virtual 3D Tour on view March 12
Opening reception Friday, March 6th, 6 pm – 8 pm
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats recontextualizes a familiar adage to explore the vital intersections of community, climate, and the collective power of presence. In this exhibition, the phrase is reimagined as an ecological and social imperative: the belief that our resilience—and our visibility—is inextricably linked to the strength of the systems we cultivate together.
Working within the tactile, earth-bound medium of clay, these artists investigate the “tangled roots” of identity and eco-anxiety. Their works facilitate a dialogue between the individual and the aggregate, treating the human form and the natural landscape as a single, interdependent entity. By interweaving symbols of ritual, scientific rigor, and biological form, the collection moves away from extractive perspectives in favor of an undercurrent of mutual care.
In an era of shifting environmental and social protections, this exhibition asserts that no voice exists in isolation. A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats serves as a testament to the strength found in a shared ecosystem, suggesting that when we anchor ourselves in reverence for the earth and each other, we create a rising tide capable of elevating the whole.
Participating artists include: Katayoun Amjadi, Misty Gamble, and Claudia Poser.
About the Artists
Katayoun Amjadi is an Iranian-born, Minneapolis-based artist, educator, and independent curator whose work delves into the complex social systems that shape our perceptions. Her practice often considers the binaries of Self and Other, navigating themes of religion, gender, politics, and nationalist ideologies. Amjadi is deeply interested in blurring these boundaries to create a balanced, hybrid style that reflects both her life and her art. Her work serves as an inquiry into the relationship between past and present, tradition and modernity, and the tension between individual and collective identity. By exploring these “tangled roots,” she seeks to spur broader discussions about our understanding of time and history. She holds an MFA in Ceramics and Sculpture from the University of Minnesota and currently teaches at Normandale Community College. A recipient of the 2015 and 2019 Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, her work has been exhibited at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Weisman Art Museum, the Beijing Film Academy, Karlsruhe Art Academy and 7Samar Gallery in Tehran among others. She maintains a studio in the Q.arma building.
Misty Gamble’s ceramic practice is inspired by the human figure and its infinite capacity for communication. This focus is rooted in her childhood, where she was immersed in her father’s world of puppetry and performing arts—an influence that continues to shape her sculptural narrative. In 1998 she received a historic invitation to be the first American to perform at the International Puppet Festival in Tehran, a testament to her lifelong commitment to global artistic exchange. Her current work, featuring life-size ceramic figurative sculptures and installations, draws attention to issues surrounding femininity while challenging conventional standards of morality and normalcy. Gamble is the co-founder of Studio Nong, an international sculpture collective that conducts residencies in China and Europe. She has been awarded prestigious fellowships at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and C.R.E.T.A. Rome. She is the recipient of a number of honors including awards from the Martin Wong Foundation, National Conference for the Education of Ceramic Arts and the Ellice T. Johnston Foundation. Currently an Assistant Professor at the Kansas City Art Institute, Gamble’s work has been widely published in Ceramics Monthly and exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Dominique Plamondon is a ceramic artist based in Québec, Canada, whose work explores the intersection of functional design and artistic ritual. Originally holding a diploma in Interior Design from Cégep Garneau, she later expanded her practice by completing a specialization in Applied Arts and ceramics at Cégep Limoilou in 2024. During her academic tenure, she contributed to the production of Marie-Ève Fréchette’s Nature Morte, which was exhibited at the renowned Galerie NeC in Paris. Plamondon is also a dedicated community builder; she founded “Étudiants Artisans,” a pop-up event in the heart of Old Québec designed to showcase the skills of art students across diverse disciplines. Her artistic voice was recently featured at Materia in the exhibition Elles façonnent de nouveaux rituels, as well as the collective exhibition Nature onirique et autres «folies» at Villa Bagatelle. Her practice is defined by a meticulous attention to form and a desire to create objects that facilitate new contemporary rituals, blending her background in structural design with the fluid, dreamlike possibilities of clay.
Related Events
Artist Demonstration: Misty Gamble
Watch as A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats guest artist, Misty Gamble, demonstrates some of the techniques used to create the compelling porcelain work featured in the exhibition.
Friday, March 6, 6 pm CT, FREE
Teaching Studio C
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats Panel Discussion
Join the artists participating in A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats as they explore the ways that their practices intersect with one another and the core themes of the exhibition. Enjoy this discussion guided by Exhibitions & Collection Manager, Lauren Tucci.
Friday, March 6, 4:30 pm CT, FREE
Main Exhibition Gallery
Artist Demonstration: Katayoun Amjadi & Claudia Poser
Join A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats guest artists, Katayoun Amjadi and Claudia Poser, demonstrate their techniques used to create the compelling porcelain work featured in the exhibition.
April 11, 2 pm CT, FREE
Teaching Studio C
Virtual Tour
Available March 12
Purchase Work
A selection of work from the exhibition will be available to purchase online.