Member Exhibition
2025 Member Exhibition
October 27 – December 19, 2025
Reception: December 19, 2025
Tennessee Craft 2025 Member Exhibition highlights and promotes the excellence and high standards of Tennessee Craft member artists and provides public visibility and recognition for the quality and diversity of craft found in Tennessee.
70 pieces of artwork have been selected for this craft exhibition, hosted by the Pryor Art Gallery at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, TN. Dates for the public exhibition are October 27 – December 19, 2025. A closing reception will be held on December 19, 2025.
Artists
Erin Anfinson, Julie Barrett, John Beach, Alston Beckman, Roberta Bell, Carolyn Boutwell, Gerry Burklow, Benjamin Caldwell, Susie Campion, Rick Cannon, Martha Christian, Maggie Connolly, Hayden Cooper, Linda Crossan, Audry Deal-McEver, Nick DePalma, Richard Dwyer, Kate Ferrell, Stephen Forrester, Katherine Frensley, Martica Griffin, David Guido, Mindy Herrin, Barbara Hodges, Emily Holt, Buffy Holton, Sherri Warner Hunter, Kathryn Jenkins, Margaret Krakowiak, Twyla Lambert Clark, Claudia Lee, Simon Levy, JoEl Levy Logiudice, John Lucas, Damon MacNaught, Asia Mathis, Alison Moore, Carrie Anne Parks, Jennifer Sargent, Christa Schoenbrodt, Jim Sherraden, Nora Summar, Rebecca Tolley, Lois Trader, Carol Ventura, Vickie Vipperman, Steve Westfield, Steve Westfield, Carlton Wilkinson, Will Winton, Danyelle Woods, Ellen L Zink
Juror
Ellen Kleckner (she/her) is an artist and educator who maintains a research-driven studio practice integrating community engagement, material investigation, and collaborative making. Her work explores the convergence of ceramics with wood, steel, and fiber through joinery systems that emphasize tension, mutual reliance, balance, and the desire for connection.
Deeply engaged with the field of craft, Kleckner’s work bridges traditions of making with contemporary approaches to collaboration and material inquiry. She contributes to sustaining and advancing craft through teaching, community-building, and arts leadership.
Kleckner studied ceramics at the Appalachian Center for Craft (BFA) and Ohio University (MFA). She is currently a Visiting Professor of Art at Indiana University, Bloomington. From 2016–2025, she served as Executive Director of the Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio, leading significant program growth and major facility initiatives.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at KVALITRA Gallery, Arrowmont School of Craft, the Baltimore Jewelry Center, Northern Clay Center, Mezinarodni Muzeum Keramiky, and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Her recent support includes awards and fellowships from the McKnight Foundation, the Iowa Arts Council, and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, as well as a visiting artist residency at the Archie Bray Foundation.
www.ellenkleckner.com
@ellensborough
Juror’s Statement Tennessee Craft 2025 Member Exhibition – Pryor Art Gallery – Columbia State Community College
The artwork in this year’s Members’ Exhibition reflects an exceptional level of craft—thoughtful, skillful, and deeply considered. Each piece demonstrates a strong commitment to material, technique, and idea, resulting in a show that feels both elevated and grounded in tradition.
The works selected for awards stood out for how beautifully they wove together materiality and meaning. They told stories that drew me in, and each time I returned, I discovered something new. These pieces push ideas and techniques forward while honoring discipline, integrity, and living hand of craft.
It has been a privilege to witness such creativity and care. My hope is that this exhibition sparks conversation, encourages makers to keep exploring, and affirms the value of craft as a vital field of inquiry and expression. I congratulate all artists for contributing so thoughtfully—this exhibition celebrates not only the mastery of making but also the ongoing curiosity that drives craft forward.
— Ellen Kleckner
Juror
November 3, 2025
