News Image: Antonio Prieto, Abstract Construction Tiles, ca. 1965. Photo by Nancy M. Servis
State of Clay: History of Bay Area Ceramics Book Project Nancy M. Servis developed an expertise in the history of Northern California ceramics through more than twenty years of curation, college instruction, and research. Now, she is organizing two decades of information and insight into one concise source featuring forty artists/makers whose works define the pluralstic developments of Northern California artistry using clay. This endeavor is sponsored by the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) in Pomona, California and supported by generous private donors.
Women Who Changed California Clay - Ceramics Symposium at the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California January 12, 2019 Nancy M. Servis Lecturer and Panel Discussion Five distinguished presenters discuss the distinct role women played in the development of 20th ceramics primarily in Northern California. Martha Drexler Lynn, Cynthia De Bos, Leslie Ferrin, Nancy Selvin and Nancy Servis bring unique perspectives to this timely discussion. This symposium is occasioned by the concurrent exhibition, Coille Hooven - Dancing for the Moon on view at the Monterey Art Museum.
Concurrent/Conventions in Ceramics - Library Gallery, California State University, Sacramento, California A Lecture by Nancy M. Servis and Panel Moderator Thursday, April 12, 2018 A distinguished group of panelists gather to discuss ceramic pluralism in association with the exhibition Concurrent/Conventions curated by Scott Parady. Guided by insights and questions from Nancy M. Servis following her lecture, Robert Brady, Forrest Leach-Middleton, Sandy Simon, and Jason Walker address both the rich history each has encountered as well as what they are doing in their current practice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Qau9EBVUg Blanden Museum of Art, Fort Dodge, Iowa A Lecture by Nancy M. Servis Tuesday, October 17, 2017 5:00 - 6:00 pm Iowa-born artist, Daniel Rhodes (1911-1989), lived a prolific life as painter, potter, and sculptor that stretched across the United States. With success as a young muralist at the Iowa State Fair, Rhodes studied painting at the University of Chicago and then ceramics at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University where he later taught for 26 years. In Northern California Rhodes lived briefly as a young man and then returned decades later as a ceramics scholar and accomplished sculptor to pursue large-scale work until his death. In the annuls of American ceramics, Rhodes looms large. He was very productive as a writer, teacher, and artist during one of the most fervent times in the artistic development of clay in the United States. He, along with other noted artists like Marguerite Wildenhain, Antonio Prieto and M.C. Richards, was at the forefront of messaging the attributes of ceramic excellence. Through his noted books like Clay and Glazes for the Potter, 1957 and Pottery Form, 1976, as well as numerous articles, workshops and symposia, Daniel Rhodes was a leader in broadening the artistic scope of the field, embracing the vessel idiom while pursuing imposing ceramic form. www.blanden.org/adultclasses www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kwQgG2REGE&feature=em-share_video_user
Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard, Allston, Massachusetts Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts, Sponsored by Ferrin Contemporary Visiting Scholar Lecture by Nancy M. Servis Tuesday, November 7, 2017 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, 7:00 p.m. Since 1969 the Ceramics Program at Harvard University has featured artists and speakers who have made noteworthy contributions to the ceramic arts. Known internationally for its leadership in the field, the Ceramics Program today provides a creative learning environment for a dynamic mix of students and professionals from the University, greater Boston, and international community. Nancy is joining these ranks with her one-hour image-illustrated lecture in November. This presentation will illustrate how artistic pluralism developed in California through migrations of people from the East Coast, Mid-West and around the world. Blending California’s multiculturalism with its abundance of natural clay fostered a broad interpretive use of the material. https://ofa.fas.harvard.edu/event/visiting-scholar-lecture-nancy-m-servis?admin_panel=1
Greenwich House Pottery, New York City Lecture, Friday, March 3, 2017 3:00 p.m. Heading back to New York City is always a treat! Nancy will be speaking at the historic Greenwich House Pottery in Lower Manhattan. Her lecture will feature some new research findings, and she will present some insights into the work of recognized artists. http://www.greenwichhouse.org/gh_pottery/index