Although often relegated to the margins of art history, ceramics have long stood as an aesthetic and cultural expression of depth and resonance. From Grayson Perry’s narrative sculptures and Beate Kuhn’s experimental forms to Julian Schnabel’s textured paintings on shattered ceramic fragments, the medium has outgrown its utilitarian roots to claim its place as a powerful expressive language. In Latin America, artists such as Amelia Peláez, Gustavo Vélez, and Geles Cabrera have shown how ceramics can serve as a vehicle for identity, modernity, and cultural resistance.
That transformative potential has found fertile ground in Miami's visual arts, where the Ceramic League of Miami has spent 75 years cultivating ceramics as a living, accessible, and deeply community-rooted art form.
Founded in 1950 by a group of women who gathered in homes and garages to work with clay, the League has evolved into a singular institution in South Florida. Its current 5,000-square-foot facility in the Falls Warehouse district for the past 50 years —complete with workshops and a spacious backyard—is equipped with gas, electric, soda, and RAKU kilns, along with dedicated areas for traditional techniques like pit firing.
“What sets us apart is the wide range of technical possibilities we offer,” says James Herring, the League’s president. “We even have a glaze lab where members can mix their own formulas—something you usually only find in university settings. It turns the space into a true creative laboratory.”
But beyond the tools and infrastructure, Herring emphasizes that the League’s true engine has always been its people. “The secret to our longevity is the community that keeps this place alive. Generations, cultures, and creative paths intersect here. That human richness becomes a network of friendship, collaboration, and learning—passed from one maker to another like a living tradition.”
The intergenerational exchange is especially meaningful for Hanna Banciella, a 26-year-old artist and one of the League’s youngest members. “After college, it was hard to find a space with the resources and access I had in school,” she says. “The League gave me exactly that—and more. It wasn’t intimidating; it was welcoming.”
Banciella, who studied drawing and painting at the University of Florida with a focus on ceramics, sees her practice as interdisciplinary. “Ceramics is a supplementary material in my work, but it adds another layer of depth. It connects me physically to the process,” she explains. “I don’t have my own kiln or equipment yet, so being here is a gift. It’s affordable, fully equipped, and offers a sense of community you just can’t replicate on your own.”
That diversity of voices and experiences is reflected in the League’s artistic direction. Adler Guerrier, a visual artist and current chair of the exhibitions committee, underscores how ceramics has outgrown the hierarchical lens that long placed it beneath painting or sculpture.
“In 2025, ceramics is one of the most expressive forms in contemporary art. There’s no longer a need to justify whether it’s art or craft. Just look at how many museums and galleries now include ceramics in their permanent collections,” he says. For Guerrier, much like photography or printmaking once did, ceramics had to fight for its place, "but today, its value is undeniable.”
The League’s 75th anniversary is being celebrated with an exhibition at the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry in Little Haiti, featuring 32 local artists and showcasing the vitality of ceramic practice in South Florida. Participating artists include Banciella, Barbara Bernstein, Debra Burch, Celine De Paz, Lexi Dreybus, Nan Ernst, Noah Farid, Zanze Fowler, Stacey Frisch, James Herring, Carin Ingalsbe, Lili Kamely, Sepideh Kalani, Giselle Kovac, Chris Labbe, Edith Landowne, Julia Levay, Marcia Manconi, Pamela Manresa, Gus Pages, Polo Ramirez, Marianne Russell, Linda Sands, Tammy Shapiro, Ryan Shedd, Diane Slezak, Donna Sperow, Maite Oca, Katherine Palacios, Fredric Witkin, Catherine Yang, and Sabine Zerarka.
The exhibition was curated by Richard Notkin, who lives and works in the state of Washington. Notkin, a leading figure in American contemporary ceramics known for his intricately crafted works that explore political, social, and environmental themes, had come to Miami in February to lead a workshop and was invited to curate the exhibition.
Guerrier, who joined the League five years ago, has also integrated ceramics into his own practice. “I’ve taken classes and made pieces that became part of my photography and drawings,” he says. “When you’re that close to a process from start to finish, it’s hard not to participate. It’s fascinating.”
For Banciella, learning directly from more experienced members has been equally rewarding. “You’re surrounded by people who’ve been working with clay for decades—some professionally, others as a passion—and everyone is generous with their knowledge,” she says. “Techniques, materials, ideas... it’s all shared. That kind of exchange has really shaped the way I work and how I see ceramics.”
Although the League primarily functions as a working studio and educational space, it lacks a dedicated exhibition gallery. This allows them to cultivate partnerships with institutions across the region to present the work of its members. “We collaborate with universities, museums, and commercial galleries,” says Guerrier. “In the past, we’ve partnered with the Lowe Art Museum, the Museum of the Americas, and this year, the Fundación Pablo Atchugarry. These alliances allow us to show our work in professionally curated spaces that already draw a public.”
That outreach will continue in the coming months. Guerrier says that in September, a group show at Bernice Steinbaum Gallery will feature League members and maybe a few invited artists. “Bernice herself will take part in the selection process,” he says.
Such partnerships help amplify the League’s mission. “We make beautiful objects, and exhibition spaces know how to present them. Together, we make sure ceramic art reaches farther.”
Staying true to its educational roots, the League also maintains a robust artist residency program. “We want the next generation to see ceramics as an expressive language they can grow with,” adds Herring.
Banciella echoes that vision.
“My dream is to one day have my own studio and kiln. But until then, the League makes it possible to keep working and evolving. It’s a bridge between school and professional practice—a space that lets you grow.”
WHAT: “75 Years of Shaping Community Through Clay: Ceramic League of Miami 75th Anniversary Members' Exhibition”
WHERE: Fundación Pablo Atchugarry, 5520 NE 4th Ave., Miami
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Through Friday, Aug. 30
COST: Free
INFO: 305-639-8247 or www.ceramicleaguemiami.org/
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