125 years of ceramic art opens at the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum May 8, 2025

Charles Fergus Binns, Bowl, c.1920, glazed ceramic, 9 ¾ x 12 ¼ inches, collection Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, 1920.1. Photo by Brian Oglesbee

The Alfred Ceramic Art Museum will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University with a comprehensive exhibition titled History: A Legacy in Motion, Alfred Ceramic Art 1900 -2025. The exhibition which will be on view May 8 - December 14, 2025, will open for a first viewing reception on May 8 from 5 -7 pm. The public is invited to join in celebration of this historic occasion.

The New York State College of Ceramic Art at Alfred University was originally formed in 1900 as the New York State School of Clay-Working and Ceramics. Since its founding the college that grew out of the art of pottery has become a world leader in the field of ceramic art and science. This legacy of excellence is still in motion. The museum's exhibition features the principal artist-teachers at the New York State College of Ceramics who, regardless of their specific time in history, are unquestionably inspiring the present.

Among the treasured pieces of ceramic art featured will be the museum's archival collection of pottery created by of Charles Fergus Binns. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Binns was invited by president Boothe C. Davis to become the first director of a new initiative at Alfred University, and the NYSCC was formally established. It is no exaggeration to say that Binns, along with his initial core of instructors, launched American studio ceramics, and at the same time transformed Alfred into a hub of creative ceramic art and scientific research that has persisted with resounding impact globally to this day. In 1935, approximately one year after his death, the Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted a memorial, retrospective exhibition of Binns pottery.

The next generations of instructors solidified the Alfred reputation through their unique contributions, such that no book on the history of American ceramic art can be written without mention of the Alfred legacy. The names of many of the exhibition's featured artists will be recognized including Marion Fosdick (Fosdick -Nelson Gallery), Charles Harder (Harder Hal), Robert Turner (Turner Gallery) Val Cushing (the Cushing scholarship) and Theodore Randall (the Randall International Chair).

The museum's exhibition highlights, in addition to the art of those just mentioned, masterpieces of ceramic art work by current and recently retired faculty of the Ceramic Art Division of NYSCC at Alfred University.

The Alfred Museum of Ceramic Art at Alfred University is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5pm. For more information email [email protected] or phone 607-871-2421.

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