Clay In Mind is a juried exhibition of ceramic artwork created by high
school students in New Jersey and dedicated to the memory of Mr. James
Colavita, ceramic sculptor and former teacher at Mercer County Community
College. The exhibit was designed to
give a venue to high school students’ ceramic artwork and to promote
professional development in the medium for teachers and students.
Annually,
each school may enter artworks either functional or non-functional whose
primary medium is clay. The works must
be original in concept and executed solely by the student. The blind jurying is held at Northern Burlington County Regional High School on a Saturday in late April or early May. Teachers and their students participate in a
variety of clay related activities while awaiting the judge’s decision. Early that same afternoon, after the winning
artworks have been tagged with ribbons, the exhibit is opened for public
perusal and soon after awards and prizes are presented. Twenty artwork are then
brought to The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, where it is on exhibit. The exhibit opens on First Friday and ends
the following Saturday typically in May.
Clay In
Mind was started by, ceramics art teacher, Mrs. Pat Proniewski of Northern
Burlington Regional High School. In 2008, Pat passed the role of director on to Mrs. Jaime Cream, ceramic art
teacher of Burlington Township High School.
In 2013, Jaime passed the role of director to Ms. Julia Kirchner, teacher of Ceramics at Northern
Burlington Regional High School. Jaime is on the Clay In Mind Executive Board, along with Diane
Emerson, and Tara Janick. Clay In Mind has come full circle from teacher (Mrs. Proniewski) to student (Ms. Kirchner) continuing the exhibit at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA.