Esther and John Clay Fine Art Gallery

Current Exhibition

Photo of a teapot and cup set made by Michael Lemke

Photo of a teacup and plate set made by Michael Lemke

Michael Lemke Art Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: June 17 - Aug. 4, 2023

Opening Reception: 6 p.m. on Friday, June 30

Artist Statement

My work attempts to convey the importance of touch and conveys the process of pottery making and the experiential properties of working in the studio. An- other passion of mine is marine life, so including textures and colors that refer to the coral reef is a natural fit for my work.

Conveying the tactile quality of working with clay while also referring to the pace of studio work is important to my practice. I attempt to describe the qualities of the clay at all stages of making so that anybody can feel a connection to the process when holding and using the pottery. One way I do this is to leave throwing rings on the insides of my pots while taking care to compress the exterior with a metal rib. I also carefully craft the foot rim while throwing, or keep the piece wet while trimming, which enables me to move the clay farther, showing the plasticity and adding some playful individuality to each piece. When the clay is leather hard, I use a variety of tools to plan out where I’ll put surface decorations. I further the personal narrative of my work by using one of my daughter’s sewing tools to draw lines on the surface.

General Gallery Information

The sign for the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery on the glass outside the gallery.

Interior photo of the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery when it is empty.

The Esther and John Clay Fine Art Gallery serves LCCC students and our community by inviting local, regional, and international artists to exhibit their art, give public lectures, and demonstrate materials / techniques in classroom workshops. Exhibiting artists work with a range of materials, techniques, and ideas and are vital contributors to the cultural climate of our campus. In addition, the gallery holds an annual student art exhibition.

View from the entrance into the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery when it's empty.

View from the entrance of the gallery.

View from the right side of the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery when it's empty.

View from the left side of the gallery.

View from the left side of the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery when it's empty.

View from the right side of the gallery.

The gallery is approximately 900 square feet and was constructed as part of the 2020 Fine Art Building renovation and building project.

Gallery Map

Exhibition Proposal Submission Directions

The content of the gallery is managed by a faculty member in the Art Department. Artists and projects are chosen based on the needs of our students and program. Exhibitions run approximately 4-6 weeks. Participating artists are expected to attend the exhibition opening, give a public lecture, and work with art students in class. Submissions should be made at least 6 months prior to the exhibition date.

Submission Requirements

Send the following to dmawFREELARAMIE with “Art Exhibition Proposal” in the subject line:

10-20 high resolution images of exemplary artworks formatted into a single PDF
Title, date, media, dimensions of all artworks
If applicable, links to video or submission of an .mov file (15 minutes or fewer)
Exhibition proposal (approximately 500 words) Word Document or PDF
Artist statement (approximately 250 words) Word Document or PDF
Artist resume (Word Document or PDF)

Notification

Selected artists will be contacted by the Art Department. Do not contact us regarding a submission. All submissions must be complete to be considered (see Submission Requirements above). Submission of artwork does not guarantee selection.