Currently on display in the Sisson Gallery inside the Fine Arts Building at Henry Ford College is the exhibition “Resonance.” This is a special collaboration between Eastern Michigan University and HFC to showcase the work of 30 artists who studied ceramics at EMU under Susanne Stephenson and John Loree between 1962 and 1988 and who have gone on to teach art or pursue a career in art since completing their education at EMU.

The idea for this exhibition began after HFC hosted the Michigan Ceramic Art Association’s biennial conference, Michigan Mud 2015 last October. At the conference, it was decided for the first time that the MCAA would give out a lifetime achievement award. The first recipients of this award were none other than Stephenson and Loree, which further led to the idea of hosting a show at EMU’s Ford Gallery (one of three galleries on their campus) for all of the alumni who studied under these professors. Co-curators Steve Glazer and Greg Tom began putting the idea into action in the winter 2016 semester, and ended up with a list of 30 artists who were willing to participate. When it became clear the Ford Gallery would not be big enough to house that many artists, HFC was asked to co-host the exhibition.

During a period from the 1960s to the 1980s, EMU was the place to go if you wanted to study ceramics. This exhibition proves that, with many of Stephenson and Loree’s pupils being prominent local educators and accomplished artists. There was definitely a lot of magic happening in the ceramics studio inside Sill Hall at EMU—and a lot of clay dust as well.

Resonance is open to the public in the Sisson Gallery from August 23 to September 30. The closing reception takes place on Friday, September 30 from 6-8 p.m.