Participants at work during Family Fun Night at KC Clay Guild (photo by Louis Reilly)
The KC Clay Guild’s current capital campaign has amassed more than three-quarters of its $500,000 fundraising goal, thanks to support from the Windgate Foundation, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation and other donors.
Funds have been allocated to secure a larger building than the Guild’s longtime headquarters in Waldo, that can house expanded public gallery space, additional classrooms and services and greater ceramic arts access for the community. That’s now becoming a reality.
“We are under contract on a building and parking lot at 500 W. 39th Street,” Louis Reilly, director of development and programming at the Guild, reported in late January. “Once we close on the sale in April, we will begin renovation and will hopefully move into the new space in early 2026.”
The larger building will also make more room for the Guild’s flagship residency program.
The residency program, designed to be artist-friendly, supportive and practical for working artists, began in 2008 and was restructured to its current form 10 years ago, when national searches began.
“Artists receive a $5,000 per year stipend, private studio space, free firing and glazing, materials, and the opportunity to teach and earn income,” Reilly said.
Late last year, South Korean ceramic artist Huey Lee carefully placed a work in progress on a stand in his studio at the Kansas City Clay Guild. Trained as a traditional Korean ceramic artisan, Lee is a recipient of a two-year artist residency at the Guild, enabling him to further develop his skills and portfolio. Lee earned a BFA at Kyung Hee University in Korea and an MFA from the University of Georgia before his residency in Kansas City.
“I fabricate characters to tell a story,” Lee said. Balancing sculpture and pottery, his pieces may reference elements of his Korean culture and heritage as well as pop culture figures like Superman or a “rabbit mask to reveal desire.”
Lee, along with Sam Sequeira and Naomi Peterson, are the three current artists in the Guild’s residency program.
For residents, the program provides an opportunity to develop a new body of work and advance their career. Chinese artist Jing Huang completed a Guild residency after earning a master’s degree from Alfred University in New York State, the top-ranked U.S. ceramics program.
“One piece that she made in her Guild studio is now in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,” said Reilly.
When reviewing applicants, the Guild seeks a diverse array of artists who can “expose the community to a new perspective” through their craft and creative work.
Under Reilly’s stewardship, the residency program expanded in 2016 from hosting one artist to three, for a residency of one to two years. The annual stipend doubled to its current amount, providing a more robust financial foundation for residents. A five-year matching funds grant from the Windgate Foundation shored up key financial support for the increased stipend.
In exchange, artists in residence performed 12 hours of work per week in the studio. They may also teach courses at the Guild to boost their earnings. Demand for courses has remained strong.
“Ceramics has become popular for all ages as a hobby. We have 700 members in 2024 compared to 300 in 2019,” said Reilly.
The next Artist in Residence application deadline is April 15.
