Detroit, Michigan, March 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) holds its first-ever conference in Detroit, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) will present Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay, an exhibition featuring over 30 CCS Ceramics alumni, on view March 20 – April 18, 2026, at Charach Family Galleries (formerly Center Galleries), located at 301 Frederick St. A public opening reception will take place on Friday, March 20, from 5–8 p.m., coinciding with the citywide convening.
While NCECA previously convened in Michigan in 1967 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, the 2026 gathering marks the organization’s first conference hosted in Detroit and is expected to bring thousands of ceramic artists, curators, collectors, and educators to the region for exhibitions, lectures, and citywide programming.
Bringing together alumni spanning more than five decades, Echoes highlights the national reach and evolving influence of ceramics at CCS. The exhibition reflects how CCS-trained artists continue to expand contemporary ceramics through sculptural experimentation, hybrid material practices, and interdisciplinary approaches to clay. It is part of a broader network of NCECA exhibitions and cultural programming taking place across institutions and galleries in Detroit.
“With Detroit hosting NCECA for the first time, Echoes is both a recognition of the generations of artists who have shaped contemporary ceramics and a celebration of the CCS alumni who continue to expand its language,” said Claire Thibodeau, Assistant Professor, Studio Art and Craft, Section Lead of Ceramics at the College for Creative Studies. “This exhibition reflects the depth and strength of Detroit’s creative community while highlighting the lasting impact of our graduates within the broader ceramics field.”
Featured artists include Laith Karmo (‘04), Hayden Allison Richer (‘15), Kenneth Baskin (‘02), Elysia Vandenbussche (‘11), Joy Kin (‘19), Emily Duke (‘09), Kaiser Suidan (‘93), Katie Bramlage (‘11), Kara Thomas (‘13), and Sean Evans (‘01), among others. The exhibition includes alumni graduating from the late 1970s through 2025, reflecting the program’s sustained contribution to contemporary ceramic arts practice.
Exhibition Details
Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay
March 20 – April 18, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, March 20, 5–8 p.m.
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm;
Extended hours during NCECA conference (March 25-28)
Charach Family Galleries (formerly Center Galleries)
301 Frederick St., Detroit, MI 48202
Participating Artists:
Kenneth Baskin (‘02), Chrys Bonnay Lewis (‘10), Alexis Bratto (‘19), Katie Bramlage (‘11), Hailey Callahan (‘20), Emma Doppel (‘24), Emily Duke (‘09), Anna Edry (‘25), Jaminely Emmanuelli (‘19), John Gargano (‘92), Brett Gray (‘10), Steven Johnson (‘17), Laith Karmo (‘04), Karen Katanick (‘78), Joy Kin (‘19), Thea Lavender (‘24), Emily LoPresto (‘15), Melissa Mytty (‘04), Jane Plieth (‘14), Hayden Allison Richer (‘15), Drew Siering (‘24), Janelle Songer (‘08), Kaiser Suidan (‘93), Travis Grant Taylor (‘14), Kara Thomas (‘13), Karleigh Thompson (‘14, Fine Arts), Leilani Trinka (‘92), Elysia Vandenbussche (‘11), Bobby Veresan (‘20), Kailani Wolfe (‘25), Pierpaolo Zaldana (‘23, Illustration), Tyler Zibkowski (‘19), and Sean Evans (‘01).
About the NCECA
NCECA supports and advances the field of ceramics by fostering education, research, and creative exchange within the global clay community. The organization’s annual conference is the largest international convening dedicated to contemporary ceramic art and education, advancing the field through exhibitions, scholarship, and professional development.
About the College for Creative Studies
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Department of Education to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS, named an Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications, fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, including transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.
- Kenneth Baskin, “Mechanical Movements Balance,” 2023. Stoneware, Soda Fired.
- Joy Kin and Sarantseseg Leroux, “Bai Fu / 100 Luck,” 2025. Stoneware and underglaze.