ClayHouston Award for Texas BIPOC Ceramic Artists - For Immediate Release

[Mitch Cohen]

Hi - note that the web form goes live April 1. ~Mitch

--------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The call for submissions for the 5th ClayHouston Award for Texas BIPOC Artists opens on April 1, 2026. This award is dedicated to providing funding for ceramic artists who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. ClayHouston has created this award as part of our ongoing efforts to cultivate greater diversity and access in the field of ceramics, with a focus on Texas artists. ClayHouston will give two awards of $1,200 to an individual in each of the following categories:

Emerging: Self-identifying as student and/or early career. Must be 18 years or older.  Formal training or an academic background are not required.  

Mid-Career and Beyond: Non-Emerging. Self-identifying as mid-career or established.  Must be 18 years or older. Formal training or an academic background are not required.

This award will be juried by Devin Mays

Devin T. Mays (b. Detroit, MI) is an artist interested in the here and there of things. He uses sculpture, installation, performance and pictures for pleasure. He often refers to his practice as a place for things to become Things.

Mays has exhibited and performed at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna; The Power Station, Dallas; The Renaissance Society, Chicago; gta exhibitions, Zürich; Sweetwater, Berlin; F Gallery, Houston; SculptureCenter, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Regards, Chicago among others. Mays is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at Rice University.

Important Dates:
• Call opens: April 1st, 2026
• Submission deadline: April 30th, 2026
• Announcement of Awards: May 2026

Eligibility:
Applicants must be currently living in Texas and 18 years or older. Open to functional  and sculptural ceramic artists who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of  Color. Past award winners may not reapply for a period of 3 years. Work must be completed within the last 2 years. Each work must be made mainly of clay with other media taking a minor role in the piece. Each artist must submit 5 pieces (diptych and triptychs included).

Submission Requirements: Applicants must fill out the submission form and include all required photographic documentation. Read more about the submission requirements here. 

Details:
This is a blind juried award. Each awardee will receive $1,200 and a full year membership to ClayHouston which includes a monthly newsletter, an invitation to participate in the Annual Member Exhibition, a member profile page with photos on the ClayHouston website, an invitation to participate in the Annual Pop-Up Sale and Studio Tour sales event, access to Houston’s Reuse Warehouse, and discounts on ceramics workshops, talks, and events. Artists will be notified by e-mail of the results. Please direct questions to in...@clayhouston.org.

Thank you for helping ClayHouston spread the word about the 5th Award for Texas BIPOC Ceramic Artists. 

Best Regards,

Mara

------------------------------------------

Mara Cavalcanti

President, ClayHouston