ClayHouston Opens Applications for Annual BIPOC Ceramic Artist Awards in Texas

ClayHouston, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ceramic arts advocacy, has issued an open call for its annual Award for Texas BIPOC Ceramic Artists. The program, established in 2021, provides $1,200 grants to two Texas-based ceramic artists each year: one classified as emerging and another as mid-career or beyond, who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Both functional and sculptural ceramic works are eligible for recognition. According to the organization, the award aims to foster increased diversity and accessibility within the ceramics field. In addition to the monetary prize, recipients gain a one-year membership to ClayHouston, which includes opportunities to participate in the Annual Member Exhibition and Annual Pop-Up Sale and Studio Tour. Past awardees include Tammie Rubin and Alejandra Almuelle from Austin, Eliza Au from Denton, and Du Chau from Carrollton. Emerging category winners have included Jihye Han, Ricardo and Marcelo Ramirez Garcia-Rojas, Dina Perlasca, and Kim Le. Previous jurors have featured artists such as Natalia Arbelaez, Adam Chau, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Roberto Lugo, Eliza Au, and Tammie Rubin. For the 2025 award cycle, the juror is Devin Mays, an interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor at Rice University's Department of Art, whose work has been shown at institutions including The Power Station in Dallas, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and SculptureCenter in New York. Applications must be submitted by April 30 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.