For Reggie Pointer, it’s all about the connections.  This Coordinator of Ceramics and Sculpture at Howard University bases his art and teaching on the vital importance of communication and collaboration, stretching the boundaries of ceramic art.  From childhood evenings at the family card table, to the challenge of a high school mentor, to guiding a student at the wheel, Pointer knows the importance of “eye-to-eye/face-to-face” communication.  By making moments of connection through clay, Pointer hopes to “create something grand” that surpasses the material.

The loss of a sense of community is a common plaint in this digital 21^st century, but a married couple in southwest Ohio has found a recipe that mixes the arts, historic preservation, and a firm commitment to create a vital hub of belonging in a small community outside of Dayton.  Sally and Steve Watson are the owners of The Hotel Gallery, a retail mecca for the arts that has transformed the downtown area of Tipp City and spurred an interest in creativity among the local community.  The Watsons’ contagious enthusiasm and openness continue to inspire a spirit of love that Sally says springs from a solid Christian faith.

Upcoming at Spinning Plate Gallery in East Liberty is an exhibition that speaks to the persistence of creativity that emerges in the most ordinary circumstances and places.  A group of friends, self-dubbed as “eight wild-ish women,” began a tradition of gathering in the Laurel Highlands for a week of friendship, relaxation, and art making about ten years ago. 

Florida-based Sculpture House is a business with a long history in the greater New York area that traces a century old history through the tutelage of two families.  By the end of this summer, Standard Ceramic’s Turnbull family will become the third line of craft-oriented businessmen to extend part of that tradition.  Standard will acquire the Ceramics Division of Sculpture House as Bruner Barrie, the company’s CEO, moves closer to a full retirement.