“STEEP”:The Arts Council of Princeton has announced a call for ceramic art for a national exhibition exploring the possibilities of the teapot. Adam Welch, ceramicist and ACP executive director, will jury. (Teapot by Adam Welch)

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) is now accepting submissions for “Steep: A National Teapot Exhibition,” exploring the infinite possibilities of the idea of a teapot. The exhibition will be juried by Adam Welch, ceramic artist and ACP executive director.

The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2022, and is open to all artists 18 years or older living and working in the U.S. Work must address the idea of “teapot” and have been created primarily out of clay/ceramic in the last two years.

Current show awards include Best of Show ($250), Juror’s Choice ($100), and Honorable Mention ($50).

Juror Adam Welch is the executive director for the Arts Council of Princeton and an artist, critic, and educator. Welch’s art is about making and decoration. His writing examines the artists and activities of contemporary art. As an educator, Welch encourages students to inquire and create, examine worldviews, and to awaken their understanding of self and the world and the relationship of the two.

Welch has participated in 37 solo or group exhibitions in the United States over the past 10 years, including at the Arts Council of Princeton, MoMA PS1 and White Columns in New York City, and AIR Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y., with solo exhibitions at the Hunterdon Art Museum, Kean University, Princeton Day School, and Northwestern College, and several curated, group, and invitational exhibitions throughout the U.S. His art has been featured in four books including The Best of 500 Ceramics: Celebrating a Decade in Clay and 500 Ceramic Sculptures: Contemporary Practice, Singular Works. Additionally, in the last 10 years he has published 48 scholarly essays, reviews, and catalogue essays.

Before joining the team at the Arts Council of Princeton, Welch worked at Greenwich House Pottery since 2003. In 2007, he was appointed assistant director and in 2010 appointed director. In 2010, Welch was appointed lecturer at Princeton University, where he continues to teach. He holds an Master of Fine Ats from Virginia Commonwealth and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in art education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

“I have always looked at the teapot with both anxiety and awe,” said Welch. “When you see a good teapot, you know it. In fact, I admire the teapot as an object of contemplation more than a utilitarian object. However, now that I have a small collection of teapots, I now can appreciate the function too. I have wanted to jury a teapot show for some time – I look forward to having a chance to view the works from around this country.”

To learn more and submit, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.