Exhibitions

WEDGED: FORMED EARTH

Tipton-Ashe Gallery @ the Courthouse / 401 Ashe St., Johnson City, TN March 4 - April 2nd (Reception: March 6 6:00pm - 8:00pm)

Sally Brogden, Blair Clemo, Andréa Keys Connell, Will Dickert, Lalana Fedorschak, Brian Harper, Jeanine Marchand, Lindsay Oesritter, Lindsay Rogers, Lydia Thompson

ETSU Department of Art & Design and Tipton-Ashe Gallery proudly present Wedged: Formed Earth curated by Matthew Wheeler begins March 4 to April 2, 2026. The exhibition explores the transformative vastness of clay, through which new objects emerge. The opening reception and artists speak is scheduled on March 6, First Friday, from 6-8 p.m., at the Tipton-Ashe Gallery with guest of honor Kimberly McCorkle, ETSU Provost. Refreshment by Shamrock of Downtown Johnson City.

The Wedged: Formed Earth exhibition centers on wedging, a foundational yet often unseen process in ceramics that transforms raw clay from earth into a material ready for form and meaning. This preparatory act bridges clay’s natural origins with its creative potential, serving as the starting point for artistic exploration. The exhibition examines how ceramic artists engage with this shared material through a wide range of processes, revealing the adaptability and expressive capacity of clay.

The works presented highlight the vast possibilities of ceramics, from utilitarian objects to expressive and experimental forms. Using techniques such as wheel throwing, hand-building, molding, and varied firing methods, the artists demonstrate how individual approaches shape both form and concept. Together, these works situate contemporary ceramic practice within a long continuum—honoring tradition while expanding the future of clay as a boundless creative medium.
We invite all to view Wedged: Formed Earth, as it resonates inspiration, awe, beauty and intrigue from and to those who have eye, heart or curiosity for the material of clay and its multiplicity of forms and possibilities.

The Tipton-Ashe Gallery is located at 401 Ashe St. former Courthouse in Downtown Johnson City, Tennessee 37614. Gallery hours are Wednesdays & Saturday from 11am to 3pm; Thursdays & Fridays from 5 to 7pm with extended hours during receptions and by appointments. For more information, schedule a visit or for handicapped accommodations, please email Karlota Contreras-Koterbay via contrera@etsu.edu. All events are free and open to the public.