MPM Symposium - Hybrid

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June 4, 2022 | 9am - 6pm

Symposium

The Artists

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Making Place Matter will invite three leading ceramic artists — Kukuli Velarde, Molly Hatch, and Ibrahim Said — to explore the idea of place with regard to personal history, cultural heritage, and social justice. Clay is the material embodiment of place, the earth we stand on, a common ground — culturally, socially, and artistically.

Meet the Artists

Project Team & Partners

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We have incredibly talented and devoted staff members, a community that is ready and willing to get involved, and a historic moment to celebrate, honoring our new neighbors along with the hundreds of people who have dedicated their lives to building The Clay Studio over the last 47 years.

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Free Weekly Events

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Free Events

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The Exhibition Council

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Involving our South Kensington neighbors in the planning and implementation of Making Place Matter (and of future exhibitions), is integral to forming a long-term, inclusive relationship. The Exhibition Council for Making Place Matter brings together the voices of many constituent groups.

Meet our Exhibition Council

The Community Studio

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In The Community Studio adjacent to the main gallery, visitors will have the opportunity to respond to the exhibition through art making activities designed to connect their own ideas of place, and to interact with the three artists featured in Making Place Matter. Join us to make your own artwork in clay inspired by the exhibition.

Learn More

Fast FAQs

Calendar of Events

April 23, 2022 - Exhibition Opening - Join us 2-4pm

Ibrahim Said Artist Residency - May 16 - June 6th - Meet the artist and work together with him on a Community Art installation.

Molly Hatch Artist Residency - June 4th - late June - Meet the artist in the Community Studio and contribute to her project planned for permanent installation in our stair hall.

June 4, Public Symposium - 9am - 6pm - Free and open to the public

     Panel Discussion by Council Members

     Hands on Activities & Lunch provided

     Panel Discussion by Artists: Hatch, Velarde, Said. Keynote.

*All presentations will be recorded and archived on our website, creating a free mini-course on  exhibition programming design.

October 2, 2022 - Exhibition Closes

Building Construction Progress

In January 2020 we had our groundbreaking and officially began the construction of our new home.

It has been really exciting to see how, inch by inch, the buidling is taking shape as we get closer to the opening day of "Making Place Matter," the prime exhibtion in our new building in South Kensigton.

Take a peek at the progress, here.

South Kensington FAQs

Public Transportation

SEPTA provides various options of public transportation for the neighborhood, and Center City is about 2 miles or 10 minutes away. The neighborhood is served by:

  • Buses 57, 5 Elevated Train (the EL) at Girard Station Trolley 15 through Girard Ave
  • Also, buses 3 and 47 pass nearby the neighborhood, and the EL Berks Station and SEPTA rail at Temple University Station are within reasonable walking distance

Indego Philly has a bike share station at 3rd & Girard and multiple peripheral stations: 2nd & Germantown Ave, 1176 Leopard Ave. (Girard Station, MFL), 1424 Frankford Ave. (City Fitness), 1902 N. Front St. (Berks Station, MFL), and 527 W. Berks St.

PhillyCarShare (now known as Enterprise CarShare) vehicles are available at 6th & Girard Ave, 100 W. Oxford St. and Frankford & Thompson St.

 Zipcars are located at Front & Master, Frankford & Master, Frankford & Palmer, and 6th & Girard.

Media Materials

Read the press release here 03/24/2021.

Read the article in The Philadelphia Weely, 05/06-05/13, 2021

For media inquiries, please contact Tracy Buchholtz at EnRoute tracy@enroutemarketing.com

In the News

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Announces 2019 Grants for Philadelphia Artists, Organizations

read the press release

The Clay Studio is Awarded Major Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Grant

read the press release

read Pew's webpage about Making Place Matter

Inquirer, Clay Studio leaves Old City after nearly half a century and moves into big new digs in Kensington

https://www.inquirer.com/arts/clay-studio-old-city-new-facility-exhibition-20220416.html

Stephen Salisbury

WHYY, The Clay Studio opens new building in Kensington, for Kensington

https://whyy.org/articles/clay-studio-opens-new-building-in-kensington-philadelphia/

Peter Crimmins

Curator of Artistic Programs
We’re Listening

Making Place Matter will lead by listening, using earth’s clay as a metaphor for place, and place as a way to examine the relationship between The Clay Studio and our new neighborhood as well as each visitor’s personal connection to their own place in the world. Ideas? Thoughts?

contact us

Thank you!

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Making Place Matter has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.