Michael Strand, head of the visual arts department at North Dakota State University, has been named Ceramic Artist of the Year by Ceramics Monthly, the largest circulation publication in the ceramic arts field.
Strand was selected because of his efforts to take his field in new directions. He uses artwork to engage people with each other and the community, with the goal of promoting community cohesion and social change.
His Misfit Cup Liberation Project, for example, started in Fargo at the Plains Art Museum. Strand gave people new, handmade cups in exchange for unwanted cups and the histories of the objects. The unwanted cups and stories became an exhibit. The project has fanned out nationally and internationally, revealing themes ranging from celebration to healing and moving on. He plans to expand the project to Brazil and South Africa with funding from a Bush Fellowship.
Strand lectures and leads workshops around the world, helping groups and organizations design and implement their own initiatives that use art as a catalyst for social change. He thinks of these endeavors as miniature ceramic start-up ventures.
The award announcement was featured in the Ceramic Arts 2015 Yearbook, which highlights newsmaker events and people in the ceramics field.
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