The exhibit includes Bryan Hopkins' vase. (Sacramento State/Craig Koscho)

An impressive array of ceramics – from the small to one literally the size of a horse – makes its way to Sacramento State’s University Library Gallery as part of the campus’s Spring 2018 Arts Experience.

Concurrent/Conventions: A Spectrum of Contemporary Ceramics, a free exhibit, features works by 18 artists. It runs Feb. 15 through May 18, and is curated by Sac State Art Professor Scott Parady. There will be a special reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, and a lecture and panel discussion from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 12. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Tuesday through Saturday.

From the beginning of human history, ceramics have served a vast spectrum of needs, from the utilitarian to the aesthetic. The earliest recovered samples are 27,000 to 31,000 years old and include pottery and statues.

“Clay is an amazing material that has such a breadth of use and function that it has stayed relevant to our culture today,” says renowned ceramic artist H.P. Bloomer IV, whose in-depth look at ceramics and the show’s artists is included as the curatorial statement in the exhibit program.

Bloomer notes that the history preceding these artists includes works such as China’s Terra Cotta Warriors, Greek vases, and other pottery.

The pieces by the 18 artists in Concurrent/Conventions include figures that deal with communication and its barriers, utilitarian pottery that incorporates patterns reflecting ravages of conflict and cultural or religious upheaval, and large installation projects such as a life-size nine-headed horse created by letting clay dry over a wooden substructure.

“Some of these artists have created the sublime while others delve into the whimsy of life or celebrate the rich history to which they are making a contribution,” Bloomer says. “It is a great pleasure to work with the gallery to bring such a diverse group of ceramic artists together to exhibit.”

For more information on the exhibit, visit the Library Gallery’s website or call (916) 278-4189. – Craig Koscho