Full Circle at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show!
Back in 2012, I was awarded the Jane and Leonard Korman Prize for Excellence in Ceramics at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. A BIG deal for an artist like me!
By then, I'd done the show five or six times and had pretty much resigned myself to never winning. So when I headed over to hear the awards announced at the preview party, I encouraged a few colleagues to join me. They grumbled that they wouldn't win anything. I remember saying, "Well, it won't be me either, but I can cheer for whoever gets it!"
And off I went.
When they called MY name, I was stunned. One of those unforgettable, peak moments in life!
Fast forward to 2026. Not only was I invited to serve as a juror for this year's 50th anniversary show, but the Kormans have asked me to select this year's ceramics prize winner!
Talk about full circle!
So on Thursday, I'll head to the preview gala with all the heart, experience, and discernment I've gathered over—good grief—48 years of working with clay!
I suspect several artists will stand out. But I can only choose ONE.
And there's a lesson in that, isn't there? Winning an award can be a tremendous boost. But not winning doesn't necessarily say a thing about the excellence of your work. Sometimes it's simply a matter of one person's discernment on one particular day.
I'm looking forward to the privilege of making that selection and presenting the prize. And I'm especially curious to discover what little something will tip the scales in favor of one artist over the others.
What a joy to be on this side of the announcement, all these years later!
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