Exploring the Art of Ceramics on a National Stage

Exploring the Art of Ceramics on a National Stage

• Faculty
• 10/13/2026

Rock Valley College Art Instructor Caitlin Brainard has been invited to present her research at one of the largest gatherings of ceramic artists and educators in North America.

Brainard will give a lecture at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Baltimore, Maryland, in March 2027. Her presentation will examine the relationship between ceramic processes and performance art, exploring how the two disciplines intersect through material intensity, fragility and durability, educational practices and the socially engaged nature of craft communities.

Her research also is part of an international project exploring the connections between art, philosophy and experiences that are difficult to express through language.

"My educational background is deeply rooted in performance studies," said Instructor Brainard. "At the same time, I am grounded by craft practices and have the privilege of teaching ceramics here at RVC. In the ceramics field at large, there is a robust conversation developing around ephemeral practice and cultural heritage with ceramic objects. Performance art and ceramics have begun taking center stage at venues such as NCECA. I'm thrilled to participate in this emergent conversation."

The project, "Apophatic Art: Connecting with the Ineffable in Times of Flattening," is being conducted through the William Franke Center for Apophatic Thought and Culture at Le Château de la Frogerie in Maulévrier, France. The project will culminate in an exhibition in France in September 2027.

Brainard's contribution to the project can be viewed at Apophatic Art, where her work is listed under her married name, Caitlin Mary Margarett Sørensdatter.

Connecting Ceramics and Performance

Brainard's work brings together her backgrounds in performance art, art history and contemporary art practices. She earned an MFA in 4D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024, along with a BFA in performance art and a BA in art history from the University of Northern Iowa in 2018.

Her artistic work has been exhibited throughout the Midwest and internationally. Her exhibitions include presentations at Fringe Arts Bath Festival in Bath, England; Miami Art Week as part of the PERFORMANCE IS ALIVE/Satellite Show, which ran concurrently with Art Basel Miami; and the Queeramics Symposium at Louisiana State University.

Her research and creative work also have been featured in publications including Global Performance Studies, Ceramics Monthly, Emergency Index and Aesthetica Magazine.

In addition to her NCECA presentation, Brainard has several upcoming exhibitions and projects. She is preparing for a group exhibition titled How We Got It Together at UW-Madison in October 2026 as part of the Association for the Study of the Arts' 17th conference. She also has exhibitions planned in Iowa and Madison in 2027 as part of the Apophatic Art project, along with additional projects in Denmark and England in 2028.

Brainard's upcoming NCECA presentation represents another opportunity to share her research with a national audience while bringing her interdisciplinary approach to art and education to a broader community of artists, educators and scholars.

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