For over seven decades, the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts has been a place of inspiration, experimentation, and artistic dialogue. Founded in 1951 by brickmaker and arts patron Archie Bray, the foundation has fostered generations of ceramic artists, leaving behind a permanent collection of over 1,000 works, each a testament to the ever-evolving language of clay.
In Back to the Future: A Collective Legacy of The Bray, ten current resident artists engage in a reflective conversation with this rich history. Each artist has selected a piece from The Bray’s Permanent Collection that resonates with them, whether through form, aesthetic, or conceptual content, and paired it with a creation of their own in direct response. The resulting pairings serve as bridges between past and present, honoring the legacy of past residents while forging new connections in contemporary ceramic practice.
This exhibition highlights the diverse ways in which art can speak across time and space. Past works ignite new ideas, provoke fresh interpretations, and fuel ongoing conversations in unexpected ways. Back to the Future celebrates the dynamic, ever-progressing relationship between history and the contemporary in the world of ceramic art.
Current Resident Artists:
Sarah Alsaied
Austin Coudriet
Laura Dirksen
Dante Gambardella
Lexus Giles
Rebecca Harvey
Carey Nathanson
Jason Lee Starin
Kim Tucker
Eliza Weber
Permanent Collection Artists:
Adrian Arleo
Archie Bray
Cameron Crawford
Judy Cornell
Hun Chung Lee
Joel Mesnikoff
Steffanie Samuels
Akio Takamori
Andree Valley
We are so excited to be presenting this show at The Holter. Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts here in Helena. In that time the Bray has hosted hundreds of artists in our Long and Short-term residency programs, close to 700 at last count. Each of these artists have left behind a piece for the Permanent Collection that serves as a marker of their time here. The Archie Bray occupies 26 beautiful acres in the Helena Valley, built upon the grounds of a historic brickwork.
The artists’ studios sit nestled in the middle occupying about an acre in the center. It is amazing to think about the wellspring of ceramic art that has come from this one spot on the earth, here in Helena, Montana.
While The Bray has done an admirable job of collecting and storing the pieces given by the artists, and a few valiant attempts were made to begin the work, there was never a comprehensive plan put in place to do much beyond keeping them safe. Today, for the first time in our almost 75-year history, the Permanent Collection is being photographed and cataloged, this Collection includes not only the pieces from our Artists in Residence but also historical material from the Brickworks that provided for much of the architecture in early Helena.
The cataloging is just the first step, what we are truly excited about is the activation of the Permanent Collection. It seemed perfect to have as our first foray a show that brings past and present together. Our current group of artists in residence have each picked a piece from the collection to respond to and we are showing these pieces here side by side. It continues the long rich conversation about the field of ceramics, the artistic process, and the long and rich history of Helena and connects all the residents who have come through our doors into this amazing legacy.
We hope you enjoy this exhibition; we look forward to sharing this with you.
R Harvey –
Museum Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday:
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday:
12 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed Monday
Committed to showcasing legacy, established and emerging artists, we aim to be a vibrant hub that celebrates the power of art, in all its forms and expressions, to transform lives.
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