Many people know about the National Exhibit, Feats of Clay that began in 1986 as a local ceramic art collaboration between Lincoln Arts and Gladding McBean in 1987. This exhibit was held at the factory in a kiln spanning 30ft in diameter. That kiln is still frozen in time to this day with display pedestals is it was in 2011 when it closed.
Since then, the Art League took over the exhibit, but on a smaller local scale as Small Feats of Clay. In 2024, the Art league decided it was time to bring Feats of Clay back to it glory. The month prior to its revival show, the Art League held a “Prequel Show” to educate the community about the history or Lincoln, Gladding McBean, Feats of Clay, and the Art League of Lincoln. When Feats of Clay show opened in 2024, there were well over 200 artists and spectators lining up for the opening reception. It was a momentous event.
Artists from 35 states participated in the show this year. In 2026 alone, we added 11 new states. We received correspondence from all over the country from artists expressing their honor to be a part of the show asking that we keep it alive for future artists to enjoy. Our goal is to do just that.
This year, we celebrated our 3rd year of reviving Feats of Clay and it was another huge success around the country. We received nearly 400 art pieces and nearly 150 artists. We gave out nearly $6,500 in awards, and opened to another large reception. Our Juror, Peter Pinnell, from Lincoln, Nebraska, said this was one of the finest shows he juried. Ray Gonzales, a native of Lincoln and professor of ceramic art at Sierra College and a renowned artists, curated the show.
The City of Lincoln is a big supporter of this event, as well as our arts education and public art programs. We hold a fundraising campaign each winter to fund the awards, reception, and other costs associated with this show. The Art League continues to provide programs like the Feats of Clay each year because of community support. We also received sponsorships from several clay industry leaders including, Gladding McBean, Mission Clay/Laguna Clay, Alpha Fired Arts, IMCO, Mudd Tools, and many large firms that believe in the benefit Exhibits like Feats of Clay places on the art economy.
Another valuable source of funding comes from private donors and endowments through local foundations. We have many loyal supporters who know that Feats of Clay once put Lincoln on the map for clay art exhibits. Each year, universities, art institutes, and private artists prepare their best work for this show. One of the benefits we offer to these artists are Merit Awards, which are funds that help cover the artist’s cost of shipping ceramic artwork across the country. Our individual donors play a large role in sponsoring Merit Awards.
We would love your support for this show either financially or by volunteering. Check out our Get Involved page to learn more about being a team member.
