Keith Ekstam driving the school truck at Tainan National University of the Arts, March, 2012.
About
Keith Ekstam is a Professor of Art and Design at Missouri State University in Springfield. He has been a member of the MSU faculty since 1987 and maintains a career as an active ceramic artist and dedicated art educator. He received his MFA degree in ceramics and drawing from The University of Michigan School of Art in 1987 and his BFA degree in ceramics and painting from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 1982. Examples of his ceramic artwork can be found on this website.
Abbreviated Research Resume
Professor of Art and Design/ Ceramics Missouri State University 901 South National Avenue Springfield MO 65897 USA Office: MSU Brick City Bldg. 1, Rm. 109
327 West Mill Street, W: (417) 837-2336
EDUCATION
1987 The University of Michigan School of Art and Design, Ann Arbor, MFA Ceramics/ Drawing
1982 Minnesota State University- Mankato, BFA Ceramics/ Painting
ARTWORK in SELECTED PUBLIC and PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Dunhuang Creative Center/ Gothenberg Gallery and Museum, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
Great China Ceramic Museum, Jingdezhen City, People’s Republic of China
Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri
Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan County, Taiwan
Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Center, Skælskør, Denmark
Shui-Li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park, Nantou County, Taiwan
MacNamara Foundation, Westport Island, Maine
Delmar College, Cain Art Gallery, Corpus Christi, Texas
Celebrated Art Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Standard Ceramics Company/ The Clay Place Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
SELECTED JURIED, INVITATIONAL and SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Sip- Ceramic Cup Exhibition, National Juried Exhibition, Savannah Clay Community, Savannah, Georgia
7th Central Time Ceramics Exhibition, Bradley University Art Galleries, Peoria, IL. International exhibition
2019 Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Solo Exhibition, Shigaraki, Japan
Sip- Ceramic Cup Exhibition, National Juried Exhibition, Savannah Clay Community, Savannah, Georgia
Off the Table: Clay for the Wall National Exhibition, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO
The Cup, The Mug 2019, Main Street Art Center, Clifton Springs, NY. National Juried exhibition
Teabowl National, Kansas City Clay Guild, National Juried Exhibition
MO-KY Mud: Group Invitational Exhibition, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green
2018 Post Painted Pottery Culture IV, Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou, China, International exhibition
Gu Cang Art Museum, Lanzhou, China. Permanent collection exhibition
18 Cubed International Ceramic Exhibition, Art Aqua Miami Beach, FL. Invitational exhibition
Ten Out of Ten, Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA. International invitational exhibition
Twin Cups National Ceramics Exhibition, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO.
2018 Dirty South Cup Competition, River Oaks Square Arts Center, Alexandria, LA. National exhibition
2017 Anu Pentik Gallery, International group invitational exhibition, Posio, Finland
Snite Museum of Art, International invitational exhibition, Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana
South Bend Museum of Art, International invitational exhibition, South Bend, Indiana
360 Degrees of Inclusion, The Third Room Gallery, International invitational exhibition, Portland, Oregon
Out of the Ashes, Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg, Florida. National juried exhibition
2016 Wood-fired Kiln: A Catalyst for Collaboration, International invitational exhibition, Springfield Art Museum
Generations, Invitational exhibition, Filipino Cultural Center, Overland Park, Kansas
Aesthetic Influence: The Art of Chinese Scholar Rocks Invitational, Kansas City Artist’s Coalition, MO
Wood-fire: Old Dogs, New Tricks, Invitational exhibition, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama
Recent American Ceramics from the Dr. Harold F. Daum Collection, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri
Twin Cups National Juried Ceramics Exhibition, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO
360 Degrees of Separation: Artists of the Guldagergaard Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. International invitational exhibition
The Clay Cup: Icon, Vessel, Canvas, University of Missouri- Columbia. National juried exhibition
2015 Middle Earth- Ceramics Invitational, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
The Cup Show, Hudgens Center for the Arts, Atlanta, Georgia. National juried exhibition
KC Clay Guild Teabowl National Juried Exhibition, Avila University, Kansas City, Missouri
Mudworks- Ceramic Sculpture, Two-person Invitational exhibition, Batesville (AR) Area Arts Council
Solo Exhibition, Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Invitational exhibition
2014 Relationships; Societal/Environmental, Hardesty Art Center, Tulsa, OK. Three-person juried exhibition.
Shapes of Influence: Contemporary Ceramics, Springfield (IL) Art Association. National juried exhibition
Shoebox: International Juried Sculpture Exhibition, Middle Tenn. State University, Murfreesboro, TN.
The Clay Cup: Icon, Vessel, Canvas, University of Missouri-Columbia. National juried exhibition
2013 The Potent Object, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD. National Juried exhibition
KC Clay Guild Teabowl National Juried Exhibition, Avila University, Kansas City, Missouri
Artifacts from the inferno: Contemporary Wood-fired Ceramics, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD. National Juried exhibition
The Wichita National All Media Juried Craft Exhibition, The Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
Cup of Comfort International Juried Ceramics Exhibition, Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana
2012 Woodfired Landscapes – International Ceramic Sculpture in Sweden, Röhsska Swedish National Crafts Museum, Gothenberg, Sweden. Invitational exhibition.
Trace Elements, solo exhibition, Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan.
Group Exhibition, HDK Ceramics Gallery, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden.
Tachi 66, group exhibition, Koji Pottery Museum, Chia-yi City, Taiwan
Luo Tu, group exhibition, Chiung Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
What Now? Invitational exhibition, Kansas City Artists’ Coalition, Kansas City, MO
Ceramics Invitational, University of Central Missouri Art Gallery, Warrensburg, Missouri
The Clay Cup: Icon, Vessel, Canvas, Bingham Gallery, University of Missouri-Columbia, National juried exhibition
2011 Sculptural Approaches to Clay, Two person exhibition, Kansas City Artists’ Coalition
KC Clay Guild Teabowl National, Kansas City Clay Guild Gallery, MO
Influences: Ceramics Invitational, Buddy Holly Art Museum, Lubbock, Texas.
Mynka Memorial Art Exhibition, Blackburn College, Carlinville,IL. Invitational exhibition
2010 4th Jingdezhen Contemporary International Ceramics Exhibition, Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Gallery, Jingdezhen City, People’s Republic of China
44th Annual Small Sculpture & Drawing National, Delmar College, Corpus Christi, TX
Eight fluid Ounces, National Juried Cup Exhibition, Louisiana State University
2009 International Wood-fired Exhibition, The Clay Place, Pittsburgh, PA
43rd Annual Small Sculpture & Drawing National, Delmar College, Corpus Christi, TX
20” x 20” Compact National Exhibition, LSU Union Art Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
2008 Return to the Source, solo exhibition, Plinth Gallery, Denver, Colorado
Work from the Nordic Wood-fire Marathon in Denmark, Standard Ceramics, Pittsburgh, PA. NCECA group exhibition
Soda Salt National IV, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Montana
2007 Ozark Flux, Group Invitational, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY,
National Juried Cup Show, Isadore Gallery, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
National Juried Wood Fire Exhibition, Thrown Together Clay Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Alternative Firings- Clay Invitational, G Gallery, Houston, Texas
2006 International Wood-fired Exhibition, Nantou County Cultural Center, Nantou City, Taiwan. Invitational exhibition
Eight fluid Ounces: National Juried Cup Exhibition, Louisiana State University
6th Annual National Juried Cup Exhibition, Kent State University, Ohio
OCEE/ Overseas Cultural Exchange Exhibition, Regional Arts Council of St. Louis
2005 International Wood-fired Invitational Exhibition, Shui-Li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park, Taiwan.
Wandering the Wilderness, solo exhibition, SMSU Art and Design Gallery
Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, Kansas City, Missouri. Three person exhibition
Clay on the Wall: 2005 Clay National, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
2004 Prairie Fire, Wheeler Art Community, University of Indianapolis. Group exhibition
Vitrified Clay National: Form and Content, Rockport (TX) Center for the Arts
2003 From Here to There, three-person exhibition. Chu- Yun Art Gallery and Ivy Art Gallery, Yingge District , Taipei, Taiwan
Seven Years of Visiting Artists, Tainan National College of the Arts Fine Art Center, Tainan city, Taiwan
The 8th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Prairie Fire, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD. Group exhibition
2002 Sculptural Clay Invitational, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO
Prairie Fire, Leedy- Volkous Art Center, Kansas City,MO. Group exhibition
Red Heat: Contemporary Work in Clay, University of Tulsa, OK
The Art of Fine Craft, Nebraska Wesleyan University, National invitational exhibition, Lincoln, NE
East- West Clay Invitational, Filipino Cultural Center, International invitational exhibition, Overland Park, KS
2001 New Dialogue, Yingge Wu-Yao Artspace, Taipei, Taiwan
Yard Art 2, Jewish Community Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
2000 The Cultural Diversity, Celebrated Art Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Made In Missouri, Craft Alliance for the Visual Arts, St. Louis, Missouri
Suited To A Tea- Midwest Ceramics Invitational, Waterloo Museum of Art, Iowa
1999 Two Person Exhibition, Vincennes University, Vincennes, Indiana
Out of Clay II, Susannah Keith Gallery, Dexter, MI. National exhibition
Prairie Fire- Hot Clay From the Midwest, IAO Gallery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1998 Ceramics: Viewpoint ’98, Grossmont College, El Cajon, California
Out of the Fire VIII, Kreft Center for the Arts, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Regional Craft Biennial, The Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
1997 Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award, Auckland Museum, New Zealand
Wall Forms-Sculptural Works In Clay ’97, Maine Artists’ Space, Portland, ME
Clay on the Walls, FOVA Gallery, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
1996 Non-Objective, Perimeter Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. Group invitational exhibition
SELECTED ARTIST RESIDENCIES and VISITING ARTIST POSITIONS
2019 Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Shigaraki, Japan. Two- Month Artist Residency.
Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, Art & Crafts Department. Lecture and workshop
Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan City, Taiwan. Lecture
Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA. Lectures and workshop
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. Workshops
2018 Lanzhou City University/ Dunhuang Creative Center, Lanzhou, China. Two- month Artist Residency
Shi Jie Zi Art Gallery Village, Gansu Province, China. Group ceramic workshop
2017 9th Arctic Ceramic Symposium, Arctic Ceramic Center, Posio, Finland. Three-week Artist Residency
Springfield Art Museum, panel discussion participant for “Wood-fired Kiln- A Catalyst for Collaboration” exhibition. Moderator: Sarah Buhr, Museum Curator, Panel participants:
Ken Baskin, Scott Meyer, Priscilla Mouritzen, Jeff Johnston, Keith Ekstam
2016 University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN. Week-long Artist Residency at symposium titled “Language of Collaboration”
University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL. Four-day Artist Residency, workshop and lecture
2014 Guldagergaard/ International Ceramics Research Center, Skælskør , Denmark . One month Artist Residency
Hardesty Art Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lecture
2012 HDK College of Applied Arts and Crafts, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden. Three-Week Artist Residency, workshop and symposium titled “Wood-fired Landscapes”.
Tainan National University of the Arts,Tainan City, Taiwan, Three-month Artist Residency
National Taiwan University of the Arts, Bon-qiao District, Taipei, Taiwan, lecture
Asian-Pacific Institute of Creative Arts, Tou-fen, Taiwan, lecture
2011 Heated Conversations: Wood-firing as Catalyst, panel discussion participant. National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts annual conference, Tampa, Florida.
Moderator: Janet Mansfield, Panel participants: Richard Hirsch, Scott Meyer, Keith Ekstam.
Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Two-week Artist Residency
Texas Tech University, Lubbock. Visiting artist at wood-fire workshop
Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, workshop
2010 Pottery Workshop at the Sculpture Factory, Jingdezhen, China. One- month Artist Residency
2009 The Union Project and Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA. Two-week Artist Residency
2008 National Taiwan University of the Arts, Bon-qiao District, Taipei, Taiwan, workshop and lecture
Pottery Workshop at the Sculpture Factory, Jingdezhen, China, lecture
2007 Fundacio Tallers J. Llorens Artigas,Gallifa, Barcelona, Spain, Two-week Artist Residency
Nordic Wood-fire Marathon, Gendo Keramik Studios, Nordjyllands, Denmark, One-week Artist Residency
Rochester Institute of Technology/ School of American Craft, workshop and lecture
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, workshop and lecture
2006 Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri. Gallery lecture
2005 Shui-Li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park, Nantou County, Taiwan. Three -week Artist Residency at symposium titled: “International Workshop on Wood-firing”.
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, workshop and lecture
2004 Nanjing Art Institute- Design College, Nanjing, China, lecture
China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China. lecture
2003 Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan County, Taiwan/ Two-month Artist Residency
California State University- Northridge, lecture and workshop
2002 East- West Clay Invitational, Filipino Cultural Center, Overland Park, KS. Exhibition co-curator
2001 Fu-Xin Ceramic Art Studio, Taipei, Taiwan/ Lecture and workshop
Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan County, Taiwan, lecture and workshop
2000 Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan County, Taiwan, lecture, workshop and panel discussion
1999 Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, lecture and workshop
1997 The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, lecture and workshop
1996 University of Nebraska- Lincoln, workshop
1993 Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Edgecomb, Maine. Two-week Artist Residency
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2018 2018 Ceramic Art Yearbook published by The American Ceramic Society, Columbus, OH. Article on NCECA Award for Excellence in Teaching. Color images, P. 45
2017 Out of the Ashes: Notre Dame Ceramics Symposium, exhibition and symposium catalog, Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana. Color images, Pp. 12, 21, 29
Conductivity: The Many Faces of Copper in Ceramics, exhibition catalog, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN. Color images Pp. 16, 28
2016 360 Degrees of Separation: Artists of the Guldagergaard Program exhibition catalog, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
Wood-fired Kiln: A Catalyst for Collaboration, exhibition catalog, Springfield Art Museumhttps://art.missouri.edu/upcoming.html
2013 Neue Keramik, March/April issue. Work cited, P. 45, in article by Zach Tate titled “2012 Wood-fired Landscapes Symposium”
2012 CeramicsTECHNICAL, article authored: “Artist Residency in Taiwan”, Issue No.35,Pp 74-77
CeramicsTECHNICAL, “Wood-fired Landscapes”, Issue No. 34, color image, P. 82
Ceramics Monthly, April issue, color image, P. 29, in article by Justin Rothshank titled “Trading Experiences”.
2011 NCECA Journal 2011, article on “Heated Conversations: Wood-firing as Catalyst” panel discussion. Pp.46-49 (text/ images) and P. 150 (color images).Vol. 32
2009 500 Ceramic Sculptures, Lark Books, Asheville, NC. Color image on P. 54
Creating Ceramic Art, catalog publisher: Taiwan National University ofthe Arts
Clay Times magazine, Gallery section, November/December issue. P.50
2005 The Sculpture Reference by Arthur Williams, published by Sculpture Books Publishing, Gulfport, MS. Color image on P. 222
Ceramic Art magazine,Taipei,Taiwan. Article on Artist Residency at Shui-li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park/ Fall issue
2001 Pace Interior Magazine, Pace Publishing Co., Hong Kong, exhibit review
2000 Ceramic Art magazine,Taipei,Taiwan. Article on Artist Residency at Tainan National College of the Arts/ Vol. 28 Summer issue, PP. 32-37
Artist magazine, Taipei, Taiwan. May issue
1999 Clay Times magazine, Cover image, September/October issue
American Craft magazine, Gallery section, February/ March issue, P. 110
Clay Times magazine, Gallery section, January/ February issue, P.30
1998 The Ceramic Design Book, Altamont Press, Asheville, North Carolina, P.165
1997 Ceramics Monthly magazine, “1997 Fletcher Challenge Awards” /October, P.52
SELECTED AWARDS
2019 Sabbatical Leave: Missouri State University. Project: Artist Residency in Shigaraki, Japan.
Faculty Research Grant, Missouri State University. Project: Artist Residency in Shigaraki, Japan.
International Travel Award, Missouri State University. Assistance for travel to South Korea and Taiwan to present lectures and workshops
2018 Twin Cups National Ceramics Exhibition, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, Missouri. Best of Show Award.
2017 2017 NCECA Excellence in Teaching Award, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
Foundation Award for Research, Missouri State University
International Travel Award, Missouri State University. Project: Three-week Artist Residency at the“9th Arctic Ceramic Symposium”, Arctic Ceramic Center, Posio, Finland
2016 Twin Cups National Ceramics Exhibition, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO.First place award.
College of Arts and Letters Special Projects Grant, co-recipient/ Kevin Hughes, Missouri State University
2014 Summer Faculty Fellowship, Missouri State University. Project: Artist Residency at Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Center, Skælskør, Denmark
2013 Of the Sea, Phoenix Fired Arts, Joplin, MO, First Place Award
2012-11 Sabbatical Leave: Missouri State University. Projects: Three- month Artist Residency in Taiwan and
three- week Artist Residency in Sweden at symposium titled “Wood-fired Landscapes”.
Faculty Research Grant, Missouri State University, Project: Artist Residency in Taiwan
2010 Summer Faculty Fellowship, Missouri State University. Project: Month- long Artist Residency at The Pottery Workshop at the Sculpture Factory, Jingdezhen, China.
2009 43rd Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture and Exhibition, Delmar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. Collection Addition Award
2008 International Travel Award, Missouri State University. Project: Lectures in Jingdezhen, China and Bon-qiao District, Taipei, Taiwan
2007 Lighton Foundation International Artists Exchange Program, Kansas City, MO.
Grant for Artist Residencies at the Fundacio J. Llorens Artigas, Gallifa, Barcelona, Spain and Nordic Wood-fire Marathon, Nordjyllands, Denmark
The Wichita National, Wichita Center for the Arts/ Third place award
2006 College of Arts and Letters Award in Research, Missouri State University
2005 Summer Faculty Fellowship, SMSU. Project: Artist Residency at symposium titled: “International Workshop on Wood-firing”, Shui-Li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park, Taiwan.
2004 International Travel Award, Southwest Missouri State University. Project: Lectures in Hangzhou and Nanjing, People’s Republic of China.
2003 Sabbatical Leave: Southwest Missouri State University. Project: One- month Artist Residency in Taiwan
2000 Summer Faculty Fellowship, SMSU. Project: Artist Residency at Tainan National College of the Arts