As part of the vibrant exhibition Marco to Miami, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) is proud to highlight a focused presentation titled Ceramic Also Travels. This intimate showcase brings together four ceramic artists whose practices reflect not only technical mastery, but also the deeply social and accessible nature of ceramics as an artistic medium. While the larger Marco to Miami exhibition traces the cultural exchange between Marco Island and Miami through a range of media, Ceramic Also Travels offers a unique lens through which to consider clay—not just as a material, but as a form of dialogue, ritual, and community. The featured artists—Ann E. Vreeland, Myriam Kriel, Nancy A. Norman, and Bea Stinson—each bring a distinct voice to the ceramic arts, united by a shared commitment to material exploration, personal expression, and community engagement.
As part of the vibrant exhibition Marco to Miami, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) is proud to highlight a focused presentation titled Ceramic Also Travels. This intimate showcase brings together four ceramic artists whose practices reflect not only technical mastery, but also the deeply social and accessible nature of ceramics as an artistic medium.
While the larger Marco to Miami exhibition traces the cultural exchange between Marco Island and Miami through a range of media, Ceramic Also Travels offers a unique lens through which to consider clay—not just as a material, but as a form of dialogue, ritual, and community.
Among the featured artists is Ann E. Vreeland, whose piece Shirred Pocket draws inspiration from nature’s remnants—shells, sand, and debris—transforming them into metaphors of life lived and beauty left behind. Vreeland is the founder of Sisters Seaside Ceramics and currently teaches ceramics both in Ohio and at the Marco Island Center for the Arts, where she continues to foster the connection between making and sharing.
Myriam Kriel, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, brings a multidisciplinary approach to her ceramics, blending her background in photography and digital art with the tactile possibilities of clay. Her work reflects themes of memory, cultural hybridity, and personal transformation, all rooted in a childhood fascination with terracotta. Kriel’s journey from analog photography to ceramics is also a story of reinvention and layered identity.
Nancy A. Norman, with academic training spanning Harvard, Cornell, and art institutes in Mexico and the United States, infuses her ceramic work with a love for process and play. Her teaching practice and long-standing relationship with Marco Island add depth to her artistic voice. Norman emphasizes the way clay "has a mind of its own," guiding artists through a process of improvisation and discovery.
Bea Stinson, whose ceramic journey began in childhood but blossomed in adulthood through intensive training and practice, brings a refined sensibility to her forms. Her work often balances symmetry and movement, enhanced by surface embellishments in gold, silver, and copper. Stinson is known for embracing technical challenges as opportunities for spiritual and artistic growth
Together, these artists reflect the ceramic tradition not just as craft, but as a mode of connecting people. Clay invites touch, invites imperfection, invites learning—and in doing so, invites community. Through workshops, shared studios, and public engagement, the ceramic arts have long played a role in building bridges among creators and audiences alike.
The Fine Arts Ceramic Center has played a pivotal role in supporting these exchanges, offering space, mentorship, and continuity. Under the leadership of Ivonne Ferrer, the center has grown into a space of dialogue and experimentation, where tradition and innovation meet.
This special section of Marco to Miami was made possible thanks to the generous support of Leonardo Rodriguez, founder of the Rodriguez Collection, whose ongoing commitment to the arts in Florida continues to uplift emerging and established artists alike.
This exhibition is made possible thanks to the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, and has likewise been generously sponsored by the Rodríguez Collection.
