CCS Alumni Exhibition Opens as NCECA Holds First-Ever Detroit Conference
March 31, 2026
Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay brings five decades of CCS ceramics alumni to the international convening.
As the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) holds its first-ever conference in Detroit, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) presents Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay, an exhibition featuring over 30 CCS Ceramics alumni, on view March 20 – April 18, 2026, at Charach Family Galleries (formerly Center Galleries), located at 301 Frederick St.
While NCECA previously convened in Michigan in 1967 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, the 2026 gathering marks the organization’s first conference hosted in Detroit and is expected to bring thousands of ceramic artists, curators, collectors, and educators to the region for exhibitions, lectures, and citywide programming.
Bringing together alumni spanning more than five decades, Echoes highlights the national reach and evolving influence of ceramics at CCS. The exhibition reflects how CCS-trained artists continue to expand contemporary ceramics through sculptural experimentation, hybrid material practices, and interdisciplinary approaches to clay. It is part of a broader network of NCECA exhibitions and cultural programming taking place across institutions and galleries in Detroit.
Work by Joy Kin ’19
Work by Kaiser Sudan ’93
“With Detroit hosting NCECA for the first time, Echoes is both a recognition of the generations of artists who have shaped contemporary ceramics and a celebration of the CCS alumni who continue to expand its language,” said Claire Thibodeau, Assistant Professor, Studio Art and Craft, Section Lead of Ceramics at the College for Creative Studies. “This exhibition reflects the depth and strength of Detroit’s creative community while highlighting the lasting impact of our graduates within the broader ceramics field.”
Featured artists include Laith Karmo (‘04), Hayden Allison Richer (‘15), Kenneth Baskin (‘02), Elysia Vandenbussche (‘11), Joy Kin (‘19), Emily Duke (‘09), Kaiser Suidan (‘93), Katie Bramlage (‘11), Kara Thomas (‘13), and Sean Evans (‘01), among others. The exhibition includes alumni graduating from the late 1970s through 2025, reflecting the program’s sustained contribution to contemporary ceramic arts practice.
Exhibition Details
Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay
March 20 – April 18, 2026
Hours
Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm;
Extended hours during NCECA conference (March 25-28)
Charach Family Galleries (formerly Center Galleries)
301 Frederick St., Detroit, MI 48202
Participating Artists
Kenneth Baskin (‘02), Chrys Bonnay Lewis (‘10), Alexis Bratto (‘19), Katie Bramlage (‘11), Hailey Callahan (‘20), Emma Doppel (‘24), Emily Duke (‘09), Anna Edry (‘25), Jaminely Emmanuelli (‘19), John Gargano (‘92), Brett Gray (‘10), Steven Johnson (‘17), Laith Karmo (‘04), Karen Katanick (‘78), Joy Kin (‘19), Thea Lavender (‘24), Emily LoPresto (‘15), Melissa Mytty (‘04), Jane Plieth (‘14), Hayden Allison Richer (‘15), Drew Siering (‘24), Janelle Songer (‘08), Kaiser Suidan (‘93), Travis Grant Taylor (‘14), Kara Thomas (‘13), Karleigh Thompson (‘14, Fine Arts), Leilani Trinka (‘92), Elysia Vandenbussche (‘11), Bobby Veresan (‘20), Kailani Wolfe (‘25), Pierpaolo Zaldana (‘23, Illustration), Tyler Zibkowski (‘19), and Sean Evans (‘01).
About the NCECA
NCECA supports and advances the field of ceramics by fostering education, research, and creative exchange within the global clay community. The organization’s annual conference is the largest international convening dedicated to contemporary ceramic art and education, advancing the field through exhibitions, scholarship, and professional development.