Emily Bayless is an artist who works primarily in clay to pursue the making of installation and objects. She received a BFA in ceramics from Arizona State University and an MFA in ceramics from the University of Colorado Boulder, and has expertise in hand building, wheel throwing, mold making, sculptural installation, kiln firing techniques, and surface decoration techniques.
Bayless has been a guest artist at many institutions, including New Mexico State University, San Francisco Art Institute, Dickinson College, and Adams State University. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries, such as the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Diego Rivera Gallery of SFAI, Baltimore Clay Works, Susquehanna Art Museum, and the Glave Kocen Gallery.
The main areas of interest that currently preoccupy her studio research practice are the history of ceramics, gender equity, craft, and installation. Her work challenges the technical threshold of clay with pieces that are precarious, fragile, and stretch the stable scale of ceramic objects. Most recently Bayless completed a ceramic arch that contains 32 stacking pieces, culminating in a ten-foot-tall sculptural installation finished with a blue and white decorative motif that imitates the delft style of the 17th and 18th century.
Bayless has been a guest artist at many institutions, including New Mexico State University, San Francisco Art Institute, Dickinson College, and Adams State University. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries, such as the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Diego Rivera Gallery of SFAI, Baltimore Clay Works, Susquehanna Art Museum, and the Glave Kocen Gallery.
The main areas of interest that currently preoccupy her studio research practice are the history of ceramics, gender equity, craft, and installation. Her work challenges the technical threshold of clay with pieces that are precarious, fragile, and stretch the stable scale of ceramic objects. Most recently Bayless completed a ceramic arch that contains 32 stacking pieces, culminating in a ten-foot-tall sculptural installation finished with a blue and white decorative motif that imitates the delft style of the 17th and 18th century.
Published on May 19th, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
A new project that just got funding through an NEA grant! This project is titled "The Living Mural" and is a collaboration between myself and colleague Josias Figueirido (painting). We are working to create a 30 foot long mosaic mural to be installed outside the historic La Posada Hotel in downtown Laredo. This mural will include 2D and 3D elements, using painting and ceramic materials. We are going to include vessels, made of clay, into the mural which will hold plants that are native to the area.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
In the last year I started a new position as Assistant Professor of Art at Texas A&M International University, located in Laredo Texas. Starting a new position, in a remote area of the United States, during the pandemic has proved challenging. I have had to work outside of my comfort zone more than ever to connect and network locally. Due to many factors, I have also utilized digital communication tools to bring artists into my classroom.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
My studio schedule has been revolving around my teaching schedule. If I am teaching an afternoon or evening class, I get to school (which is where my studio is) very early in the day to work for a few hours before meetings start for the day. If I teach a morning course, then I stay later to get some work done. Must have tools: my red rubber rib, my home made scoring tool, a big bucket of slip, thin cotton towels, a bucket of water, something to drink (coffee, water, tea), and my phone. I use my phone in studio to look up reference materials both online and in my photo album, and listen to podcasts (The Daily, NPR, This American Life). My creative space is currently a little corner I have carved out of the bigger classroom studio space. There is not much privacy and I have to be particular about studio time vs teaching time, I need to protect my creative time by keeping scheduling boundaries.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Resources I have found helpful are CAA, NCECA, Higher Ed Jobs, Call for Entry, Ceramic Arts Daily, Art Axis and Glazy. I refer my students to these websites often to look for opportunities, technical advice, and to browse the work of working artists for inspiration. Also, smallpdf.com or pdf-merge.com for condensing files for applications. I use these sites to convert my jpgs to pdfs, and merge them all into one file. All portfolio images submitted as a single pdf file is often required for applications to exhibitions, residencies, and jobs.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am most looking forward to the completion of "The Living Mural", which is set to be finished in September 2022. This project will be a big accomplishment for me from start to finish. The funding from the NEA is such a huge honor and allows me to collaborate with many members of the community. I am currently able to work with multiple Undergraduate Assistants, as well as my studio colleague Josias Figueirido, and members of the Laredo community through organizations such as the Laredo Cultural District and Cultivarte. I am looking forward to continuing to grow these working relationships and find ways that I can add to the local community through my creative work.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
A new project that just got funding through an NEA grant! This project is titled "The Living Mural" and is a collaboration between myself and colleague Josias Figueirido (painting). We are working to create a 30 foot long mosaic mural to be installed outside the historic La Posada Hotel in downtown Laredo. This mural will include 2D and 3D elements, using painting and ceramic materials. We are going to include vessels, made of clay, into the mural which will hold plants that are native to the area.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
In the last year I started a new position as Assistant Professor of Art at Texas A&M International University, located in Laredo Texas. Starting a new position, in a remote area of the United States, during the pandemic has proved challenging. I have had to work outside of my comfort zone more than ever to connect and network locally. Due to many factors, I have also utilized digital communication tools to bring artists into my classroom.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
My studio schedule has been revolving around my teaching schedule. If I am teaching an afternoon or evening class, I get to school (which is where my studio is) very early in the day to work for a few hours before meetings start for the day. If I teach a morning course, then I stay later to get some work done. Must have tools: my red rubber rib, my home made scoring tool, a big bucket of slip, thin cotton towels, a bucket of water, something to drink (coffee, water, tea), and my phone. I use my phone in studio to look up reference materials both online and in my photo album, and listen to podcasts (The Daily, NPR, This American Life). My creative space is currently a little corner I have carved out of the bigger classroom studio space. There is not much privacy and I have to be particular about studio time vs teaching time, I need to protect my creative time by keeping scheduling boundaries.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Resources I have found helpful are CAA, NCECA, Higher Ed Jobs, Call for Entry, Ceramic Arts Daily, Art Axis and Glazy. I refer my students to these websites often to look for opportunities, technical advice, and to browse the work of working artists for inspiration. Also, smallpdf.com or pdf-merge.com for condensing files for applications. I use these sites to convert my jpgs to pdfs, and merge them all into one file. All portfolio images submitted as a single pdf file is often required for applications to exhibitions, residencies, and jobs.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am most looking forward to the completion of "The Living Mural", which is set to be finished in September 2022. This project will be a big accomplishment for me from start to finish. The funding from the NEA is such a huge honor and allows me to collaborate with many members of the community. I am currently able to work with multiple Undergraduate Assistants, as well as my studio colleague Josias Figueirido, and members of the Laredo community through organizations such as the Laredo Cultural District and Cultivarte. I am looking forward to continuing to grow these working relationships and find ways that I can add to the local community through my creative work.
Find Emily Bayless on Instagram