Feature image: Henry Tyson, SCALLYWAG. Courtesy of Oliva Gallery.
Exhibition Dates: November 13–December 19, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, November 13, 2026, 5:00–9:00 PM
Location: Oliva Gallery, 3816 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Contact: OlivaGallery@gmail.com (847) 922-5736
Submitted
Chicago, Illinois – Oliva Gallery presents Material Bodies: Identities in Clay, the second annual Midwest Ceramic Exhibition, opening Friday, November 13, 2026. Juried and curated by Nancy Pirri and Lauralynn White, the exhibition brings together 19 artists whose ceramic practices examine the human form as both physical presence and a container for experience. Material Bodies considers how clay can register identity, memory, vulnerability, resilience, and transformation. The works approach the body broadly, moving between direct figuration and more abstract ideas rather than treating clay simply as a medium for representation.
The exhibition features work by Lynn Basa, Aaron Becker, Robin Carlson, Hillary Catrow, Gabriel Chalfin-Piney-Gonzalez, Jamie Freedman, Mirentxu Ganzarain, Jennifer Holt, Matthew King, Darby Lewis, Dawn Liddicoatt, Suzanne Long, Linda Marcus, Patrick Miceli, Andryea Natkin, Jonathan Pacheco, Henry Tyson, Susan Volk, and Christopher Williams. Matthew King, Darby Lewis, Dawn Liddicoatt, Suzanne Long, Linda Marcus, Patrick Miceli, Andryea Natkin, Jonathan Pacheco, Henry Tyson, Susan Volk, and Christopher Williams.
Miceli, Andryea Natkin, Jonathan Pacheco, Henry Tyson, Susan Volk, and Christopher
Williams.
The opening reception on November 13 will include the announcement of two awards. The Best in Show recipient will receive a curated solo exhibition at Oliva Gallery in 2028, while a People’s Choice Award will include a $200 cash prize.
Jurors and Curators
Nancy Pirri is a Chicago artist working primarily in figurative ceramics. Her work has received recognition from the Beverly Arts Center and Rockford Art Museum and has been published in 500 Figures in Clay, Volume 2. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and returns for 500 Figures in Clay, Volume 2. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and returns for her second year as juror and curator of the Midwest Ceramic Exhibition.
Lauralynn White is a Chicago based exhibiting artist and curator with a BFA in Illustration and Art History from Savannah College of Art and Design. A Signature Member of the National Association of Women Artists, White has served as a juror and curator for exhibitions at institutions including Albright College, YorkArts, Alvernia University, and the Reading Film Festival. She previously served for nearly a decade as Gallery Director at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and was the founding Director and Curator of Contemporary Art Gallery in Chautauqua, New York.
Programming
Material Bodies: Conversations, Clay and the Midwest Landscape
Saturday, November 21, 2026
3:00–5:00 PM
Moderated by artist and curator Catherine Schwalbe, the discussion will bring together exhibiting artists Aaron Becker, Gabriel Chalfin-Piney-Gonzalez, Mirentxu Ganzarain, Suzanne Long, and Henry Tyson for a conversation about their practices and the broader ceramic landscape of the Midwest.
Schwalbe is a Chicago based artist whose practice encompasses sculpture, mixed media, found objects, installation, site specific work, and social practice. She earned a BFA with a sculpture concentration from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and has curated exhibitions for the Wormfarm Institute in Wisconsin. She maintains Haptic Studio and Residency, shares a clay studio at Ripple Studios and teaches at Lillstreet Art Center. Additional programming includes a Figure Drawing session with a live model on Thursday, December 17, from 6:00–9:00 PM, followed by the closing reception on Saturday, December 19, from 5:00–8:00 PM.
About Material Bodies
Now in its second year, Material Bodies establishes a platform for contemporary ceramic artists working across the Midwest and examines clay as both material and expressive language. This year’s exhibition focuses on the human form and the ways physical material can retain evidence of personal and collective experience.
The exhibition is sponsored by Lillstreet Art Center and Worldview Education & Care.
About Oliva Gallery
Established in 2016, Oliva Gallery is a woman owned Chicago gallery presenting work by established and emerging artists from the Midwest and beyond. Under the direction of Kimberly Oliva, the gallery has presented more than 250 exhibitions spanning fine art and design.
Oliva Gallery
3816 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(847) 922-5736
olivagallery@gmail.com