Baby Bird, 2003

Ryan Wilson Kelly

White earthenware

10 in H x 7 in x 7 in

Written Signature

Add a touch of wit and curiosity to your collection with this distinctive sculpture by Ryan Kelly. Cast in low-fire white earthenware from a vintage toy chicken body and topped with a hand-modeled macaque head, this playful yet thought-provoking work perfectly captures Kelly's signature blend of humor, craftsmanship, and subtle memento mori. As a Resident Artist from 2006-2011, Kelly infused our community with energy and whimsy.

The piece was featured in the 2003 Ceramics Monthly announcement for Kelly's solo exhibition, Cerama-Lama-Ding-Dong, at Baltimore Clayworks, making it a notable and delightful example of the artist's imaginative approach to ceramics and a memorable addition to any collection.

Artist Statement

My work comes into being through a great deal of half-hearted research, tangential explorations and an abiding love of the object, the well made, properly made, appropriate object-leaving room for the appropriateness of the immediate, the unrefined and the crude.

The form my work takes, and the subject matter I work with are in a looping dialogue. Often I evoke archetypal domestic or theatrical spaces. I borrow characters from history, popular culture, decorative arts, literature and vernacular myth making. These serve as an entry point for viewers, and a jumping off point for myself into allegories for my own internal struggles and observations.

Kelly says about the piece "At the time, I was embracing the kitschy side of ceramics. The gallery at the Baltimore Clayworks is broken up into multiple rooms and long hallways. I created different themes for each room. The main entrance had low, satin upholstery topped platforms with large slip-cast piggy banks cavorting and enjoying each other's company. There was a 1776 room with an enormous bas relief Ben Franklin and a number of commemorative objects, and finally there was the Non-denominational holiday ornament and tchotchke room. This is where the piece in question was displayed. In this room there was a ceramic chandelier hanging above a tiered circular pedestal topped with a large ceramic basket brimming with slip cast tchotchkes."

Artist Biography

Ryan W. Kelly holds a BFA in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from The Ohio State University. His work ranges from performance and video to object based installations. He draws inspiration from American mythology, historical inaccuracies and the curious story telling that finds its way into our material culture and decorative arts. He celebrates the myopic strangeness often preserved in our souvenirs, monuments and commemorations.

Currently Kelly is a Professor of Ceramics and Foundations at Western Washington University. Previously he was a Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University in Ceramics and Foundations. Prior to that he lived and worked in Philadelphia, where he was a resident artist at The Clay Studio; a recipient of an Independence Foundation Fellowship, and a co-curator at Practice Gallery. His collaborations in dance and theater include credits in the Green Porno series by Isabella Rossellini.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Untitled, 1981

Robert Palusky

Blown glass, inlaid colored stoneware

8.5 in H x 11 in D

Inscribed Signature

This exceptional covered vessel captures a pivotal moment in Palusky's career, when his formal training in ceramics met his newfound passion for glass, a medium he would later embrace almost exclusively. The rare combination of the two makes this early work particularly distinctive.

Skillfully rendered, animated figures in colored clay encircle the ceramic vessel, showcasing Palusky's command of the medium. Above, a vibrant Venetian-style glass paperweight lid bursts with layers of color, bringing energy and movement to the piece.

Together, ceramic and glass create a work that vibrates with creativity, offering a fascinating glimpse into an artist at a transformative moment in his practice.

Artist Biography

Robert Clark Palusky, born in 1942, is a distinguished American glass artist known for his innovative and abstract glass sculptures. He earned a BFA from the University of Wisconsin at Superior and later earned his MFA in ceramics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Despite his formal education in ceramics, Palusky is largely self-taught in the art of glass, which has become his primary medium.

Palusky's career spans over four decades, during which he has established himself as a pioneer in contemporary glass art. His works are characterized by their abstract forms and intricate designs, often exploring the interplay between light and glass. Palusky's art has been celebrated globally, and his pieces are part of numerous prestigious collections. Robert Palusky's impact on the world of glass art is profound. His innovative techniques and unique artistic vision have earned him a place among the most respected glass artists of his time. Palusky's dedication to his craft and his role as an educator at Hamilton College for 37 years have left an indelible mark on the art community.

Today, Palusky continues to create and inspire from his state-of-the-art glass studio in Upstate New York, where he remains an active and influential figure in the contemporary glass art scene.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Large Bowl, c.1980

Phillip Maberry and Scott Walker

glazed earthenware

10 in H x 20v x 16 in

Bursting with color and playful energy, this vibrant work by Maberry and Walker beautifully embodies the artists' distinctive creative vision. Bold hues, dynamic abstract forms, and imaginative composition come together to create a sculpture that is both joyful and visually captivating. There is a similar bowl by Maberry in the collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian.

Whether displayed as a focal point or incorporated into a larger collection, this spirited piece is a celebration of color, creativity, and whimsy, a reminder that art has the power to brighten both our spaces and our everyday lives. Their work is so exuberant that in 1990 the home and studio they designed and lived in was featured in a B52's video.

Artist Statement

Phillip Maberry's earliest memory is of wallpaper with large green and yellow flowers heavily outlined in black in a bedroom in his parents' home in Dallas. A dubious choice, Mr. Maberry now acknowledges. But that wallpaper, along with the vividly colored 50's furniture he grew up with, led him into a garden of fantastical colors he has never entirely left.

Artists Biography

Phillip Maberry studied ceramics at East Texas State University in the early 70's, where he mixed found objects with glazed clay in crazy animal shapes, adding rhinestones and sequins, while his classmates succumbed to what he calls ''the brown pot syndrome.''

A few years later, Maberry with his partner Scott Walker, moved to New York and began adorning their loft on West 20th Street with an anarchic display of psychedelic colors, using discontinued paints bought cheaply on Canal Street. They also blended in wavy shapes cut from wallpaper. They considered themselves, along with the artists Robert Kushner and Brad Davis, part of a pattern and decoration movement establishing itself in playful antithesis to the prevailing minimalism.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped

Concentration,

Matt Nolen

Glazed Porcelain

24 in H x 10 in x 14 in

Inscribed Signature

More than a vessel, this extraordinary pitcher is a world of stories waiting to be discovered. Across its expansive surface, Matt Nolen brings together fantastical scenes, expressive figures, and moments drawn from everyday life, inviting viewers to linger and uncover new narratives with every glance.

Rich in movement, imagination, and intricate detail, the piece rewards repeated viewing-revealing something unexpected each time. Whether admired as a sculptural centerpiece or celebrated as an exceptional example of ceramic storytelling, this remarkable work is sure to captivate collectors and guests alike.

Artist Statement

"As a painter, architect and storyteller, clay provides the means by which I can marry my loves: the painted surface, three dimensional form and narrative content. Ceramics gives me the language to communicate my stories to a world audience. The themes of my early work have included a broad range of social, political and psychological subjects.

Most recently I have turned to the figure as form departing from the lavishly painted vessels and tiled environments of previous works. In doing so, the stories I am telling have become more personal and often are informed by the inner landscape of self: notions of shelter that explore what we protect and keep private vs. that which we choose to reveal, escape through dreams, and contemporary takes on ancient Greek and Roman portrait busts and the architectural load bearing caryatid and atlas. I have developed 3-D porcelain speech and thought balloons that I am combining in various ways to explore the narratives that inspire me. Recent bodies of work have included print editions as well as sculpture rendered with ceramic, metal, wood, stone, rubber and found objects.

My figures tell the stories of those who are challenged by conflicts and are in the midst of emotional or psychological transitions. It is life lived within the complexity of these "margins" that interests me the most."

Artist Biography

Matt Nolen is a studio artist living and working in New York City and Narrowsburg, NY. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous private and public collections including: The Cooper-Hewitt Museum, NYC., The Museum of Arts and Design, NYC., The Houston Museum of Fine Art, TX., The de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA. and The Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY.

Nolen has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, Mid Atlantic Foundation (regional NEA) Fellowship and international residencies in Israel and China. His residency at the Kohler Co.'s Art/Industry Program resulted in a handmade public washroom that has been named "Best Restroom in America" by the Cintas Corp. and among "The 10 Best Bathrooms in the World" by the Travel Channel.

He has recently served as President of the Board of Trustees for Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine and is Adjunct Professor of Art at New York University, Hunter College, and Ceramics Area Coordinator at Pratt Institute.

This piece was donated by the Grainer Family.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Dreaming of a Crystal Forest, 2026

Jeanne Blissett Robertson

Porcelain

7.5 in H x 16 in x 10 in

Bring a cool fairytale breeze into your life with this beautiful sculpture by Jeanne Blissett Robertson, a unique marriage of nostalgic fantasy imagery and Robertson's experience participating in research concerning the effect of melting glaciers.

This piece is part of a series of porcelain crystal forms with dreamy paintings of animals and nature taken from slot machine graphics. These symbols of freedom and adventure have been re-contextualised to question what we seek and how we find it in an increasingly noisy world.

In 2024 Robertson joined Dr. Jon Hawkings and his team at the University of Pennsylvania researching the elements released in glacial meltwater and biochemical cycles. This research influenced Robertson in creating a series of glacial forms with various imagery from charts and quotes highlighting scientific research to the colorful fantasy and exotic creatures you see today.

Artist Statement

This piece is part of a series of porcelain crystal forms with dreamy paintings of animals and nature taken from slot machine graphics. These symbols of freedom and adventure have been re-contextualised to question what we seek and how we find it in an increasingly noisy world.

I have recently been developing a line of work involving the long standing human interest in crystalline forms and their power to connect internal human experiences with the material world. I reflect on the precarious state of our changing natural environment and its effect on our culture, both spiritually and politically. The crystal forms provide a 3D canvas for me to combine diverse imagery from
sources such as photographs, painting and symbols to communicate through active, tactile engagement and to challenge core, binary understandings.

Artist Biography

Jeanne Blissett Robertson graduated with a BA Hons in Sculpture & Environmental Art from Glasgow School of Art in 2015. Since then she has lived and worked internationally carrying out artist residencies in Abu Dhabi (Manarat Al Saadiyat), Mexico (Trapo Galeria), Edinburgh (Edinburgh Ceramics Workshop) and most recently Ullapool, Scotland (An Talla Solais). She recently received an Arts Council England grant, 'Developing Your Creative Practice', for a self-tailored ceramics training programme where she learnt from crafts people based in Scotland. Her activity included salt-glazing in Isle of Skye, making geological glazes with rocks from Assynt (world heritage site), foraging for clay and minerals, and multiple-part mould making for slip-casting. Recent exhibitions include 'To A Green Thought', DVAA, Philadelphia, 2022, 'Off-Kilter', Drill Hall, Edinburgh, 2021, and 'Running Parallel', Lewes Light Festival, 2020. Alongside her practice, Robertson delivers experimental art workshops for people of all ages and abilities.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Superalimento del Futuro

Adrian Gomez

Earthenware

Dimensions Vary

Superalimento del Futuro-Super Food of the Future-is Adrian Gomez's sculptural meditation on nature, culture, resilience, and identity.

In this work, an animal-faced vessel is juxtaposed with a nopal, or cactus pad-a plant valued for its nutritional properties and extraordinary ability to thrive in harsh desert environments. Gomez uses the nopal as both subject and symbol, inviting connections between the plant's resilience and the perseverance of Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Beautiful yet layered with meaning, Superalimento del Futuro asks viewers to consider ideas of survival, adaptation, cultural continuity, and hope. Adding this powerful sculpture to your collection brings not only a compelling work of contemporary ceramic art, but an important and enduring conversation.

Artist Statement

Distance from family, home, and community has prompted a further study into the histories determining my identity. From the perspective of a first-generation Mexican-Guatemalan maker, my work describes what it means to preserve and mourn customs obscured by borders. The use of specific culturally significant motifs, replicated but often altered, portrays archival memory of personal and recorded Latino history. In honoring the moments fundamental to my cultural identity, I can process the limited access to the traditions practiced by my family for generations. The intent to make is sustained by my urgency to represent and understand the cyclical nature life follows when obscured by borders.

Researching pre-Colombian histories, I realized these deeply personal relationships were universal and that I could, in fact, have an audience. Connecting with the long tradition of ceramics in the Americas I began using red clay to maintain that historical throughline. Making work that embodies the notion of being stuck between culture and place is essential because it gives a point of entry to many with similar lived experiences. In these challenging political times, I realized encountering one of my works can be the representation and connection people need. Recently, I've been diving into how new cultural practices were introduced to the Indigenous cultures of the Americas. My sculptures now appear as snapshots of perceived realities arising from meshing information together.

Artist Biography

Adrian Gomez is an interdisciplinary artist who examines the intricacies of being a first-generation American. He received his BFA at the University of Washington (2018) in Ceramics through the 3D4M program. He continued his education at Tyler School of Art (2019) in their post-bacc program and participated in a two-year residency at Pottery Northwest (2022) in Seattle. He has shown work throughout the country, most notably at NCECA, The Clay Studio, and the Mexican Consulate in Seattle. He has participated in various museum shows across the United States. Recently finishing his MFA at the University of South Florida, he is working towards expanding his practice through the combination of clay and the use of new processes in metals, sound, and video.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Daily Affirmations, 2026

Stepanka Summer

(formerly Stepanka Horalkova)

Porcelain

3.5 in H x 4.5 in x 3 in each

Fill your days with positive reminders delivered to you in beautiful ceramic works. This collection of Mugs by Stepanka Summer has a motivating collection of daily affirmations with sayings like "Hope Anyway" and "You're Stardust".

These cups are made in Summer's usual artist style with thin porcelain that has engraved details, often words, which allows for light to travel through. They also have the fun detail of being made with Summer's most recent font exploration and subtle glaze details which add pops of color around the form.

Artist Biography

Stepanka Summer was born in the Czech republic and moved to New York City in 1995. She is a self-taught ceramic artist, focusing her attention on working with porcelain. Her work is all handbuildt, mainly using slabs, and arrange from standing vessels, standing abstract forms, wall pillows forms, wall sculptures and spheres. She employs earthy oxides, stains, glazes and wood ash to compliment the natural forms, shapes and textures to the clay. Stepanka manages the Ceramic Studio at Columbia University Teacher's College.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

When Toads Fly

Frank Fleming (1940-2018)

Porcelain

18.5 in x 8 in x 7 in

Step into a world of imagination with this whimsical sculpture by Frank Fleming. Renowned for his enchanting creations that blend folklore, fantasy, and the animal kingdom, Fleming invites viewers to rediscover the wonder of childhood through his playful ceramic forms.

Featuring a friendly flying toad as its unlikely hero, this delightful work is full of personality, movement, and charm. Whether displayed indoors or nestled in a garden, it brings a touch of magic, storytelling, and joy to any space-an irresistible piece for collectors and dreamers alike.

Artist Biography

Frank Fleming graduated from Florence State College in 1962 and would go on to earn his Master of Arts (1969) and Master of Fine Arts (1973) from the University of Alabama. Unable to find a teaching job, Fleming put aside his teaching ambitions and moved to Birmingham where he began making functional and decorative pottery, continuing his sculptural work on the side.

Fleming preferred to work in porcelain, particularly Tennessee porcelain, but also tried bronze casting-like his work surrounding the Till Fountain. His ceramic pieces were entirely hand-built, and he rarely created conceptual sketches of his works before he began, preferring to watch his compositions evolve as he worked. During his time at Florence State College, Fleming used paints and colored glazes but switched to clear glaze over plain white porcelain when he began to produce pottery professionally. Eventually, he came to leave the surfaces of his works unglazed to make surface textures more palpable and immediate to the viewer.

Fleming's sculptures are notable for their extreme veracity of detail which makes them highly realistic. The disjunction between the careful detailing and colorless surfaces of his works, however, lends a bizarre, and many times surreal, atmosphere to his pieces. Most of Fleming's works center around anthropomorphized animals, human-animal hybrids, and other organic hybrids. Humor is a common undercurrent in many of his works which is sometimes ironic, sometimes whimsical, and sometimes directed at Southern culture.

In addition to being an outstanding and creative talent in our state, Frank Fleming was a good friend to the Museum. He consistently supported the Museum's Art Auction fundraisers, and he was generous with his time in working with our educators and docents. In addition to the Till Fountain, the Museum holds four other works by Fleming, including two porcelain sculptures that demonstrate his amazing facility in the use of clay.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

A Week Away in Traverse City, Michigan!

In the summer of 2027, enjoy six days in this welcoming condominium that faces Grand Traverse Bay in downtown Traverse City! Guests (up to 4) can rest and relax in this 2-bed, 2.5 bath condominium with dedicated parking.

Sip your favorite beverage on the private balconies as you wake up with the sun and watch boats pass by in the Bay. Just a few minutes away from breweries, wineries, beach, golf, biking and running paths - this is a wonderful escape to the best little city that exists in Michigan!

Traverse City is the best little city in Michigan!

Beyond access to nature there are lots of things to do and see in the city and immediate surroundings including:

• Dennos Art Center features a significant Inuit Art Collection.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts features ongoing public performances of music, dance, and theater
• Sleeping Bear Dunes - Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450' above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake.
• Mission Peninsula is a day-trip or more. you can visit the Mission Point lighthouse, wineries, and the Brys Estate Secret Garden.
• Leeland - Fishtown - Leland is a picturesque, coastal small town surrounded by incredible natural beauty, excellent amenities and charm!
• Sutton's Bay - features wine country tours, nature ride trails and a historic shopping district.
• Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor - Michigan is known for its cherry orchards. If looking for something related to this state fruit, Cherry Republic is a must stop.
• Music House Museum - Step back in time and experience a rare collection of antique automated musical instruments.

Front Street in Traverse City features boutiques, restaurants, and more! Be sure to try -

• Little Fleet food trucks
• Murdicks Fudge - chocolate cherry is the best!
• Sleder's - oldest continuously operating restaurant in Michigan
• Moomers Ice Cream - because all vacations should include great ice cream.

These are a few examples of things to do in Traverse City and beyond. Win this item to create your own adventure.

Dates will be agreed upon by winner and condominium owners.

Here's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for book lovers and aspiring literary legends! The winning bidder will have a character in an upcoming novel named in their honor by Mary V. Slinkard, author of Her Final Gamble. Whether it's your own name, the name of a loved one, or someone you wish to celebrate, you'll become a permanent part of a published work of fiction.

Mary will work with the winning bidder to incorporate the chosen name into a character in a future book (subject to the creative needs of the story). It's a unique literary keepsake and an unforgettable experience that will live on in print for years to come.

Mary's book, Her Final Gamble, is presently optioned by a major Hollywood studio for TV or Film production. Also included is a signed copy of Her Final Gamble.

Please note: Character role, personality, and storyline are at the sole discretion of the author. The winning bidder may provide a name, but the author retains full creative control over the work.

Don't miss your chance to have a book character named after yourself or a loved one! See yourself in the excitement of the plot or surprise your favorite book lover with this once in a lifetime chance to have a character named after them!

Also included for your reading pleasure:

• An autographed copy of Mary's first book,
• A beautiful mug for your favorite beverage,
• A cup warmer so your drink stays the perfect temp while reading,
• A book light to keep reading way past your bedtime,
• A comfy blanket to keep you warm,
• A book mark for when you finally do fall asleep, and,
• Bookstore scented candle to keep the mood right.

About the Author

Mary Vassallo Slinkard, Esq's journey from the courtroom to the literary world is as compelling as the mysteries she writes. With over two decades as a successful commercial litigator, Mary honed her analytical skills and deep understanding of human nature - the perfect ingredients for crafting edge-of-your-seat suspense novels. Her debut, Her Final Gamble, is a masterful tale of death and deception, unraveling the hidden secrets of a high-society family in the Philadelphia suburbs. Spanning three decades of lies, betrayal, and intrigue, this riveting story keeps readers guessing until the very last page. But the story doesn't end there. Fans won't have to wait long for the sequel, as Mary's captivating protagonist, Jacqueline Stone, returns for another thrilling adventure that promises even more danger, drama, and intrigue. Mary Vassallo Slinkard is a fresh and fearless voice in the mystery genre, delivering stories that linger long after the final chapter.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Explore Philadelphia's performance art scene with tickets to three world-class organizations around the city.

Experience the best of Philadelphia's performing arts with an unforgettable season of live entertainment. This package includes tickets to exceptional performances at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Arden Theatre Company, The Philadelphia Ballet Company.

Package includes:

• Two Tickets to a Philadelphia Orchestra Concert. The winner will choose from a selection of concerts. Valid for the 2026-27 Concert Season.
• Two tickets to any production at the Arden Theatre Company during their upcoming 2026/27 Fall & Winter Season.
• Four tickets to the Philadelphia Ballet's The Nutcracker, valid for any performance from December 4-31, 2026.

This is the perfect package for theater lovers, music enthusiasts, and families looking to celebrate the holiday season.