NCECA INNOVATOR AWARD

Ceramic art is durable and ever-evolving. In this spirit, NCECA looked to the early root meanings of the Latin word innovare… renewal, restoration, reformation, reinvention… when choosing Innovator to name this special award. One artist whose work expands the technical, conceptual, and/or aesthetic dimensions of the ceramic medium and its rich traditions will be honored this year with an unrestricted $10,000 award to further their artistic endeavors. 

The NCECA Innovator Award recognizes one artist annually for reimagining our collective understanding of ceramics as a medium and practice. The awardee’s unique and visionary approach to ceramic-based practice may steward cultural traditions and extend technical or creative methods to advance ceramics' potential to connect people, places, and ideas. The ideal recipient will be at a pivotal juncture in their career, making the award's monetary recognition critical to their continuing practice and research.

During this three-year pilot phase, NCECA will be forming a Nominator Pool, members of which will be invited to identify three to five individuals to be considered for this opportunity. A separate Ad Hoc Innovator Award Committee, chaired by NCECA President-Elect Steve Hilton, will include four individuals working in various aspects of the field who will review the recommendations of the Nominator Pool and make a recommendation to NCECA’s Board of Directors.

2025 NCECA INNOVATOR AWARD

NCECA is thrilled to introduce Raheleh Filsoofi as the recipient of the 2025 NCECA Innovator Award.

Members of the award selection committee for this, the second year of this honor, include Mel Buchanan, RosaMary Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at New Orleans Museum of Art; Andres Payan Estrada, Senior Curator, Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at University of Texas El Paso; and Lydia C. Thompson, Professor of Art at UNC Charlotte, with Steve Hilton, NCECA President Elect serving as chair.

Filsoofi, a collector of soil and sound, is an itinerant artist and curator. Her work revolves around themes of movement, immigration, and social activism. Clay, sound, and the body serve as her primary expressive mediums, enabling her to create layered narratives through multimedia installation and immersive sound performance. Her art disrupts perceived borders between people and places, seeking a more inclusive world while illuminating and challenging social and political systems.

She has exhibited nationally and internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Joan Mitchell Fellowship. In 2026, she will serve as curator of the inaugural Clay in Performance program at NCECA. She is an Assistant Professor of Ceramics in the Department of Art at Vanderbilt University. She received her MFA from Florida Atlantic University and a BFA from Al-Zahra University.

2024 NCECA INNOVATOR AWARD

NCECA is thrilled to introduce Sana Musasama as the first recipient of the 2024 NCECA Innovator Award.

Members of the award selection committee for this, the inaugural year of this honor include Holly Hannesian, Anya Montiel, Garth Johnson, Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, Ife Williams, and Sequoia Miller with Shoji Satake serving as chair, and Rhonda Willers as co-chair.

Sana's work profoundly connects with our collective understanding of the power of objects in the universe, serving as agents to break down cultural barriers, educate us about our differences, and promote healing. Her innovative approach to community outreach is exemplified in her recent project, the “Apron Project,” where she collaborates with girls to develop entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to create products and earn income, thus achieving financial independence from the harsh streets of Cambodia. She integrates her lived experiences in the US, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, and Cambodia, using color, pattern, texture, and adornment to reveal life's deeper meanings.

Sana's entire practice is deeply influenced by her cultural traditions, as well as those of West Africa and Asia. Within the United States, she draws inspiration from urban and marginalized communities. Over more than 40 years, she has taught in neighborhood community centers, correctional facilities, and universities/colleges.

The NCECA Innovator Award
About The Nomation Process

Nomination Process
The NCECA Innovator Award is not open to a public or self-nomination process. Those artists interested in self-nominating and applying for other forms of support are invited to explore upcoming opportunities, including Emerging Artists, Helene Zucker Seeman Fellowships for Women, Multicultural Fellowships, Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowships, NCECA Graduate Student Fellowships, the NCECA Environmental Sustainability Fellowship, and the Anne W. and Bill Bracker Youth Educator Seed Fellowship. These fellowship opportunities open in the summer of 2025 with a September 2025 deadline.

Selection Process
An ad hoc awards committee made up of four members will review the nominees and meet to assess their suitability for the award. As a result of this process, the ad hoc committee will recommend one of the candidates to the NCECA Board of Directors for the award. The review process will take place during the summer of 2025. NCECA will contact the selected award recipient in late summer or early autumn 2025.

2025 NCECA Innovator Award FAQs

  • Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for the 2025 NCECA Innovator Award prior to contacting NCECA.

  • NCECA has invited a pool of nominators from throughout the field to identify up to three candidates for consideration. Members of the nominator pool may not self-nominate; however, others may identify them as nominees. Members of the nominating pool are bound by confidentiality not to discuss their nominations with others, including the nominees.

    The NCECA Innovator Award is not open to a public or self-nomination process. Those artists interested in self-nominating and applying for other forms of support are invited to explore upcoming opportunities, including Emerging Artists, Helene Zucker Seeman Fellowships for Women, Multicultural Fellowships, Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowships, NCECA Graduate Student Fellowships, the NCECA Environmental Sustainability Fellowship, and the Anne W. and Bill Bracker Youth Educator Seed Fellowship. These fellowship opportunities open in the summer of 2025 with a September 2025 deadline.

  • An ad hoc awards committee made up of four members will review the nominees and meet to assess their suitability for the award. As a result of this process, the ad hoc committee will recommend one of the candidates to the NCECA Board of Directors for the award. The review process will take place during the Summer of 2025. NCECA will contact the selected award recipient in late summer or early autumn 2025.

  • The 2025 NCECA Innovator Award is open to individuals 18 and over, not enrolled in a degree-granting educational program, working with clay as a principal medium of artistic expression. NCECA’s Board of Directors, employees, and immediate family members (i.e., spouses, siblings, and parents) are not eligible to receive the Award.

  • NCECA will announce the 2025 NCECA Innovator Award Recipient during the 2025 Cultivating Community Week, which will take place from November 17 to 21, 2025.

  • Award recipients reimagine our collective understanding of ceramics as a medium and practice. The awardee’s unique and visionary approach to ceramic-based practice may steward cultural traditions and extend technical or creative methods to advance the potential of ceramics to connect people, places, and ideas.

    The ideal recipient will be at a pivotal juncture in their career, making the financial aspect of the recognition pivotal to their continuing practice and research.

    The 2025 NCECA Innovator Award recipient should expect to participate in the creation of a brief video about their work that will be shared during Cultivating Community week in November 2025. If available, the recipient will also be invited to receive their award during NCECA’s 60th Annual Conference, Volumes in Detroit Michigan, March 25-28, 2026.

  • If you have any questions, please email awards@nceca.net