NCECA’s 56th Annual Conference, Fertile Ground, Sacramento, California, March 16 – 19, 2022.

NCECA’s 56th Annual Conference, Fertile Ground, took place in Sacramento, California with Virtual Access.
Wednesday, March 16 – Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Poet and activist Gary Snyder writes, “The great Central Valley region does not prefer English over Spanish or Japanese or Hmong. If it had any preferences at all, it might best like the languages it has heard for thousands of years, such as Maidu or Miwok, simply because it is used to them. Mythically speaking, it will welcome whomever chooses to observe the etiquette, express the gratitude, grasp the tools, and learn the songs that it takes to live there.”

Migrants to the region bearing cultural practices from all over the world have cultivated the rich evolution of Northern California’s arts and agriculture. Intermingling diverse traditions with innovations, expression in ceramic art has taken many forms: vessel, sculpture, architecture, and installation. Northern California is celebrated both for the emergence of unconventional clay practices and sustaining traditions. Enduring influences of Native wisdoms and vibrant multiculturalism are essential to the region’s contemporary context of ecologically and socially engaged creative practices.

The Farm to Fork Movement, which originated in Northern California, demonstrates how significant impact can occur when stewardship of the environment fully integrates cultural practice that is equally attentive to traditions and innovation. The territory of the Central Valley and Northern California are threaded with clay caches, rivers, coastline, and mountain ranges. These features are expressive of the natural environment that reflect a sense of awe and spirit of interconnectedness between the land and its people. Fertile Ground invites us to gather around an expansive and inclusive table for continued sustenance and dialogue through ceramic art, teaching, and learning.