Clayton is a native Tulsan, graduating with his MFA from the University of Tulsa in 2011. He is an experienced University art professor, was Head of the Ceramics program at Westminster College for 8 years and is currently Assistant Professor of Ceramics/Sculpture at NSU. His figurative clay work has been shown nationally. Clayton has received awards and has been published and reviewed in magazines, books and online forums. Clayton teaches workshops at universities, ceramic art centers and conferences throughout the US.
Education
2011 MFA Ceramics, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2000 BFA 3-Dimensional Art, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
1998 AA ART, Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa, OK
Selected Exhibitions
2021 Upcoming Solo Exhibition - Finch Lane Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT
2019 Solo Exhibition – Leaves and Lovers – MA Doran Gallery – Tulsa, OK
2019 Faculty Exhibition – Westminster College – Salt Lake City, Utah
2018 Demonstrator Exhibit – Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
2017 Figurative Condition - Sisson Gallery, Henry Ford College - Dearborn, MI
Michigan Mud Demonstrator Exhibition - Albion College, Albion, MI
Heads Up - Manheim Gallery - Cottonwood, AZ
Heads and Tails Clay Arts Vegas - Solo Show - Las Vegas, NV
Epics, Myths, & Fables - Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT - curated by Russell Wrankle
2016 Freak Show - Red Lodge Clay Center - Red Lodge, MT - curated by Wesley Harvey
NCECA Strictly Figurative - Invitational -MCC Penn Valley - Kansas City, MO - curated by Bernadette Torres
TU Core Connections: University of Tulsa Alumni Ceramics Program Exhibition - Tulsa, OK - Living Arts Tulsa
Profit Margin - Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainsville, FL - curated by Derek Reeverts
2015 Body Norms: selections from the Spong Collection - Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo St., NY
Fabulous Figures - Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV - juror: Mark Burns, John Gregg, Peter Jakubowski
Transforming Hate - Myers Gallery, Living Arts Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2013 30 Ceramic Sculptors - John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA
1st Annual Figurative Invitational - Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT
Beginning to End - three person show- Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
2012 Conjuring the Conjugal - Journeys Through the (Un)imagined -solo show- MA Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
Small Favors IV - Invitational - The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
NCECA - Invitational - Push Play - Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA - curator: Linda Ganstrom
2011 Material Mastery KACA - Eppink Gallery, Emporia State Univ, Emporia, KS - juror: Elaine O. Henry
New and Familiar Faces - Featured Artist - MA Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
National Contemporary Realism Show - MA Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK
University of Tulsa MFA Thesis Exhibition - Omens and Prodigies - Myers Gallery, Living Arts, Tulsa, OK
Figurines - National Invitational -Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
Figuration - Invitational - The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Un-Wedged Contemporary Ceramic Work - Pottery Northwest, Seattle, WA - juror: Andy Nasisse
RedHeat National Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition -Alexander Hogue Gallery, Tulsa, OK - juror: Adrian Arleo
7th Annual MBK Graduate Student Exhibition-The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA - juror: Marge Brown
Kalodner
42nd Annual Gussman Student Exhibition- Alexander Hogue Gallery, Tulsa, OK - juror: David Mesple
44th Annual Nat'l Drawing & Small Sculpture Show- Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX - juror: Ron Koehler
2nd Annual Beyond the Brickyard- Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT - juror: Wayne Higby
2009 41st Annual Gussman Student Exhibition- Alexander Hogue Gallery, Tulsa, OK - juror: Laura Kina
2008 Momentum- Living Arts Gallery, Tulsa, OK - juror: Sunni Mercer
University Teaching Experience
ART 148 Ceramics 1- ART 203 Ceramic Sculpture - ART 330 Intermediate Ceramics: The Ceramic Surface - ART 335 Advanced Ceramics - ART 325 Figure Sculpture - Narrative Wall Mural - sculptural high relief wall sculpture (Mayterm) - ART 475 Senior Seminar - The Head in Clay – (Mayterm) - ART 401 Directed Study Habitats for Bees – SALT Summer Research Crystalline Glazes – ART 300DD Glaze Chemistry (Mayterm)
Chair of the Art Department, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT - 2016-2019
Area Head - Ceramics Program, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT
Associate Professor of Art, Ceramics, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT – Fall 2019 -
Assistant Professor of Ceramics, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT - start date - Fall 2013-Spring 2019
Letter of Appointment - Fall 2012 - Summer 2013, Professor of Ceramics, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV
2011 Figurative Sculpture for the Clay Artist – 8-wk course Cont. Ed. – Univ. of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Professional Development – Workshops, Lectures, Assistantships
2020 The Human Figure – Workshop – Kimball Art Center – Park City, Utah
2019 Demonstration – MA Doran Gallery – August – Tulsa, Ok
2018 Workshop - Rendering the Human Form with Clayton Keyes - June 25-29, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
2017 Demonstrator - Michigan Mud Conference - Albion, MI
Lecture - Rovin Ceramics - Ann Arbor, MI
Workshop - Henry Ford College - Dearborn, MI
Clay Arts Vegas, 2-day workshop, Las Vegas, NV
University of Nebraska, Kearney, 2-day workshop, Kearney, NE
Pentaculum, Invited Artist, Arrowmont School of Art and Craft, Gatlinburg, TN
2016 Sierra Nevada College Summer Workshop Series, Incline Village, NV
2015 Hawai'i Potters Guild workshop, Honolulu, HI
featured demonstrator 27th annual CCACA, Davis, CA
2013 juror, modern chair competition, Mod a Gogo, SLC, UT
featured artist demonstrator & lecturer, 25th annual CCACA, Davis, CA
Guest Lecturer, CSU Chico, Chico, CA
Building the human figure with slabs, ceramics weekend workshop, Sierra Nevada College Summer Workshop Series, Incline Village, NV
Heads and Hands – 2-day workshop, The Wedge Ceramics Studio, Reno, NV
Visiting Artist Lecturer & Workshop, Skyline College, San Francisco, CA
2012 Visiting Artist Lecturer & Workshop, David hall, sierra Nevada college, incline village, NV
Visiting Artist Lecturer & Workshop, Wells Fargo Auditorium, Univ. of Nevada, Reno school of art, Reno, NV
Sculpting the Figure in Clay Workshop - Norick art center, Oklahoma City university, OKC, OK
Featured Artist Demonstration - Philbrook museum of art -mix party, young master’s society, Tulsa, OK
2011 The Figure in Clay – 6-week workshop - waterworks art center, Tulsa, OK
2010 Assistant to Esther Shimazu, Santa Fe, NM
Assistant to Cristina Cordova, Penland, NC
Publications
NCECA Journal, Vol. 39, pg. 135, 2018
The Mirror News, “The Figurative Condition: Humanity Reflected in Mud” Sarah Williams Vol. 43, Issue 3, November 6, 2017
Ceramic Sculpture Making Faces, Lark Books, Alex Irvine, pg. 104, 2014
500 Figures, Vol. 2 Lark Books, Juror: Nan Smith, 2014
"Silhouettes" Randi O'Brien, Ceramics Monthly Magazine, November 2013 (text)
"25th Annual CCACA 2013: The Ceramic Sculpture Conference" Exhibition Catalogue, John Natsoulas Gallery, April, 2013
“Ceramic Cycle: Figurative imagery of Christine Golden, Clayton Keyes, and Aisha Harrison” Michael Abatemarco, Pasatiempo Magazine, pgs. 52-53, December 14. 2012
“Push Play: The 2012 NCECA Invitational” Exhibition Catalogue, Linda Ganstrom & Stefano Catalani, pgs. 32-33(text/image)
“Eye-Popping Ceramic Art at BAM, the Henry and Beyond” Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times, March 4, 2012, Seattle, WA (text)
“Figuration at the Clay Studio Exhibition Review” Colette Copeland, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Issue 87, 2012 (text/image)
“DARK CHILDHOOD Push Play: The 2012 NCECA Invitational” Matthew Kangas, Ceramics Monthly Magazine, April 2012 (text/image)
“Reinterpreting Childhood” Jen Hopper, Tulsa People Magazine, April 2012 (text)
“Beyond the Brickyard, 2nd Annual National Juried Exhibition” Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT, catalog (text/image)
“Report from the NCECA Conference” Myra Block Kaiser, Brady Craft Alliance Blog, www.bradycraftalliance.org/blog, p. 4, April 2012 (text/image)
"Artist Interview: Joshua Meier." Eileen Rafferty, In Butterflies and Anvils: A Photographic Journal about Inspiration and Art issue 4, Fall: 2011, pg 10-43.
“TAC’s Tulsa Taboo: More than Naughty Bits” Janice McCormick, OVAC Blog, www.ovacblogspot.com, July 12, 2012 (text/image)
Awards
2018 Keck Grant – S.A.L.T Summer Research – Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT
2017 Keck Grant – S.A.L.T Summer Research – Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT
2015 Best of Show, Fabulous Figures - Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
2011 3rd place, graduate, 43rd Annual Gussman Student Exhibition, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2010 Juror's Choice, Un-Wedged 1st Annual Ceramic Competition and Art Show, Seattle, WA
Alpha Rho Tau Scholarship, given annually by the Alpha Rho Tau artist group, Tulsa, OK
Compelling Narrative Award, Red Heat Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Tulsa, OK
First prize, 7th Annual Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Student Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Best of Show, 42nd Annual Gussman Student Exhibition, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Thomas Manhart Award for Excellence in Ceramics, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Assistantship Scholarship, Penland school of craft, Penland, NC
Graduate Assistantship, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2009 Best of Show, 41st Annual Gussman Student Exhibition, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Jerry Jones Advanced Research Award, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Graduate Assistantship, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2008 Graduate Assistantship, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
2000 Juror’s Choice Award, Outart, IAO gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
Service - Committee Work
Grants and Awards Committee 2020-2022 - Chair, Art Dept 2016-2019 – Peer Review Committee, Prof. Jen Simonds – Peer Review Committee, Dr. David Kimberly - Hiring Committee, Microbiology – E-portfolio Committee - Summer Activities Committee - Peer Review Committee, Prof. David Badley - Peer Review Committee, Prof. Matt Kruback - Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee 2017-2020
Other Academic Service
Bi-Annual Ceramic Sale – Fundraiser for visiting artists and conference attendance – NCECA Conference Attendance with Students – Enactment of the Visual Arts Enrichment Fund, a partnership with Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft
Professional Memberships
2012 American Craft Council; www.artaxis.org : an evolving independent network of artists
2011 Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association
2011 Tulsa Artists Coalition
2009,2010 Oklahoma Visual Artists Coalition
2000,2008-2012, 2016 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
I investigate the human figure in order to create work that will trigger emotional responses in the viewer: I portray emotions elicited by strife and oppression, which comes from an urge to impress upon the viewer the experiences of the oppressed and to draw from them empathy for such. I strive to imbue figures with narratives and emotions that may be difficult to confront. I equally endeavor to make the rendering of the figure visually stimulating and alluring. My wish is for the viewer to be confronted with and experience this tensioned duality, as it is this that allows me to indelibly affect them.