Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics returns

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Ceramic artists across the country journeyed to Zanesville to show off their work in a curated exhibition.

The Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics opened last night at Seilers’ Studio and Gallery. Ceramics artists across the country submits their work. A panel of judges picks the winner and awards them the coveted prize. Michael Seilers says the prize is the largest awarded for contemporary ceramics in the western hemisphere.

“We said lets come up with contemporary ceramics competition and make best of show $20,000. And this is our third and we are doing it as a bi-annual.”

Although Zanesville Prize is a place for artists to showcase their work and win prizes, it was started as a way to boost the economy. Seiler and his co-founder, David Mitzel, wanted to find a way to encourage entrepreneurship in the city.

“We did it as a means to begin developing and stimulating economic development in Zanesville. As a post industrial city we thought that not only…well we thought that the arts would be a means to bringing economic development.”

The exhibit will run through November 18th and is free to the public. Once it ends there it will move to the Zanesville Museum of Art.