ST. PETERSBURG — Taylor Robenalt combines the work of storytelling artists in “Universal Narratives,” opening Saturday, July 11, from 5 to 9 p.m., at the Morean Center for Clay in the Warehouse Arts District at 420 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg.
Presented by Robenalt, the exhibition — which is on view from July 11 through Sept. 5 — centers around the powerful use of art as a medium to share tales, preserve history, and express personal and collective experiences. Ceramics, with its tactile and transformative qualities, provides a unique avenue for artists to shape narratives in a tangible form. This exhibition outlines a collaborative initiative to bring together artists from various backgrounds and create ceramic works that tell compelling stories.
The culmination of work explores diverse cultural, personal, and historical narratives. During its creation, it provided opportunities for skill-sharing, idea developing, and artistic exchange. The final showcase features diverse means of accomplishing ceramics narration.
According to her website, Robenalt is an artist and educator whose practice is grounded in material exploration and craft. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University with a focus on bronze casting and stone carving, and later received her master’s degree in ceramics from the University of Georgia in 2011 on a full-tuition scholarship. Robenalt is a full-time professor at Ringling College of Art and Design, where she balances teaching with an active studio practice.
Participating artists include Robenalt, Maria Albornoz, Bryan Wilkerson, Tammy Marinuzzi, Pavel Amromin, Casey McDonough, Robert Kolhouse, Chelsey Albert, Tiffany Leach, Keith Wallace Smith, Betsy Wild, and Meghan Sullivan.
Maria Albornoz holds an MFA in Ceramics from Tyler School of Art and a BFA from the University of South Florida. Her practice is grounded in hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques, with a focus on surface imagery that evokes quiet, familiar moments.
“At the heart of my artistic exploration lies an inquiry into personal history and cultural identity,” Albornoz states on her official website. “Navigating the intricacies of my Venezuelan upbringing, now rooted in the United States, I intertwine threads of heritage, infusing my creations with the essence of my journey and the traditions that define me.”
Pavel Amromin was born in Gomel, Belarus. When he was 13, he and his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and his Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Florida.
Tiffany Leach is a studio ceramic artist and educator. Her sculptures address the social norms and of contemporary society for women. Leach’s work has been exhibited, lectured, and collected at national and international venues. Currently a professor of art, she serves as the department chair and director of the MFA in Visual Arts at Jacksonville University.
“My body of artwork is empowered by the associations of cultural influence in terms of relationships, language and the exploration of journey,” Leach explains in her artist statement on her website. “The traditional use of the vessel as a means of containment is a starting point for the works. A vessel is a relatable object for human interaction; it often draws the viewer into the piece to explore the possibility of inner forms and elements of the familiar.”
For information about other participating artists, visit moreanartscenter.org/exibition/taylor-robenalt-universal-narratives/.
The exhibition is free and open to the public from Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Housed in a historic freight train depot in St. Petersburg’s vibrant Warehouse Arts District, the Morean Center for Clay is the largest pottery studio in the Southeast, and one of the largest in the United States. It is one of four venues operated by the Morean Arts Center, a cornerstone of the region’s cultural landscape dedicated to connecting people with art. Home to more than 50 ceramic artist studios, the Center for Clay supports the creation of both functional and sculptural ceramic art, reflecting the Morean’s mission to foster creativity, accessibility, and community engagement through the arts.