Different and uncomfortable, beautiful and compelling, Stories Without Borders: Personal Narratives in Clay, the 74th Scripps College Ceramic Annual exhibition, makes room for a wide variety of perspectives expressed in clay. It celebrates artists from many backgrounds whose work addresses their social and cultural experiences. More on the artists will be shared at a special lecture at the Scripps Humanities Auditorium on Sat., Jan. 20, from 4 to 5 pm, followed by the opening reception, with live music and light refreshments, from 7 to 9 pm at the Williamson Gallery. The events are free and open to the public. The Annual runs through Apr. 8, 2018.

Patsy Cox, professor of Visual Art, California State University, Northridge, is the show's guest curator. She had a particular interest in featuring multiple perspectives in this Annual. "As an artist and educator from a multicultural background," she explained, "I am personally interested in exploring the manner in which cultures affect, impact, and assimilate into one's art. For this Ceramic Annual, I have selected artists who make work that speaks directly about their identity, roots, home and sense of belonging as well. These sentiments are expressed visually and physically in their work through the artists' use of color, form, and content."

Participating artists include Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Christina Erives, Steven Young Lee, Roberto Lugo, Kyungmin Park, Zemer Peled, and Roxanne Swentzell. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalog with an essay by Namita Gupta Wiggers, Director and Co-Founder of Critical Craft Forum.

The Scripps College Ceramic Annual is the longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the United States. For more information on the exhibition, please visit rcwg.scrippscollege.edu or call (909) 607-4690. The gallery is open from 12 to 5 pm, Wed. through Sun. during exhibitions. Admission is free.

Sincere thanks go to the supporters of the Ceramic Annual, principally the Pasadena Art Alliance. Special thanks also go to private donors who supported the catalog, including Julianne and David Armstrong, Francine and Bill Baker, Francine Tolkin Cooper, Dana and Kirk Delman, David Furman, Susan and Brent Maire, Diane and Igal Silber, and Skutt Ceramic Products, Inc. At Scripps, thanks go to the Ceramic Annual Fund, Lincoln Ceramic Annual Fund, Lincoln Ceramic Study Center Fund, and the Paul Soldner Endowment.

Scripps College was founded in 1926 by Ellen Browning Scripps, a pioneering philanthropist and influential figure in the worlds of education, publishing, and women's rights. Today, Scripps is a nationally top-ranked liberal arts college and women's college with approximately 950 students, and is a member of The Claremont Colleges in Southern California. The mission of Scripps College is to educate women to develop their intellects and talents through active participation in a community of scholars, so that as graduates they may contribute to society through public and private lives of leadership, service, integrity, and creativity.