The Ink & Clay Collection continues to grow each year as winning entries in the university’s annual Ink & Clay exhibition, a juried show of works by professional artists from throughout the country, are added through Purchase Awards vetted by the selected Jurors, Donor Representative, Gallery Curator and the University President’s Office. The collection, as of 2020, encompasses just over 200 Ink & Clay purchase award winners.

Established in 1971, Ink & Clay is an annual juried competition and exhibition of printmaking, drawing, ceramic ware, clay sculpture, installation and mixed media utilizing any variety of “ink” or “clay” as a material. The exhibition is sponsored by the W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery of Cal Poly Pomona and is underwritten by the generosity of the late Col. James “Jim” H. Jones and Mr. Bruce Jewett Endowments, with additional support from the Office of the University President.

Ink & Clay’s competition is open to artists working in all 50 states, making it a nationwide competition. The exhibition is documented through an on-line catalog and a printable PDF file. Unique among juried exhibitions, Ink & Clay is annually celebrated and recognized by artists and collectors for its quality and diversity.

Jurors of Ink & Clay are notable figures in the art industry, with expert background in either “ink” or “clay”, or both, and/or curatorial expertise. Each assist in the selection of the items that go on display which simultaneously compete against one another for prizes. After the initial juried selections are made, artist-participants are notified and the artwork is received for display.

Upon completion of the display and installation of the artworks, the jurors see the works together in person and make recommendations for purchase, select artworks to be awarded and grant a majority of the prizes.

The Office of the University President and Memorial Jones Award Donor-Representative Bruce Jewett in turn select Purchase Awards based on the juror recommendations. Jury and Gallery Curator also make selections for purchase. The artworks purchased become part of the Col. Jones Memorial Ink & Clay Collections within the University’s Permanent Collections under the oversite of the College of Environmental Design. The current day holdings of the Ink & Clay Collection are comprised of over 200 clay, print, ink, ceramics, sculptures and mixed media artworks.

The History of Cal Poly Pomona's annual Ink and Clay

In the early 1970s, University donor, Col. James Jones, realized there were many emerging artists in Southern California who needed an opportunity to exhibit at a professional level. He approached the University and offered financial support for establishing an exhibition for those artists. In 1971, the Art Department faculty put together a show of ceramicware and prints, and Ink & Clay was born. The format was so successful that the next exhibit in 1972 marked the beginning of a time-honored tradition that continues through today. In its early years, Ink & Clay’s focus was on inviting artists from the Southwestern region of the United States, and was held in the ASI gallery and in the University Library. That changed, however, when the W. Keith and Janet Kellogg Art Gallery opened in 1988, and became the new home of Ink & Clay. The annual competition was opened up to artists working across the Western U.S. The gallery expanded in the late 1990s, and in 2013, opened up the competition nationally. It now mounts larger exhibits within its 4000 square foot space that include as many as 70 to 100 artworks each year as part of the tradition that is Ink & Clay.

More about:

• the donor Col. James H. Jones
• the donor Bruce M. Jewett

Additional Sources

• Ink & Clay 40 Art Competition Balances Old School and Cutting Edge
• ‘Ink & Clay 42’ Juried Art Show On View at Cal Poly Pomona
• 'Ink and Clay 34' Showcases Best in Ceramics, Prints