2026 exhibitions and programs
ceremony of the everyday
A Solo Ceramic Exhibition by Hannah Lenhart
Hannah Lenhart is a ceramic artist working and living in the beautiful hills of West Virginia. She is a graduate of Fairmont State University where she received her BA in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics/ Sculpture as well as a BS in Business Administration.
Hannah is currently focused on creating functional and sculptural vessels using cone 6 white stoneware dyed vibrant colors, and decorates with painting and raised slip.
She opened her public studio, “Hannah’s Studios”, in October of 2024 where she creates her personal work, teaches a variety of ceramic classes, and hosts community events. Located at 312 Adams Street in downtown Fairmont, W.V.
Click HERE for more information on Hannah Lenhart
Click HERE for more information on the Nutting Art Gallery.
intercollegiate ceramics 2026
Stifel Fine Arts Center of Oglebay Institute, in partnership with historic Bethany College, will be hosting a national collegiate exhibition of ceramic art in February and March 2025. This exhibit will celebrate and honor the college ceramic artist. The juror will be Earth & Fire 2024 best in show artist George Rodriguez.
The intercollegiate exhibition is the kick-off event for Ceramics Take Over Wheeling, a citywide event celebrating ceramic artists and enthusiasts alike. Galleries and venues across the “Friendly City” are excited to showcase the very best in contemporary and traditional ceramic art during this newly organized 4-day experience.
cocktail party: meet the artists
The Stifel Fine Arts Center and the Wilson Lodge invite conference goers to a meet-and-greet cocktail party from 9-11 in the Hickman Lounge.
Come celebrate the artists, jurors, and all the folks that make this event happen and kick off the opening night of the Earth & Fire weekend festivities with us!
ceramics demo w/ jillian heusohn
This workshop will cover throwing, trimming, planning incisions, and threading into ceramic vessels with materials post-firing. We will cover methods for creating mixed-media works that play with the form and texture of a cup, while still serving its functional purpose.
ceramics demo w/ ruth douzinas
Ruth will demonstrate the toolkit of techniques she uses to build her sculptures. Tinkering both mentally and physically with classic building methods have helped her create a menu of options for achieving desired outcomes. Wheel throwing, slabs building, carving, mold making, and additives to clay are incorporated into her bold large scale ceramic forms. She will discuss her experimental approach to both overall construction, and textured surface treatments.
ruth douzinas solo exhibition
The Gallery at 2265 is proud to host the ceramic works of Ruth Douzinas (Best in Show: Earth & Fire 2025). There will be an artist opening reception on Friday, February 27th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The exhibition will continue through April 11, 2026.
Click Here for more information about Ruth Douzinas
Click Here for more information about The Gallery at 2265
2265 Market St, Wheeling, WV 26003
jerry wagner solo exhibition
Artworks Around Town is hosting the ceramic works of Jerry Wagner. The show will open with a Gallery Hop on Friday, February 27th, 2026 from 5:00 until 7 p.m. in Centre Market. The event is free and open to the public and is a great opportunity to meet this talented potter. The exhibition will continue through April 11, 2026.
Jerry earned an MFA in ceramic art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Early in his career, he worked for Campbell Pottery, near Erie, PA. His duties included the glazing and firing of all the pottery made by numerous potters and production assistants that operated presses, jigger/jolly or slip cast ware. These experiences served as excellent continuing education for Jerry and helped him define the look and finish of work that he was making at the time.
After leaving Campbells Pottery, he taught for a year at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh. He then secured a position as a Field Service Engineer for Swindell Dressler International Company, located in Pittsburgh.
This opportunity enabled him to learn about ceramics on a grand scale with considerably different technologies being employed than were found in the art ceramics world. After 37 years of working as a Ceramic/Combustion/Process Engineer, he retired.
During the last 37 years he continuously maintained a functioning studio and allowed production concerns that he encountered in industrial facilities to quietly influence his work. His pieces have become more functional rather than decorative or abstract, and glaze and finish are now very important to the final product.
He stated, “All glazes are developed and tested by me and while it may take years for me to add a new glaze to my work, I do it with a lot of thought about how the glaze functions with the shape and intent of the completed work.”
Click Here for more information about Artworks Around Town.
2200 Market St, Wheeling, WV 26003
ellipsis: three editors, three artists, three dots
The Gallery at Towngate Theater is excited to host Ellipsis: Three Editors, Three Artists, Three Dots featuring the ceramic works of Holly Goring, Katie Reaver, and Margaret Kinkeade (Jurors for Earth & Fire 2026).
The opening reception will take place on Friday, February 27th from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will continue through April 11, 2026.
Click Here for more information about Holly Goring
Click Here for more information about Margaret Kinkeade
Click Here for more information about Towngate Theater.
2118 Market St, Wheeling, WV 26003
timeless collaborations: an exhibition by jillian heusohn
Timeless Collaborations is a creative partnership between the past and present, inspired by my old childhood drawings that my family held onto for decades. Through the act of drawing, tracing, screen-printing, and transferring childhood imagery onto ceramic forms, I reconnect with a forgotten past. My adult experiences craft the canvas, while my inner child embellishes the vessel with play and whimsy, embracing the softness and silliness of girlhood.
keystone kiln wars: an exhibition and cocktail party
The Stifel Fine Arts Center and the Wilson Lodge invite conference goers to a meet-and-greet cocktail party from 9-11 in the Hickman Lounge.
Come celebrate the artists, jurors, and all the folks that make this event happen and close out the Earth & Fire weekend festivities with us!
ceramics demo w/ margaret kinkeade
By translating the logic of patternmaking to hand-built ceramics, Margaret Kinkeade reveals how flipping, stacking, and altering template-cut slabs can create a spectrum of related yet distinct objects. In this two-hour demonstration, Kinkeade also touches on her quilt-inspired surface decoration and how she uses mishima to extend the use of pattern from form to surface.
artist talk w/ holly goring & katie reaver
Join Holly Goring, managing editor of Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated, and Katie Reaver, editor of Ceramics Monthly, as they walk listeners through the writing and publishing process from proposal to print.
locally centered exhibition
Please join us for Locally Centered 2026, a ceramic exhibition at the Wheeling Artisan Gallery. This exhibit focuses on talented local artists, offering a unique perspective on ceramics created right here in our community. Don’t miss the opening reception on February 28th! It continues through April 11, 2026.
earth & fire 2026
Opening Reception
Join us from 6:30-8:30pm Saturday, February 28, 2026 at the Stifel Fine Arts Center for the opening reception of Earth & Fire 2026: A National Ceramic Art Exhibition.
Explore the exhibit, discover who the winning artists are, and enjoy refreshments. We will have a Facebook Live Stream of the awards ceremony starting around 7:15 p.m. on Oglebay Institute's Facebook page.
Register Here Online or call 304-242-7700 to attend the opening reception. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required. All are welcome. Admission is free for the opening reception.
The exhibit is on display through April 11, 2026.
Regular gallery hours are 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday and 10am-4pm, Saturday. Evening hours vary, please call 304-242-7700 for more information. Admission is free.
pottery throw down & raffle
Pottery Throw Down “Stifel Style”
Come and watch 4 featured artists test their skills in different pottery challenges throughout the afternoon. Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar featuring a Bloody Mary Bar will be included.
Admission $25/$20 OI members
Call 304-242-7700 for more information or click HERE to register for the workshop.