So Much More to Ceramics Than Your Ordinary Ashtray

The Design Chapter of the American Ceramics Society has put together a show that aims to elevate the image of ceramics from the craft-class-ashtray category.

On Saturday and Sunday, “California Clay 2000” will feature the work of 50 ceramics artists who will sell their work, and demonstrate some of their techniques, at the Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia.

The event is a showcase both for the versatility of clay and the cultural diversity of Los Angeles, said spokeswoman Carol Sils, a studio clay artist. “We want to show the community the wide range of work being done here.”

Compared to metal, clay is an easy medium to use and relatively inexpensive. Because of these qualities that make it easy to bring into an amateur crafts class, clay has developed something of a “ho-hum” quality, she said.

“And because clay has been there since the beginning of consciousness,” she added, “some people think of it as strictly functional, and identify it with everyday objects like household pottery and casseroles.”

But that seems to be changing, she said. “I think that because more people are going to galleries and shows, they are seeing that clay is an artistic medium, like metal or wood or paper.”

The show will also spotlight the lively shapes and functions--from vases to tiles to sculptures--that are produced by the ceramics artists working in the region.

Although throwing clay by using a wheel is the commonly known way of working it, there are many other forming techniques--from pinching the substance by hand to working with a series of coils, or clay ropes.

Also, the range of work is enriched by the multicultural aspect of the Los Angeles show--participants include artists with Chinese, Armenian, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Native American and Latin American backgrounds. “I think it will be a real eye-opener for people accustomed to those shops where you paint your own ashtrays,” said Sils.

The show is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The Arboretum is at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Information: (626) 821-3222.

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Connie Koenenn can be reached at connie.koenenn@latimes.com.