Alfred Ceramic Art Museum appoints assistant director/curator

 Evans is an arts administrator and independent curator with over 10 years of experience. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the New School of Social Research, NYC. His dissertation looked at both the origins of aesthetic theory in the early modern period and the contemporary conversation about “everyday aesthetics.” Evans also holds an MFA in Mixed Media from the University of Calgary.

 His background includes numerous successes with innovative art gallery initiatives such as Nurture Art, Brooklyn, NY and the development of an itinerant gallery space called Projective City for which he curated art exhibitions in unused commercial spaces in Paris, France.  His Mixed Greens Gallery, NYC, collaboration project intitled Paris-Scope was an especially innovative way to show international, site-specific gallery exhibitions by way of a 12x12x12 inch box installed with miniature artwork that when viewed through a peephole appeared to be a full-size installation.

 Evans’ most recent position has been as the assistant coordinator for the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) headquartered at the Ariana Museum of Ceramics and Glass, Geneva, Switzerland. The IAC is affiliated with UNESCO and has 1000 members representing 81 countries from all continents of the globe. As part of his responsibilities Evans organized online exhibitions, spearheaded new administrative initiatives, substantially grew the IAC’s online presence and chaired a majority of the Council of Directors and executive meetings.

 Evans has written the following regarding his work for the IAC: “Working for the IAC has given me incredible exposure to the world of contemporary ceramic art, which I find fascinating. The sheer range of expressive potential is staggering, from the extreme fragility of Naoki Kato’s ethereal structures to the technical virtuosity of Wookjae Maeng’s animal forms, from the abstract tubes of Torbjørn Kvasbø to the figurative, provocative works of Vilma Villaverde. I am thrilled by the possibility of curating contemporary ceramic work, and also delving into the archives to develop new ways of looking at the work of the past.”

Concerning his new position in Alfred, Evans has expressed his excitement about working in such a vibrant arts community, and looks forward to further strengthening connections between the museum, the university, the town, and the surrounding area. Seeing art as an opportunity for conversation, Evans is enthusiastic about starting new conversations in his new role.