Artist: Becky Meneely

Becky Meneely, MISSOURI

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Bio: 
Becky took her first pottery class at the age of 7 as part of an after-school program while living in rural northwestern Kentucky and has been hooked ever since. She earned a BA in 2010, majoring in history with a minor in art (an emphasis in ceramics) and an MA in 2012. She continued pursuing ceramics after graduation, working in community studios until 2017 when she was able to set up her own home studio.  When not at her day job, she works out of her garage in rural northern Missouri, where she draws inspiration from
the plants and wildlife that live around her. 

Artist Statement: 

This work is a reluctant love letter to the Midwest. Having lived from the east coast to the west coast, and several stops in-between, I’ve always felt in search of my “place,” but consistently found myself returning to the Midwest, and so I’ve decided to love it, how ever so reluctantly.

My work explores the often overlooked, quiet beauty of my fly-over home. The
wildflowers that grow along the seemingly endless miles of gravel roads and fence rows occupy the background space of my work, and the wildlife that adorn the pots capture attention and invite viewers to look closer, just as they also do in real-life. This work is intended to be a tactile experience for daily use. I am endlessly fascinated by textures and how things feel, and I strive to create work that begs to be held and investigated, and feels at home in user’s hands.

Education: 
2010 Bachelor or Arts; History, Studio Art (ceramics)
Northwest Missouri State University
2012 Master of Arts: American History
Northwest Missouri State University

Exhibitions: group, juried: 
2024
- Winter Warmers Benefit Cup Show, Good Earth Pottery - Bellingham,
WA
- Mug Madness, Saltstone Ceramics - Seattle, WA
- Imposters Cup Show, virtual cup show
- Maverick Potter Invitational, invited artist, Maverick Pottery - Salida, CO
2023
- Raise a Toast III, Edwardsville Arts Center - Edwardsville, IL
- Imposters Cup Show, Virtual cup show
- Art of Healing, MOSAIC Healthcare System - Maryville, MO
- Edwardsville Art Fair, Edwardsville Arts Center - Edwardsville, IL
- Sixteenth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function, Gulf Coast State
College - Pensacola, FL *Winner - Best in Show
- Cup of Joy (10th Annual), invited artist, Trackside Studio & Gallery -
Spokane, WA
2022
- Raise a Toast II, Edwardsville Arts Center - Edwardsville, IL
- Lawrence Art Fair, Lawrence
- Useful Space, Clay Center New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
- Winter Warmers Benefit Cup Show, Good Earth Pottery – Bellingham,
WA
2021
– Hand to Mouth, Sweetwater Center for the Arts – Selwicky, PA
- The Endless Cup, Clay Arts Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
- A Taste of Home, Clay Art Center – Port Chester, NY
- Cup: The Intimate Object XVII, Charlie Cummings Gallery – Gainesville,
FL

Residences and continuing education:
2023
- Artist-inviting-artist Residency - Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge,
MT. (June - July)

2022
- Finding Your Voice - Mentorship Program - study done under
guidance of Naomi Clement. (January - May)