Courtney Mattison: Undercurrent
On view May 6 - September 3, 2023
Courtney Mattison, Our Changing Seas III, 2014. Ceramic sculpture. Image courtesy of Arthur Evans, Tang Museum.
Courtney Mattison creates intricate and large-scale ceramic sculptural works that visualize climate change through the fragile beauty of marine life. Her sculptures inspired by coral reefs depict the delicate beauty found beneath the sea and highlight biodiversity impacted by human activity. After studying marine biology and ceramic sculpture in college and graduate school, Mattison dedicated her career to creating art that calls attention to threats facing the ocean. Her background in marine conservation informs her work, and her advocacy seeks to inspire us to preserve our changing seas. The works in this two-gallery exhibition will confront viewers by bringing them up close and personal to coral reefs and promoting meaningful change needed to protect our underwater ecosystems.
Her work has been commissioned internationally for permanent collections, including those of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Endurance ship. Exhibitions include solo shows at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the U.S. Department of Commerce headquarters, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego/North. Curated group exhibitions include “Fragile Earth” at the Brandywine River Museum of Art and “We the People” at the American Museum of Ceramic Art. In 2020, the United Nations Postal Administration published Mattison’s work on a stamp to commemorate Earth Day. Her work has been featured on the covers of American Craft, Nature, Beaux Arts and Brown Alumni magazines, and has been featured by Smithsonian Magazine, Good Morning America, Oprah Magazine and BBC World Service. She lives and works in San Francisco.
Images from Courtney Mattison: Undercurrent. Image credit, Bailey Tillman.
Courtney Mattison. Photo Credit: Jeff Minton
Upcoming Programs:
2023: Flora & Fauna
This exhibition is part of a year-long series dedicated to Flora and Fauna. Check out the entire 2023 exhibition roster.
This project is presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, with support in part from our Board of Directors, the Elizabeth Calendar King Foundation, Gundersen Medical Foundation, Winona Foundation, the Winona Community Foundation, and other generous sustaining contributions from foundations, corporations, individuals, members and volunteers.
Special thanks to our sponsors and partners, Lake and Company (Media Partner), and the Blue Heron Coffeehouse (Hospitality Partner).
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
