On the Edge - From Sky to Shore and Sea

A ceramics exhibition exploring the breathtaking beauty and fragility of our ocean world, from sky to shore and sea. Featuring works inspired by coastal landscapes, land and marine life, deep water mysteries and the urgent call of climate awareness. 

The Ceramic Art Center of Marin Gallery and Boutique is located in the heart of the San Rafael Arts District, in its new home, Studio #24, on the downstairs level of Art Works Downtown.
As active members of this creative community, we are delighted to bring this exhibition to life within its walls, inviting the broader Bay Area arts community through its doors and shining a light on one of San Rafael's vibrant creative spaces. This exhibition will meander through several gallery spaces, taking visitors on a revealing and inspiring artistic journey. 

Seashores are among the most magnificent places on Earth, where ecosystems of breathtaking complexity thrive in the space between sky and sea, from dramatic volcanic coastlines that cradle teeming, vibrant tide pools, where coral reefs pulse with color and life, and where the mysteries of the deep water world remain largely beyond our reach and imagination.

This ceramic art exhibition is both a celebration and a call to awareness. It invites ceramic artists to explore the full spectrum of our shores and ocean world, its extraordinary beauty, the remarkable animal life that calls it home, and the fragility of these environments in the face of climate change. It is not a story of doom but one of deep appreciation and honest witness.

We encourage ceramic artists to draw inspiration from shorelines, high air streams, tide pools, volcanic coasts, coral reefs, deep water life, and the creatures, great and small, that inhabit these worlds. Let clay, itself born of the earth, be your means of connection to it.

Works may be true to life, faithful in form and likeness to the creatures and landscapes that inspired them, or entirely abstract, using texture, color, glaze, and shape to evoke feeling, movement, or meaning.

Come to the edge. Look out. Let yourself wonder and be transported.

Important Dates:

Application deadline: September 27, 2026 - 11:59pm

Artist Notifications: By 5pm PST September 30

Art Drop Off Day/ Time/Location: 
Saturday October 2 - 10am - 5pm
CACM Gallery and Boutique
Studio #24 @ Art Works Downtown
1325-1337 Fourth Street
San Rafael, CA 94901

Juror: Jo Clarke
Our juror is a contemporary ceramic artist who brings a designer's eye to the ancient art of clay. A graduate of Harrow College of Art, London, her ceramic work is defined by boldly simplified forms, clean graphic color and modern evocative beauty. https://www.joclarkeceramics.com/about

Jurying: October 3 - 4
Awards: 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be presented October 9 at 6pm. 

Show dates: October 9 - November 13
Opening Reception: October 9 - 5pm - 8pm

All works must have been created within the last two years and be made of a minimum of 90% clay.

Wall pieces, pedestal work, and floor work are all welcome.

Hanging work must be hanging-ready with a maximum weight of 20lbs. All hardware must be installed on the artwork prior to delivery. Please note that the Gallery uses a professional cable and rail hanging system, artwork is suspended from overhead rails rather than hung directly on the wall. All hanging works must be fitted with traditional hanging wire, keyhole brackets, or D-rings (large enough to accommodate the cable). Saw tooth hangers are not compatible with our system and will not be accepted. The Gallery also welcomes proposals for featherlight wall installations that may not require the cable rail system. Wall space for such installations is very limited, artists interested in this option are encouraged to contact us directly to discuss feasibility prior to applying.

Maximum dimensions for pedestal work: 36" x 36".

Applicants must apply using the online application form available through CaFÉ.

Entry Fee: A non-refundable $40 entry fee is required per application.

Maximum Entries: 2 works per artist.

Image Specifications:

• File size: between 1MB and 3MB
• Minimum 1,200px on the longest side
• JPG format only

The Ceramic Art Center of Marin Gallery and Boutique handles all sales transactions. Artists receive a 65% commission on all gallery sales.

All artwork must be for sale.

No accepted work may be withdrawn or sold outside of the exhibition prior to the closing date of November 13, 2026.

All ceramic artists 18 years of age or older residing in California are eligible to apply.

All artwork must be original and completed within the last two years.

Artwork cannot have been previously exhibited at the Ceramic Art Center of Marin or Art Works Downtown.

All wall-hung artwork must be ready to hang with appropriate hardware, including a wire installed on the back prior to delivery. Please note that the Gallery uses a professional cable and rail hanging system. D-rings are acceptable, saw tooth hangers are not compatible.

The Artist is responsible for all shipping costs to and from the Gallery. A prepaid return shipping label from FedEx or UPS must be included at the time of delivery. Artists shipping via USPS are responsible for arranging and paying for return shipping at the close of the exhibition if their artwork does not sell. Artists are always encouraged to buy shipping insurance when shipping.