Exhibit showcases imaginative teapots at Las Vegas City Hall

By John Przybys Las Vegas Review-Journal

8 years ago

“Realitea: Artificial Warmth,” a Mentors’ Award winner by C.N. Divinagracia of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School, makes a statement about false love through a representation of a literal heart. (Photo by the artist)

Jennifer Molina, Rancho Ceramics (photo by the artist)

“Sweet Tea” by Larissa Powell of Las Vegas Academy offers a convincing examle of trompe-l’oeil (“fool the eye) ceramics, from the broken cone to the pretzel that forms its handle. (Photo by the artist)

“Armous” by Adriana Ayala of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School is a whimsical piece whose high level of quality can be seen via the care taken from top to foot. (Photo by the artist)

Jose Rios, Rancho Ceramics (photo by the artist)

Tyler Beaver, Silverado High School (photo by the artist)

Juror’s Award winner by Zamia Ramirez of Rancho Ceramics. (Photo by the artist)

“Champagne” by Rosabelle Benito-Dumo of Coronado High School has an exterior that wasn’t fired but uses, instead, a cold finish of acrylic paint. (Photo by the artist)

“Tezcatlipoca’s,” a Mentors’ Award winner by Ashley Ortega of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School, is named after an Aztec deity and is a wheel-turned teapot that involved the use of some sophisticated techniques, including the use of alternative firing techniques to create texture. (Photo by the artist)

“Hey Spikes” by Alejandra Solano of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School is a fun take on the form that required a high-heat Western Raku firing process which created a highly metallic, rainbow-colored refractory effect. (Photo by the artist)

“Armous” by Adriana Ayala of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School is a whimsical piece whose high level of quality can be seen via the care taken from top to foot. (Photo by the artist

“Lucky Crane” by Gerry Roberts of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School is a representation of an origami paper crane that features a shimmering glaze. (Photo by the artist)

“Apple of Nutrition” by Lilia Gomez of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School is a complex statement about the genetic modification of food. (Photo by the artist)

“Realitea: Artificial Warmth,” a Mentors’ Award winner by C.N. Divinagracia of Rancho Ceramics Studio at Rancho High School, makes a statement about false love through a representation of a literal heart. (Photo by the artist)

“Champagne” by Rosabelle Benito-Dumo of Coronado High School has an exterior that wasn’t fired but uses, instead, a cold finish of acrylic paint. (Photo by the artist)

Teapots are functional sorts of things. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful, too, and the striking array of forms the humble teapot can take can be viewed in The Neon Teapot Prize, an exhibition that runs through June at the Grand Gallery at Las Vegas City Hall, 495 S. Main St.

The pieces were part of a juried show that featured works by high school students from Clark County and Seminole and Orange counties in Florida and organized by C.A. Traen, a Las Vegas artist and ceramics teacher at Rancho High School.

“The teapot is a quintessential ceramic form,” Traen said. “They serve a purpose, they’re functional, and when most people think of a tea pot they think of the round body — ‘This is my handle, this is my spout.’

“But teapots also can be very sculptural. They’re also an engineering challenge to make sure they function properly, all the way to the spout and the flange on the lid and how it fits properly.”

The exhibition features 30 student teapots, as well as nine professional works, and runs through June 7 at the gallery. Admission is free. For more information, visit https://theneonteapotprize.com.