Two Concord-Carlisle High School students selected for national ceramics exhibition

CONCORD — Two Concord-Carlisle High School students will display their ceramic sculptures at a national exhibition after their work was selected from more than 1,000 student submissions across the country.

According to Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter, Paulina “Polly” Rivero and John “Fisher” Tibbitt were selected for the K-12 Ceramic Exhibition hosted by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). Their work will be displayed during the organization’s annual conference in Detroit from March 25 through March 28.

Only 150 students nationwide were selected for the exhibition out of 1,051 submissions from students in kindergarten through grade 12, including 750 high school juniors and seniors.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment,” said Concord-Carlisle High School ceramics teacher Sarah Chapman. “Fisher and Polly’s work are completely different, yet both are incredibly strong in their own way. That’s exactly what you hope to see in a ceramics program. Students learn the same core skills, but they use them to express different ideas and perspectives.”

Rivero’s sculpture, “Penitent Mary Magdalene,” explores the challenge of translating fabric into clay, Superintendent Hunter said in a statement. Inspired by the painting The Holy Face by Francisco de Zurbarán, the piece depicts Saint Mary Magdalene emerging from draped ceramic fabric.

“I thought sculpting fabric might be challenging, but it creates such an interesting effect when the form is translated into ceramic,” Rivero said. “When I found out my piece had been selected to be shown, I felt overcome with excitement, but also incredibly grateful as it felt like my hard work was finally getting some recognition.”

Tibbitt’s piece, “A Secret Garden Residence,” is an architectural sculpture that took more than a month to complete and represents a shift from the wheel-thrown ceramics he had previously produced in class.

“It started as an exploration; I had never deviated from the usual wheel-thrown pieces we did in class,” Tibbitt said. “But thanks to Mrs. Chapman’s classroom environment, which encourages independent exploration, I had the freedom to begin an architectural piece.”

Tibbitt said he was honored to have his work selected for the exhibition.

“If this news had been shared with me last year, I would have never believed it,” he said. “I did not consider myself much of an artist at the time. Despite this, I found a style that spoke to me, and with that, I made a piece I am very proud of. I am pleased to be selected, and I hope my work inspires others just like it inspired me.”

Chapman said Tibbitt’s piece stands out for its imagination and intricate architectural details, while Rivero’s sculpture conveys strong emotion through expressive folds of clay.

“Being recognized through the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is incredibly meaningful,” Chapman said. “It is one of the most respected organizations in the ceramics world. For students to receive that kind of recognition at the high school level is a major honor.”

Students whose work is selected for the exhibition are also eligible to apply for more than $50,000 in scholarships and awards offered annually through the program. Awards range from cash prizes to renewable college scholarships.

Chapman will attend the conference on behalf of the school and to support the students whose work was chosen for the exhibition, Superintendent Hunter said in the statement.