Stuart Kestenbaum to be named honorary member of the council during MAKERS, MENTORS AND MILESTONES, the 50th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – Kansas City, Missouri is preparing to serve as site host of the 50th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. The 2016 conference theme, Makers, Mentors and Milestones, will explore the personal, social and aesthetic forces that animate creative work with elemental materials, methods and ideas in the midst of the information age. The conference will take place March 16­‐19, 2016 at the Kansas City Convention Center, 301 West 13th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. During its annual conference, NCECA bestows highly selective awards to individuals who have made significant impact on the field through service, teaching, creative achievement and/ or extraordinary accomplishments.

NCECA’s designation of Honorary Member of the Council is among the organization’s highest honors. No more than two individuals may receive this award in any given year. With this award, Stuart Kestenbaum joins a very limited list of influential and creative individuals who have inspired thousands to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of ceramic art, teaching and learning.

Recipients of this award have made outstanding contribution to the professional development of the ceramic arts. Haystack serves learners and teaching artists from throughout the U.S. and abroad. Under Stu's leadership, programming has included workshops, community-focused initiatives, mentorship for teens, interdisciplinary symposia, retreats, a writers' series, residencies, and the launch of a digital fabrication studio.

He regularly attended NCECA Conferences and was always eager to learn as much about our field as possible. Gatherings that Kestenbaum organized at Haystack elevated the stature and thoughtfulness of ceramic art by creating opportunities to integrate leading and emergent creators in the field into dialog with thinkers and makers from a wide range of disciplines. 

This award will be officially presented during Makers, Mentors and Milestones, the 50th annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. The conference takes place in Kansas City, Missouri from March 16­‐19, 2016. The awards ceremony will occur on Friday, March 18 at 5:15 p.m. in the Kansas City Convention Center, Grand Ballroom 2501B.