EDUCATION
2018: New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University | Master of Fine Arts | Ceramics
2013: Kansas City Art Institute | Bachelor of Fine Arts | Ceramics & Art History
SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024: A Taste of Something Special (solo), AGO Projects at Zak+Fox, New York, NY
2023: Midwest Sweat (solo), Jane Hartsook Gallery, Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY
2022: Overabundance (two-person) Northcutt Steele Gallery, Montana State University, Billings, MT
2021: Afterimage (solo), Theorii Contemporary, Great Falls, MT
Maura Wright for the Tiny Pedestal Project (solo), Dream Clinic Project Space, Columbus, OH
2018: Not Another Muse (solo), Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Alfred University, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025: FOG Design+Art, AGO Projects, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
2024: Animal House, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Resident Artists Exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
Bill and Jack and Other Friends, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, NY
Fellowship Artists Exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2023: Design Miami, AGO Projects, Miami, FL
Bray Resident Artists, Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, Spokane, WA
Resident Artists Exhibition, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
NCECA, Trish Martindell Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2022: Lit, Placed Projects at SAV/Medium Gallery, Bozeman, MT
GARDEN, LADIES’ ROOM, Los Angeles, CA
Cornucopia, Artstream Nomadic Gallery, Carbondale, CO
Bray Resident Artists, Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, Spokane, WA
Where You From?, Placed Projects, Tinworks Art, Bozeman, MT
2020: Sun Seeds, Theorii Contemporary, Great Falls, MT
Bray Days, Robert and Gennie DeWeese Gallery, Bozeman, MT
2019: Northwest ClayFest, Pottery Northwest, Seattle, WA
Teapot Invitational, Morgan Contemporary, Pittsburgh, PA
AMACO Thinking Outside the Jar: 100 Artists, 100 Years, Omni Hotel, Minneapolis, MN
2018: US Emerging Voices in Clay, District Clay Center, Washington D.C.
Small Scale Bake Shale, NCECA, Pittsburgh, PA
Expatriate Ceramics, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2017: Spring Break Art Fair, New York, NY
2016 Archie Bray Resident Artists, NCECA, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
2016: Summer Invitational, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Better Together, Belger Craneyard Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Alumni Gathering, Belger Craneyard Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Red Star Studios Resident Exhibition, Columbia College, MO
2015: Here & Now, Belger Craneyard Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Red Star Studios Resident Exhibition, Lightwell Gallery, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
2013: World Cup, Apple House Gallery, Guldagergaard, International Ceramic Research Center, Skaelskor, Denmark
HOTBOX, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2013 Annual BFA Show, H&R Block Artspace, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2012: 7th International Exhib. of Small Forms Porcelain, The Riga Porcelain Museum, Riga, Latvia
Flux, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
EXPO #82, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
RESIDENCIES
2022-2024: Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2019: Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT
2016: Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2014-2016: Belger Arts, Kansas City, MO
2013: Project Network Symposium, Guldagergaard- The International Ceramic Research Center, Skaelskor, Denmark
2012: International Ceramics Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary
2011: International Ceramics Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary
PUBLICATIONS
2024: Maura Wright’s coil-built vessels bask in New York limelight, AD Pro, September 2024
Maura Wright: Creating What She Wants, Ceramics Monthly, October 2024
Designer of the Day, SURFACE Magazine, September 2024
Exhibitions, Sight Unseen Newsletter, September 14, 2024
Ruffled Vases, Chaises Longues Made of Pipes, and More Design Finds, CURBED, September 2024
T&C Stamp of Approval, Town & Country Magazine, September 2024
Placed Chronicle, February 2024
One to Watch: Artist Maura Wright sifts through the history of ceramics to upend conventions of bygone eras, Architectural Digest, February 2024
The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors, Ben Carter, Quarry Publishers
2023: Emerging art and reflection at Art Basel Miami Beach 2023, Vogue Mexico, December 2023
These are the best things we saw at the Miami Fairs this year, Dwell Magazine, December 2023
471: Maura Wright on Her Portrayal of Beauty Rituals in Midwest Sweat, Tales of the Red Clay Rambler, Podcast Interview, June 2023
Exposure, Ceramics Monthly, May 2023
Discoveries, Sight Unseen Newsletter, April 17, 2023
2014: 500 Figures in Clay, Volume 2, Lark Crafts, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
2013: Undergraduate Showcase, Ceramics Monthly, September 2013
AWARDS & HONORS
2024: Strategic Investment Grant, Montana Arts Council, MT
2023: Quigley-Hiltner Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation, MT
Rudy Autio Grant, Archie Bray Foundation, MT
2022: Lillian Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation , MT
2022: Strategic Investment Grant, Montana Arts Council, MT
2021: CARES, Montana Arts Council Grant, MT
2016-2018: Graduate Fellowship, NYSCC at Alfred University, NY
2013: Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship, NCECA
McKeown Special Project, Kansas City Art Institute, MO
2009-2013: Trustee’s Scholarship Recipient, Kansas City Art Institute, MO
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024 - Present: Studio Artist | Designer, Kansas City, MO
2018 - 2022: Gallery Program Manager, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
- Managed the Gallery Program including: the exhibitions program, annual benefit auction, permanent collection, and sales gallery at the Archie Bray Foundation. These programs required: maintaining artist and client correspondence; packing, shipping, photography, and installation of artworks; curation of artworks and artists for exhibitions, auction, and sales gallery programming.
2022: Instructor, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
- Instructor for an eight week, continuing education class for adults focused on the handbuilt vessel.
2018: Teaching Assistant for Linda Sormin & Dawn Franklin, Ox-Bow School of Art, Saugatuck, MI
-Assisted a two week intensive ceramics class, “Shaping the View”, focused on the study of the architectural folly. Students worked independently and collaboratively to create site specific narrative structures in clay.
2018: Teaching Assistant for Kelcy Chase Folsom, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, NY
-Instructed a Freshman level, ceramics handbuilding course within the Foundations program of the School of Art & Design.
2017: Teaching Assistant for Linda Sormin, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, NY
-Instructed a Sophomore level, Introduction to Handbuilding class in the School of Art & Design, focused on developing basic sculptural building methods using clay. Utilizing coil-building, slab construction, solid building, and extrusions, students learned to create multi-dimensional ceramic sculpture through varied forms and inspirations found in both historical and contemporary ceramic art while also learning the fundamental technical skills required to work in ceramics: loading and firing kilns, clay and glaze mixing.
2017: Teaching Assistant for Kelcy Chase Folsom, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, NY
-Instructed a Junior level class in the School of Art & Design, focused on using literature as a source of inspiration in the making of sculptural works using clay and other materials.
2013-2016: Gallery Assistant, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
-Assisted with daily gallery needs including: writing press releases, design of promotional materials, HTML web coding, correspondence with artists and clients, packing, shipping and the installation of artwork.
2011-2016: Assistant to Professor George Timock, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
-Assisted with itemized budgeting, correspondence with the International Ceramics Studio, and the production of promotional materials for the 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 Kansas City Art Institute Study Abroad trips to Kecskemet, Hungary.
-Artist assistant including: design of personal promotional materials, web design, secretarial tasks, etc.
2015-2016: Instructor, Belger Arts, Kansas City, MO
-Beginning wheel throwing for adults.
2014-2015: Instructor, School for Continuing and Professional Studies, Kansas City Art Institute, MO
-Drawing, sculpture, and painting instructor for children ages 6-8. Students explored a variety of tools and materials that allowed them to develop basic observational, constructing, sculpting, and compositional skills.
-Adult and high school ceramics instructor - introduction to handbuilding.
2011-2012: Intern to Dr. Catherine Futter, Uhlmann Senior Curator, Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
-Assisted in the research and writing of exhibition labels for Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851–1939, an exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
-Researched the work of Belgium artist, Ives Maes, in preparation for the installation of his work, The Future of Yesterday: Photographs of Architectural Remains of World’s Fairs at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
VISITING ARTIST - LECTURES | WORKSHOPS | DEMOS
2025: Visiting Artist Lecture & Demo (upcoming), Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2024: Visiting Critic, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
Visiting Artist, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
2023: Exhibiting Artist Lecture, Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY
2020: Visiting Artist Lecture & Demo, New York University, New York, NY
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
2024: Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2022: The Rosenfield Collection, Dallas, TX
2018: Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, NY
2016: Belger Arts Center, Kansas City, MO
2013: Collection of Contemporary Ceramic Art, The Riga Porcelain Museum, Latvia