Announcing the 2026-2027 Residency Cohort
Clay Art Center is delighted to announce the 2026–2027 Residents, welcoming Abigail Carpenter as Rittenberg Artist-in-Residence, Kamila Roman as Community Arts Fellow, and featuring the return of Alvaro Villa as a second-year resident.
Since 1998, emerging artists have been advancing their careers at Clay Art Center in our nationally recognized Residency program. Artists-in-Residence have the opportunity to hone their craft and explore their voice as they develop their independent practice, just as the founders of Clay Art Center intended when they first opened the doors nearly 70 years ago. More than 60 emerging artists have had the chance to launch their artistic careers and gain valuable skills in teaching with the support of our community, and in turn the Residents suffuse our studios with energy and fresh perspectives. At the culmination of their residency, each artist presents an exhibition in our Gallery, highlighting their artistic achievements of the past year and giving the community the opportunity to celebrate their hard work. On September 1st, Clay Art Center welcomes our 29th Resident cohort, featuring Abigail Carpenter as Rittenberg Artist-in-Residence, Kamila Roman as Community Arts Fellow, and Alvaro Villa as a second-year Artist-in-Residence. Learn more about each of the Residents below.
Abigail Carpenter (Rittenberg Artist-in-Residence) grew up just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for her BFA in ceramics. Abigail states, “For the past two years, I have been in the post-baccalaureate program at The University of Hartford in Connecticut. I utilize a combination of hand building and wheel throwing techniques with a focus on fabric/surface pattern, the domestic space, and complex silhouettes. My work is a bold reclamation of what is traditionally viewed as feminine in order to bring power and autonomy to women of the past, present, and future.”
Kamila Roman (Community Arts Fellow) is a Puerto Rican contemporary artist who grew up in New York. She earned her BFA from Alfred University, where she focused on ceramics and painting. Through ceramic figures, she explores identity, memory, intuition, and emotion as they relate to the self. She is now very excited to join the Clay Art Center as their Community Arts Fellow this fall. Kamila states, “I paint, and I do ceramics. They both inform each other. When I'm painting, I mainly focus on portraiture subconsciously talking about my community and cultural identity as a Puerto Rican. Painting has become a way for me to digest my relationships with others as I paint them. My work in ceramics has become a way for me to digest my relationship with myself, memories and emotions. I focus a lot on texture and being able to see my touch in the work. Creating each coil or carving is important to me, therapeutic almost as I work through memory and how I felt in that moment.”
Alvaro Villa (Second-year Resident) is a first-generation Mexican-American from Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. He earned a BFA in ceramics, sculpture, and painting from the University of North Texas, and an MFA in ceramic art at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Alvaro lives with his magical companion, Lluna, a cat whose presence adds a touch of enchantment to his creative life. Alvaro grew up meeting healers, curanderos, brujos, and brujas within his community. These encounters enriched his understanding of spirituality and culture, further fueling his creative spirit. As an Aquarian, a middle child, and someone navigating dyslexia, Alvaro found solace and freedom in art. His craft has become a spiritual temple, a space where he channels his identity, experiences, and imagination into vivid, transformative works.