The Virginia A. Groot Foundation announced that alumna and Visiting Assistant Professor Kate Clements (‘11 Painting & Art History) is a recipient of the Virginia A. Groot Grant and received $20,000 to further her artistic development. Each year, the Foundation offers three grants to artists who have exceptional talent and demonstrated ability in ceramic sculpture or sculpture of diverse mediums. Clements uses hand-formed glass to explore beauty and impermanence, balancing control with the natural unpredictability of the material.

The grant was established so that sculptors working in ceramics or diverse mediums have the opportunity to devote a substantial period of time to the development of their work. For more than 30 years, the Foundation has supported artists in launching their bodies of work, furthering their artistic careers, expanding their skill sets, and creating a community of like-minded individuals who offer each other inspiration and motivation to realize their ultimate potential.

Reflecting on the award, Clements shared:

“I am deeply honored to be awarded third place for the Virginia A. Groot Grant. Having followed this prestigious award and its exceptional roster of past recipients for more than ten years, I am truly thrilled to be recognized alongside artists whose work I have long admired.”

Kate Clements constructs delicate and ornate large-scale paintings and installations composed of kiln-fused glass panels. Working with frit, a type of crushed glass, she sifts, scatters, and pushes the sugar-like substance onto a kiln shelf to form dimensional drawings. The wafer-thin panels reference naturalistic designs and floral motifs that she uses to explore ideas of beauty, taste, and impermanence. Utilizing the seductive qualities of glass, Clements draws the viewer in, however, upon further inspection, the work reflects a nervous tension and precariousness that is palpable.