Whether you love slapping clay upon the wheel or drinking from your favorite glazed kitchenware, the Ceramics Take Over Wheeling event is just for you.
From Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1, galleries and venues across Wheeling will be open and filled with some of the best ceramic art in both traditional and contemporary forms. During these four days and three nights, workshops, artist demonstrations, and nine different exhibition openings will be active and ready for anyone to join or observe.
There are also two juried exhibitions being held during the event: “Earth & Fire” at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and “Intercollegiate Ceramics” 2026 at Phillips Lounge at Bethany College. Each exhibition offers cash prizes totaling more than one thousand dollars and will remain on display from February 26 through April 11.
Various other exhibitions will be displayed around the Wheeling area and hosted by different organizations, such as Oglebay Institute’s “Inspiring the Imagination” by Holly Goring and Margaret Kinkeade, Artworks Around Town Gallery and Art Center featuring Jerry Wagner, and “Timeless Collaboration” at the Wheeling Artisan Center by Jillian Heusohn.
Jillian Heusohn, a ceramicist based in Tallahassee, Florida, will be hosting her solo exhibition, “Timeless Collaborations.” Heusohn was the 2025 Intercollegiate Ceramics “Best in Show” artist, and her practice often features ceramics as a metaphor for the body. Her work uses a mixture of clay, underglaze chalk, and screen-printed newsprint transfers to tell stories of relationships, reconnections, and the act of holding in both physical and emotional forms. Heusohn is currently a Ceramics Instructor and Studio Technician at Tallahassee Clay Arts.
In her exhibit, Heusohn explores the dialogue between the past and present through childhood drawings that her family has held onto for decades.
“Timeless Collaborations conveys an aesthetic of girlhood,” said Heusohn. “Not just my own, but one that many people have told me they resonate with. This body of work offers viewers a chance to reminisce on sillier times. It’s such a delight to connect with others who see the work and glimpse a joyful feeling from their own past.”
The childhood drawings are traced, screen-printed, and transferred onto ceramic forms, connecting Heusohn’s forgotten past to her present career. Adult experiences shape her canvas, while her inner child infuses the pieces with play and whimsy, allowing her to embrace girlhood while amplifying a voice from her past.
“To embrace whimsy is to reduce shame. To seek out humor and absurdity is to resist the heavy burdens society can place on us,” said Heusohn. “Playfulness becomes a form of freedom, and silliness a source of joy. Timeless Collaborations invites viewers to reconnect with that inner playful space and to honor the lighthearted moments we hold onto.”
Timeless Collaborations will open Friday, February 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 1400 Market Street.
Don’t forget to visit the charm and history of Wheeling while exploring the events and exhibitions of Ceramics Take Over Wheeling this coming week.
