Pomona, CA– The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) announces a new exhibition, Joan Takayama-Ogawa: Climate Change. Warmer ocean temperatures prompted bleaching events of the world’s coral reef communities, turning healthy colorful coral into weakened ghostly white coral, which is susceptible to disease and death. These coral bleaching events are visual warnings of thermal stress caused by global climate change and are referred to as the “canary in the coal mine.” Climate change is a global ecosystem catastrophe and not a political issue. Takayama-Ogawa’s exhibition includes abstract figurative white coral reef sculptures and white lighting installations calling for the reversal of global warming.

The Joan Takayama-Ogawa: Climate Change exhibit open will be open from January 14 to April 2, 2017. The opening reception isSaturday, January 14th, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.  Join Joan Takayama-Ogawa for the “Artist Lecuture” on Saturday, January 14th, 6:30 PM.

Joan Takayama-Ogawa is a sixth generation potter and ceramic artist. She pays tribute to her Japanese heritage by utilizing their ancient ceramic forms as a guide. She contemporizes them by applying imagery from her American life. Joan studied ceramics under Ralph Bacerra at the Otis Art Institute, now name Otis College of Art and Design, where she currently teaches. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from UCLA in Geography and East Asian Studies and a Masters of Arts from Stanford Graduate School of Education. Joan’s work is a part of many public collections including the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the American Museum of Ceramic Art.

The American Museum of Ceramic Art was founded in 2003, in Pomona, California. The mission of the museum is to champion the art, history, creation, and technology of ceramics through exhibitions, collections, outreach, and studio programming. The AMOCA’s growing ceramics collection led the museum to purchase a former bank building in 2011. The 51,000 square foot building includes ample space for exhibition galleries, collection storage, a library, staff offices, meeting spaces, museum store, parking, and a fully equipped, 12,000 square foot ceramics studio.

For its first nine years, AMOCA was located in a 3,000 square foot storefront in downtown Pomona, an economically struggling district where art is an important element of the continuing community revitalization program. Despite the extremely small space, AMOCA’s talented and dedicated staff organized dozens of thought-provoking exhibitions that drew a local and regional audience.

The American Museum of Ceramic Art is 399 North Garey Avenue, Pomona, CA 91767. Open Wednesday through Sunday, Noon – 5:00pm. Admission: General $7, Student/Senior $5, Members & under 12 Free. You can contact the AMOMC at (909) 865-3146 or visit their website, www.amoca.org.