2025 COLLECTORS TOUR
NCECA’s 59th Annual Conference, Formation, in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 26-29, 2025. Reserve yours today!

2025 COLLECTORS TOUR AND PRICING

NCECA’s 59th Annual Conference,
Formation, Salt Lake City, Utah
March 24 - 29, 2025.

Dara Hartman, 2024 Annual Exhibition Artist, Photo credit: Meg Eastman

To register and learn more about NCECA, contact Jacqueline Hardy at jacqueline@nceca.net.

Contact Kate Lydon
lydon8@gmail.com for questions about the tour itinerary.

2025 NCECA COLLECTORS TOUR
Formation NCECA’s 59th Annual Conference


Monday morning, March 24 – Saturday, March 29, 2025
Salt Lake City, Utah

Led by Kate Lydon and Judy Barie with curatorial support by NCECA Exhibitions Director Adam Chau and Utah ceramic artists Dara Hartman, Horacio Rodriguez, and Antra Sinha

The 2025 NCECA Collectors Tour promises an exciting week of experiences specially curated for avid collectors of ceramic art. The itinerary offers insider opportunities to collect from dozens of exhibitions throughout the region during Formation, the 59th annual NCECA conference. Exclusive studio and collection visits, curator and creative community connections, and shared meals will be threaded throughout the week. (Two dinners and four lunches are included.) 

Avid, emerging to experienced collectors of ceramic art will be interested in taking part in the 2025 NCECA Collectors Tour. This promises to be an exciting week of specially curated experiences, led by Kate Lydon with Judy Barie and curated by Utah-based ceramic artists Dara Hartman, Horacio Rodriguez and Antra Sinha.

Commencing with a full day of studio and exhibitions that begin Monday morning, March 24, 2025, and an opening dinner on Monday evening, the itinerary encompasses studio, collection, curator, and exhibition visits through Thursday, March 27, with ample time to explore conference programming and showcases for ceramic art within and surrounding the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center from Thursday-Saturday afternoon. 

Registration will be limited to no more than 30 people. Participants will gain early access to thoughtfully selected exhibitions and enjoy purchasing opportunities while sharing meals, conversations, and thought-provoking presentations with an evolving daily line-up of dynamic, informed, and engaging special guests. Travel throughout the region will be provided to most locations via luxury motorcoach. Smaller vehicles may be used to reach special destinations.

Every minute of the tour will foster relationships around shared passions, opening new insights into ceramic art’s evolution and the work and people involved in its exhibition, creation, and appreciation.

Sana Musasama, 2025 Formation Conference, Closing Keynote Presenter and 2024 Innovator Award Recipient

2024 NCECA Rendered Fusion Annual Exhibition, Photo Credit: Meg Eastman

2025 Collectors Tour
Tentative Itinerary Framework

MONDAY, MARCH 24
BUS TRANSPORTATION BEGINS 9:00 AM and ENDS 8:30 PM
Visit Utah State University Ceramics Program in Logan, Utah

Guest Artist John Neely
Group Lunch
Curator and exhibition visits at Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art
Studio visits with Antra Sinha and Horacio Rodriguez
Group Dinner

TUESDAY, MARCH 25  
BUS TRANSPORTATION BEGINS 9:00 AM and ENDS 7:00 PM
Preview visits with curators and jurors of NCECA Cornerstone Exhibitions at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (NCECA Annual, NCECA Juried Student Exhibition, and NCECA Multicultural Fellowship Exhibitions)
Exhibition visits at Mestizo Gallery, Modern West Fine Art, cityhomeCOLLECTIVE, Phillips Gallery, David Ericson Fine Art.
Private collection Visit
VIP Gallery Expo Preview

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
BUS TRANSPORTATION BEGINS 9:00 AM and ENDS 8:00 PM
Exhibitions in and around Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City Arts Council Finch Lane Gallery, A Gallery/Allen+Alan Fine Art, Material Gallery, Visual Art Institute, Curator visits at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Natural History Museum, Chase Home Museum
VIP reserved seating for conference opening ceremonies and opening keynote with Suleika Jaouad in conversation with Kim Dickey

THURSDAY, MARCH 27
BUS TRANSPORTATION BEGINS 9:00 AM and ENDS 6:00 PM
Visit and explore Sego River Dam Project by the late eco artist Patricia Johnson at Sugar House Park
Studio visit with Dara Hartman
Group Lunch
Exhibition visit at the Human Rights Gallery of the Leonardo Museum
Collection visit
Exhibition visit at Salt Lake Acting Company
Explore conference programming and exhibitions at Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center
Group Dinner

FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Explore exhibitions in the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center
Dive into conference programming
Attend opening receptions at UMOCA
Dinner on own

SATURDAY MARCH 29
VIP seating for Emerging Artists and closing keynote by
Sana Musasama

Learn More About Tour Leaders Judy Barie and Kate Lydon

  • An artist who creates contemporary abstract works. Judy Barie also acts as a consultant for Contemporary Craft and Oxford Development. She splits her time between Pittsburgh and Chautauqua, New York, where she serves as the Susan and John Turben Director of CVA Galleries, and curates several exhibitions each summer for Chautauqua Institution. After earning a BFA from West Virginia University, Barie spent a year-long printmaking residency at Atelier 17, now known as Atelier Contrepoint in Paris, France. Barie is represented by Artists Circle Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland; Bonfoey Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio; and Zynka Gallery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has had solo exhibitions at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in New York, Cumberland Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee, and G2 Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

  • For more than three decades, Kate Lydon was Director of Exhibitions at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, where she oversaw the installation of exhibitions mounted at CC’s main gallery and at the BNY Mellon satellite gallery. Involved in all decisions regarding exhibition development, selection of work, touring of exhibitions and development of public programming, Lydon earned dual degrees in Art History and French at Denison University in Ohio and her master’s degree from the Archival, Museum and Editing Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Lydon’s breadth of knowledge of the contemporary craft field, artist and process, and public education about craft is extensive and she has been an adjudicator for numerous national shows.

    Lydon served on the Board of Governors of Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, from 2006-16 and the Board of Directors of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) as 2018 On-site Liaison-Pittsburgh. Kate is currently a Presidential Appointee of NCECA’s Board of Directors working on special projects related to exhibitions and collecting.

FEE, ACCOMMODATIONS, POLICIES, AND REGISTRATION

  • The fee for this week-long 2025 NCECA Collectors Tour experience is $2,200 per person, including two group dinners, four lunches, ground transportation for the itinerary, conference registration, one-year membership in NCECA, and a $300 donation to the organization. 

    Travel to Salt Lake City, Utah and lodging are not included in the fee. NCECA is holding a special block of rooms at one of our main conference hotels for 2025 Collectors Tour registrants. 

    Please contact Jacqueline Hardy (jacqueline@nceca.net) when you register for information about booking these rooms.  All participants must observe state, city, and county health and safety compliance practices. By registering for this experience, you agree to permit NCECA to share your name and contact information with our hosts of private studio and collection visits.

  • CANCELLATION POLICY
    A minimum registration of 18 people is required for this tour to run. Because the NCECA 2025 Collectors Tour is designed with exclusive experiences and held to a very limited capacity, NCECA respectfully establishes that the following cancellation policy be honored:

    Cancellation requests received by midnight EST, January 31, 2025, will be assessed a $125 fee and the $300 tax-deductible donation to NCECA built into the registration fee. Those requesting a refund by this deadline, if already paid in full, will receive $1,775.

    Cancellation requests received after midnight EST on January 31 and before midnight EST on February 9 will be assessed a $625 fee plus a $300 tax-deductible donation to NCECA (a refund of $1,275 if paid in full).

    After February 9, 2025, Collectors Tour fees are non-refundable.

    Retention of fees or portions of fees is necessary because NCECA Collectors’ Tour includes special experiences that require NCECA to limit the number of registrants and make financial commitments to service providers and vendors.