Amy Nelson
Amy Nelson aligns herself, and her work, within the tradition of functional crafts and the concept of being-in-the-world. The form of her work ranges from functional ceramics to concept driven "functioning" installations. Whatever form the work takes she continues to apply the underlying principle of artistic practice as a vehicle for social and political change. Her current body of work explores the cultural importance of both preserving and creating a collective heritage, and stems from her belief that handcrafted objects gain meaning from their relationship to personal use. Their identity comes from the idea that these objects are held, cared for, embraced, exchanged, learned from, and handed down; they are objects of experience.
Amy has exhibited across the US, been an Artist in Residence at the Watershed Center for Ceramic Art in Newcastle, Maine, and has received several grants, including an Artist Grant from the Vermont Studio Center. Amy is an active member of the Omaha Arts community and has been a Mentor in the Young Artists Program at the Kent Bellows Studio and Center for Visual Arts since 2010. Amy has given lectures on the American Craft Movement and the role art plays in civic engagement. Amy received her BFA from Creighton University in 1997 and her MFA from East Carolina University School of Art & Design in 2002. Currently Amy is an Associate Professor of Fine Art at Creighton University, teaching courses in Ceramics and Art and Civic Engagement.