October at Arts on Douglas September 22 2026
STEPHEN HEYWOOD
Containment
On Exhibit: October 3 - November 28, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 3, 4-7 PM
Artist Talk: Friday, October 23, 11 AM
Thermos Form (L) and Lidded Jar (R) by Stephen Heywood
About the Exhibition:
Stephen Heywood is known for his ceramic sculptures that draw inspiration from industrial, mechanical, and man-made forms. For this exhibition, he expands on his interest in this subject matter by visually exploring the concept of containment.
Heywood explains,“I often reference architectural structures that have surrounded me throughout my life. These include barns, silos, factories, water towers, and other industrial buildings. Many of these structures are used for containment and are, in essence, vessels of function.”
Often run-down or abandoned, these buildings reveal the passage of time through weathered exteriors, flaking paint, and rusted steel. These textural qualities inform Heywood’s ceramic surfaces. He often leaves marks on his clay forms as traces of the making process, which are further accentuated through soda and wood firing. The result is an aged character and sense of history reminiscent of the buildings and objects that inspire him.
Heywood also draws inspiration from simple geometric shapes found in industrial architecture. Chimneys, windows, vents, smokestacks, and piping are integrated into his work as decoratively charged elements, sometimes taking the form of handles, lids, and spouts. Numbers and symbols applied through slip stencils and laser-print transfers add further visual interest.
The work in Containment ranges from wall-hanging platters and bowls to vases, lidded jars, teapots, and other functional forms. Each vessel brings together utility and sculptural expression, echoing the industrial forms that inspire Heywood’s work.
About the Artist
Stephen Heywood received his Bachelor of Science degree in ceramics from Southern Utah University and his Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He has exhibited extensively, participating in more than 300 national juried exhibitions and invitationals, and has served as a visiting artist at colleges and universities across the country. His work has also been featured in numerous publications, including Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, 500 Cups, 500 Bowls, and The Best of 500 Ceramics.
From 2001–2003 Heywood acted as the coordinator and instructor for the Erie Art Museum’s “Clay Space” community ceramics program in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 2004, he represented the United States in the Emerging Artist exhibition at the First International Ceramics Journal Editors Symposium in Xi’an, China. Heywood is currently Professor of Ceramics at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Heywood exhibited in two-person exhibitions at Arts on Douglas in 2014 and 2020 and has regularly shown his ceramics at the gallery for the past six years. Containment is his first solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas.