Higby’s 'Materiality' rated one of "best new ceramic art books" by BookAuthority

International BookAuthority, the online curator of best books for every occasion and subject, has rated Alfred University Professor Wayne Higby’s Materiality: The Miller Ceramic Art Collection as number one out of the five “best new ceramic art books to read in 2021.”

Materiality focuses on the ceramic art collection of Alfred University graduate and Trustee Marlin Miller ’54, who began collecting ceramic art following his graduation from the University. Since Miller’s earliest acquisitions, the Miller collection has grown to include some of the most renowned names in ceramic art, including many affiliated with Alfred University: Higby himself; John Gill; Andrea Gill; Robert Turner; Anne Currier; Val Cushing. Miller’s collection also contains work by celebrated Japanese and Chinese ceramic artists.

A portion of the collection was shown in 2019 at the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, in the exhibition Materiality: Masterworks from the Miller Ceramic Art Collection.

According to BookAuthority, Materiality: The Miller Ceramic Art Collection “is a comprehensive presentation of one of the world's most distinguished private collections of contemporary studio ceramics, and an observation on the correlation between ceramics and architecture.” The book includes contributions from Higby, who serves also as director and chief curator at ACAM; Alfred University Art History Professor Meghen Jones; Sequoia Miller chief curator at the Gardner Museum, Toronto, who delivered the 2019 Perkins Lecture at Alfred University; and architect Michael McKinnell, who designed Alfred University’s Miller Performing Arts Center, the Miller Theater, and the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum. The photography is by Brian Oglesbee.

Additionally, International BookAuthority lists the book Infinite Place: The Ceramic Art of Wayne Higby as number ten on its list of the 43 all-time best books on ceramic art. Infinite Place documents Higby’s retrospective shown at the Smithsonian American Art Museum,

BookAuthority’s roundup of notable books has been covered by major media including CNN, Forbes, and the online magazine Inc.

In support of the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Materiality: The Miller Ceramic Art Collection is available for $65 with free shipping and a one-year Museum membership by contacting the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum at Alfred University by email or by phone at 607-871-2421.