When making a sculpture, the first thing I consider is the environment in which it will live. My sculptures and drawings often highlight overlooked details in infrastructure, drawing attention to the hidden systems that sustain our daily lives—like networks of pipes carrying heat and water. These utilities, typically concealed behind walls or underground, are crucial to modern existence. I seek to celebrate their overlooked beauty and utility. Clay, in particular, connects the natural world to the built environment, especially in a city like Chicago, built from bricks. Through my work, I explore the passage of time, the evolution of materials, forgotten significance of once-essential elements, and ultimately question the definition of ‘progress’ and ‘obsolescence’.
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Emily received her Bachelor of Arts with a focus in Ceramics from Lewis & Clark College in 2019. Currently she works as a fabricator in clay at AllKinds studio in Chicago.
2024
Objects of Desire, group exhibition. October-December. East Erie Gallery. Chicago, IL
International Ceramics Studio Residency, September. Kecskemét, Hungary.
Renegade Craft Fair. May
2023
No Artificial Ingredients, group exhibition. December. East Erie Gallery. Chicago, IL
2022 - ongoing
Work represented by East Erie Gallery, Chicago IL
https://www.easteriegallery.com/
2021
Fitted Together Resident showcase by Lori Piecyk and Emily McClellan, Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery Oak Park, IL
Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery Residency (2020-2021)
2020
Function: Luncheon : small plates show, Good Earth Pottery, Bellingham, WA
2019
Over Easy : Senior Art Exhibit at the Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
Over Done : “Pop-Up” Show, Arnold Gallery, Portland OR
Recent Graduates Exhibit at Blackfish Gallery, Portland, OR
some 35mm photos
