School of Art, Art History & Design alumnus Larry Buller (M.E. 2006; M.F.A. 2017) has earned two recent prestigious honors: A McKnight Artist Fellowship and being named a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist for 2024.
Buller was at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis from Jan. 1 through March 31 for the McKnight Fellowship.
“The McKnight ceramic artist residency is a very competitive award with applicants from all over the world,” Buller said. “It was an honor and privilege to be selected and a highlight of my ceramic career. In addition to a three-month, fully funded artist residency, the award includes an exhibition at the Northern Clay Center and a traveling exhibition to several galleries in Minnesota. The NCC is a vibrant, creative and fun atmosphere in which to work.”
Buller used his time at the Northern Clay Center to explore new forms and develop novel ideas to his ceramic work.
“Many of these ideas took root during trips to the Minneapolis Institute of Art,” he said. “The opportunity to view their world-class collection a few times a week was very inspiring.”
Buller said his reaction to being named one of Ceramic Monthly’s Emerging Artist was that of both disbelief and celebration.
“It was truly a dream come true as there are applicants from all over the world for this recognition,” he said. “The honor is especially validating as Ceramic Monthly is a showcase for the best contemporary ceramic created by artists throughout the world.”
The recognition will lead to increased national exposure for his work.
“This, in turn, can lead to national exhibitions, workshop invitations, social media attention, and increased sales,” he said. “This recognition also promotes the outstanding M.F.A. program in ceramics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.”
The program has had several Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artists recently, including Casey Beck (M.F.A. 2024) being named as one last year. The annual competition is open to all ceramic artists, both U.S. and international, who have been actively pursuing a career in ceramics for 10 years or less. The selected artists will have their work published in the May 2024 issue of the magazine.
Since earning his Master of Fine Arts degree in 2017, Buller has been active in several high-profile exhibitions and residencies.
“I have shown work at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Los Angeles, the Bemis Center in Omaha, and at Art Week in Miami,” Buller said. “My work has also been juried into three National Council on the Education in Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Annuals. This highly competitive exhibition represents contemporary ceramic artists from all over the world and showcases their work as part of the conference. I have also completed residencies at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado, Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana, and at the Center for Ceramics in Berlin, Germany.”
He will return for residencies in Berlin and Anderson Ranch later this year. He has also served as an adjunct lecturer in the School of Art, Art History & Design in the beginning drawing, and color and composition foundations classes.
“Returning to UNL as a guest lecturer is a rewarding experience, and I love interacting with incoming freshmen just starting their studies,” he said.
Buller said earning his MFA in ceramics from UNL was a lifelong dream.
“The high standards my professors held for me instilled the focus required to pursue a professional career working within the field of ceramic arts,” he said. “I was empowered to dig deep into the content of my work and to become a reflective maker. Working alongside my MFA colleagues was inspiring, and the supportive environment was critical to navigating the demanding day-to-day responsibilities of graduate school.”
Buller discovered clay when he was 12 years old in a summer school class.
“I was instantly mesmerized by manipulating this magical material and continued to work with clay in high school and in college,” he said. “However, it wasn’t until I was 40 and started teaching at Lincoln East High School that I returned to working with clay. After 15 years of teaching, I was ready for a change and decided to pursue my MFA in ceramics. Luckily, one of the best MFA programs in the country was literally in my backyard, and I was fortunate to be selected.”
His advice to students is to cultivate their social media presence.
“Most of the significant exhibitions to which I have been invited are due to my social media presence,” he said. “I would suggest that students cultivate a following by posting progress and studio images, as well as completed work. I also maintain a website, and galleries have reached out after viewing my work. It takes significant time and energy to promote my studio practice, but it pays off with increased visibility.”
Buller said his career in ceramics has been rewarding.
“Working as a professional ceramic artist is very rewarding, but it takes dedication, hard work and a commitment for the long term,” Buller said. “My goal after graduate school was to continue to grow as an artist and contribute to the field of contemporary ceramics. I am grateful for the dedicated professors at UNL and my graduate school colleagues who have been so generous and supportive in helping me achieve my goals as an artist.”