Integrated visual arts graduate student Hope Bass to share work exploring ceramics and ‘the curiosities of the imagination’ in MFA exhibition at Iowa State

Iowa State University integrated visual arts graduate student Hope Bass shared ceramics, mixed-media artwork, installations, and sculptures in her master of fine arts thesis exhibition.

“Metamorphosis of Hope: A Ceramic Journey through Imagination and Wonder” was on display from April 17–26 in Gallery 181, located on the first floor of the College of Design building on the west side of the Iowa State Campus.

Exhibition viewing hours were from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekdays. Admission was free. A reception was held from 5–8 p.m. on Friday, April 19.

“Grounding Conversations,” stoneware clay, Cone 10 glaze, 2022, by Hope Bass

Bass’ master’s thesis explored the relationship between the wonders of ceramic exploration and the curiosities of the imagination, she said. Most of her artworks were inspired by the fantastical creatures living within the grotesques she saw while studying in Italy in the summer of 2022, which paralleled her thoughts and “reinforced the connections between my creative endeavors and the boundless realms of the imagination,” she said.

About the artist

Bass, from Ardmore, Oklahoma, received her bachelor of fine arts in studio art with an emphasis in sculpture and a minor in art history from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2021. She had been a graduate teaching assistant for art history and ceramics courses throughout her studies at Iowa State.

As a graduate student in the integrated visual arts program, her artwork had been exhibited in Octagonal: The All Media Show (2024) at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, the Iowa State Fair Fine Art Exhibition (2002, 2003) in Des Moines, and the Studies in Creativity (2021, 2022, 2023), Nostalgia (2022), and Home (2023) exhibitions at the Memorial Union Art Gallery.

Bass graduated with her MFA in integrated visual arts from Iowa State in May 2024.