St. Margaret’s junior Emely Ceballos' ceramic artwork was selected for inclusion in this year’s annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Sacramento.

Emely’s piece was among a handful selected by jurors out of 893 entries up for consideration. It is part of an exhibit seen by thousands of visitors, many of whom were in Sacramento last weekend for the 56^th Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, an internationally recognized event attended by artists and experts from around the world.

Emely’s piece, titled Naachtun Forgotten Vase, was inspired by the Mayan heritage that surrounded her upbringing. It also won a gold key in the Scholastic Regional competition this spring.

“I grew up listening to different tales and folklore, and I wanted to use my pieces to express that for my portfolio this year,” Emely said. “My piece is focused on continuous motion, which is why the vase is tilted and symmetric.”

“Often art can be deeply personal and that is definitely the case with Emely’s work,” Upper School visual arts chair Jesse Standlea said. “She is doing a great job in AP 3D design, where she is working at a high skill level and creating narrative work that is true to her story.”

The NCECA advances creation, teaching and learning through clay in the contemporary world. The organization has more than 4,000 members, and the annual conference is the world’s largest event held in the field of ceramic arts.