As part of NCECA, the Visual Arts Institute hosts Altar/Alter, a group show that explores themes of transformation, ritual, human experience and the evolving nature of belief. The exhibition dances between the sacred and the playful, inviting viewers to reconsider objects, materials and personal meaning.

At its core, the show reimagines what an altar can be—not simply a place of devotion but a site of questioning, memory and cultural remix. Across media and approach, these artists alter familiar symbols, creating unexpected relationships between permanence and decay, reverence and irreverence.

Colour Maisch’s relics suspend bone-like objects, humanoid forms and ephemeral textures in vibrant resin forms. Hot pinks and smoky charcoals elevate these objects beyond traditional ceramics, making them feel fossilized yet contemporary, both decayed and preserved, inviting reflection on what remains and what is lost, what is internal and external.

Dara Hartman’s hanging dogwood forms are delicate yet powerful. Once symbols of subservience from her upbringing, they have been transformed into emblems of empowerment and voice. The glazes and intricate forms float weightlessly, encouraging us to look close and collectively encircle it to experience its size and delicacy. Her flower totem encourages viewers to reflect on how symbols in our own lives evolve with time and experience.

Priscilla Stewart’s works draw on the ornamentation and symbolism of Minoan art, offering playful and satirical takes on material culture. Her ceramic tents, complete with Black Diamond logos, humorously elevate the everyday into artifacts of exploration and leisure. These pieces strike a balance between historical reverence and lighthearted commentary.

Heather Couch’s sprawling, suspended installation hangs curiously in the center of the room. It appears almost like it grew onto the ceiling and is crafted from wool, yarn, wood, and ceramic. Enveloping us, her piece expresses both the complexity and the chaos of perspective, resembling a spider web of thought that invites us to shift vantage points and embrace the messiness of understanding.

Heidi Moller Somsen

Heidi Moller Somsen’s sculptural installations bring an intimate sense of protection and maternal strength. Using ceramic, window frames, climbing rope, and tile, she creates work that feels like both home and shelter, asking viewers to consider the world we build for future generations. Her pieces feel architectural yet deeply personal, with fractured forms and open frames allowing us to peer into layers of care and resilience.

Carla Potter’s porcelain sculptures offer biting humor and irreverence. Figures in underwear sit on gold bricks, smoke cigarettes, and revel in joyfully mundane acts. The figurines evoke a nostalgic feel with a nod to our own narrative.  Titles like “Good as Gold” challenge notions of worth, subverting porcelain’s preciousness with scenes of casual indulgence and carefree humanity.

Altar/Alter is a show that asks us to reconsider what is sacred, whether it’s relics, rituals, relationships or laughter and reminds us that transformation often lives in the in-between. Each artist alters material, meaning, and expectation, offering us new altars upon which to place our changing beliefs.

Carla Potter

Nolan Flynn

Raised in a creative Michigan household, Nolan Patrick Flynn developed an early passion for art. He moved to Utah to pursue an MFA at the University of Utah and continues to create art out of his Salt Lake City studio and teach high school art at Stansbury High School.