School of Art Gallery Presents Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next – Oct 15

October 16 – November 14, 2025
Curated by Candice Ring
School of Art Gallery – Collections Gallery, 255 ARTlab, University of Manitoba

Reception & Keynote with Robert Harrison: Thursday, October 30 | 5:00–8:00 PM
(Keynote Presentation & Slideshow: 6:00 PM | Room 366 ARTlab)

The University of Manitoba School of Art Gallery is pleased to present Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next, a retrospective exhibition honouring the life and work of one of Canada’s most influential ceramic artists. Featuring a selection of key works in clay and on paper, the exhibition traces Archambeau’s six-decade career as an artist, educator, and mentor whose impact continues to resonate in studios across Canada and beyond.

Working in clay for more than sixty years, Archambeau developed a body of work recognized for its refinement, restraint, and technical mastery. Deeply influenced by the ceramic traditions of Japan, Korea, and China, his vessels reveal a devotion to form and process that merges discipline with intuitive experimentation. One Leads to the Next brings together groupings and variations that illuminate his ongoing investigation of the vessel—its endless potential for reinvention—and the quiet dialogue between surface, shape, and fire.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Archambeau served in the U.S. Marine Corps before completing his BFA at Bowling Green State University and an MFA at Alfred University. He taught at the Rhode Island School of Design before joining the University of Manitoba’s School of Art in 1968, where he shaped generations of ceramic artists until his retirement in 1991. His contributions to the field earned numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2003), the Manitoba Arts Council Award of Distinction (2014), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (2008). Archambeau was named Professor Emeritus in 2004 and passed away in Winnipeg in 2022.

About the Keynote Speaker

Robert Harrison is a practicing artist based in Helena, Montana, whose 40-year career spans large-scale architectural sculpture and studio ceramics. A graduate of the University of Manitoba (BFA) and the University of Denver (MFA), Harrison is a Fellow of NCECA and a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, the World Association of Brick Artists, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. His projects, exhibitions, and publications—including Sustainable Ceramics: A Practical Guide (Bloomsbury/ACS, 2013)—reflect a sustained commitment to material innovation and environmental consciousness.

About the Curator

Candice Ring is a studio potter from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the Ceramics Studio Technician at the University of Manitoba. A former studio assistant and longtime friend of Archambeau, Ring brings a personal perspective to this exhibition. She holds a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Manitoba and an MFA in Studio Art from Arizona State University, and has exhibited her work throughout North America, Australia, and China.

Exhibition Details

Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next
October 16 – November 14, 2025
Curated by Candice Ring
School of Art Gallery – Collections Gallery, 255 ARTlab
Reception & Keynote with Robert Harrison: Thursday, October 30 | 5:00–8:00 PM
Keynote Presentation and Slideshow: 6:00 PM | Room 366 ARTlab

umanitoba.ca/art/robert-archambeau-one-leads-next

Free admission · Everyone welcome.

School of Art Gallery