Closing Reception & Artist Talk with Jesse Albrecht

Friday, September 11, 2026
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public

About the Exhibition:

Jesse Albrecht's exhibition titled, "Vessels of War and Recovery," is comprised of 10 large pieces of wheel-thrown pottery. These are painted with underglaze and stamped with artifacts worn and carried by him, while deployed in Iraq. This work takes an unflinching and humorous look at his autobiographical journey to war and the long, hard way home.

About Jesse Albrecht:

Albrecht was halfway through his MFA in ceramics at the University of Iowa when he was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. military. His work interrogates the symbolic economy of globalism and other ideologies that animate and sustain conflict. With brutal honesty, he also explores the personal psychological aftermath of combat.

Albrecht trained under legendary ceramicist Don Reitz. Albrecht combines technical mastery with imagery and forms that range from refined and realistic to intentionally crude and even funny. Functional pottery has recently been added to his work.

His solo and collaborative work is held in numerous public collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He built and implemented programming in the arts for veterans of special operations, has taught in post-secondary education, and is currently a studio artist. He lives and works in Belgrade, Mont.