Cheekwood is pleased to announce Maura Wright as the 2026 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Wright is a ceramic artist whose practice centers on intricately crafted clay vessels and sculptural forms. Working primarily in earthenware, she creates richly decorated objects with ornate handles, floral motifs, and layered surface treatments. Drawing inspiration from decorative arts, folk traditions, and historical ornament, Wright’s work reflects a deep engagement with craft, material history, and the decorative language of domestic objects.
Maura Wright (b.1991), Yellow Amphora, 2024, earthenware, slip, glaze and luster. Photo by Alan Weiner.
Image of Maura’s Studio, Photo by Will Warsalia.
During her residency, Wright will explore Cheekwood’s decorative arts holdings—including the museum’s porcelain collection—as well as the gardens and historic architecture of the estate. Nature, botanical forms, and historical design references often inform her compositions, which combine sculptural ceramics with painted environments that evoke frescoed interiors and decorative wall treatments. Through this approach, Wright creates installations that consider the relationship between objects, ornament, and the spaces they inhabit.
Wright received her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2018 and her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. Her work has been exhibited at galleries and institutions across the United States and has been featured in Architectural Digest, Surface Magazine, Curbed, and Dwell, where her distinctive approach to contemporary ceramics and decorative form has drawn national attention.
