Jacob Spori Art Gallery
Come explore world-class masterpieces from professional artists, BYU-Idaho students, and faculty.
Still Playing in Mud
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 15, 2026 | 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Exhibit: January 16 - February 20, 2026
Still Playing in Mud presents recent ceramic works by Matt Geddes that grow directly from a lifetime of exploration in clay. The exhibition brings together two distinct directions within a single medium. Earthforms, a series of wheel-thrown vessels, investigates the textural effects that emerge when clay is pushed beyond its natural ability to stretch, producing richly worked surfaces shaped by tension and movement. Complementing these vessels is a group of sculpted clay figures, many inspired by Geddes’s travels, that reflect personal experiences, places, and moments encountered along the way.
Geddes and his wife, Christine, retired in 2016 after many years of teaching at BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Idaho. Just prior to departing on an LDS mission to Lyon, France, he presented a career retrospective titled Playing in Mud—a phrase he embraced as the simplest and most honest answer to the question, “What did you do for a living?” Now, years into retirement, that question has shifted. Created largely within the past two years, the works in this exhibition affirm that Geddes remains deeply engaged in both life and studio practice. Still Playing in Mud continues that reflection, offering a quiet, joyful testament to sustained curiosity, creative vitality, and a life still shaped by clay.
Read Matt Geddes' complete professional background to learn more about the artist.
Exhibit: January 16 - February 20, 2026
Still Playing in Mud presents recent ceramic works by Matt Geddes that grow directly from a lifetime of exploration in clay. The exhibition brings together two distinct directions within a single medium. Earthforms, a series of wheel-thrown vessels, investigates the textural effects that emerge when clay is pushed beyond its natural ability to stretch, producing richly worked surfaces shaped by tension and movement. Complementing these vessels is a group of sculpted clay figures, many inspired by Geddes’s travels, that reflect personal experiences, places, and moments encountered along the way.
Geddes and his wife, Christine, retired in 2016 after many years of teaching at BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Idaho. Just prior to departing on an LDS mission to Lyon, France, he presented a career retrospective titled Playing in Mud—a phrase he embraced as the simplest and most honest answer to the question, “What did you do for a living?” Now, years into retirement, that question has shifted. Created largely within the past two years, the works in this exhibition affirm that Geddes remains deeply engaged in both life and studio practice. Still Playing in Mud continues that reflection, offering a quiet, joyful testament to sustained curiosity, creative vitality, and a life still shaped by clay.
Read Matt Geddes' complete professional background to learn more about the artist.