Michael Strand, head of the NDSU visual arts department, has been selected to present an exhibition and lecture during his residency at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Mont., May 1-15. The residency is centered on his project, “Cuplomacy: Function, Form and Mediation.”

Strand’s practice during the past two years has focused on concepts of benevolence and mediation. His projects use functional handcrafted ceramic ware, which through common or shared use, create actual physical social networks.

Strand straddles the line between journalist, social scientist and activist potter. The work for “Cuplomacy” questions and seeks answers to issues of public and private accessibility, the relationships between religious and political factions, and the deployment of art and craft in culture through art delivery systems that create bridges of communication. He approaches the processes with the optimism that humanity has great potential to prevail over the destructive division that exists today.

Strand will bring four NDSU visual arts students with him to the Red Lodge Clay Center, each with specific projects focused on interacting with the community. The students are Josh Zeis, Meg Roberts, Lenaya Kerlin and Maren Shallman.