SoCal Critters: Howard Pierce is an exhibition paying homage to the whimsical ceramic animals Howard Pierce sculpted throughout his career. Inspired by the native and urban landscapes many of us call home, he created charming, character-filled figures in the Mid-Century Modern style, many of which are still displayed and cherished in homes today. This exhibition encourages visitors of all ages to experience the beauty and diversity of local wildlife through Pierce’s ceramic lens. In SoCal Critters, the artist’s cheery, pocketsize production-ware animals allow viewers to foster an appreciation for art and nature in a playful, educational way. SoCal Critters, which presents about 50 of Pierce’s “critters,” will be on view in the Igal & Diane Silber Vault Gallery at AMOCA from February 8–June 29, 2025. About the artist Howard Pierce (1912-1994) was a Claremont-based artist who later moved to Joshua Tree to build his own studio and draw inspiration from the desert landscape. He began his ceramic career under the mentorship of William Manker, a ceramicist known for founding a company that produced Mid-Century ceramics. Pierce fully embraced this opportunity to learn and became Production Manager at Manker Ceramics before leaving to serve in WWII. Pierce developed exceptional sketching skills that allowed him to create simple, flowing figures, which became hallmarks of Mid-Century Modern aesthetics, particularly in California but also across the United States. In 1968, Pierce and his family relocated from Claremont to Joshua Tree, where they built a new home and studio. The desert wildlife deeply influenced his work, as he sculpted porcelain animals including quail, rabbits, roadrunners, owls, chipmunks, squirrels, desert tortoises, and coyotes.