The California Clay Movement (1950s) is regarded as a turning point in the evolution of ceramics as a fine art medium. This iconic era, spearheaded by greats such as Peter Voulkos, led to a complete transformation for ceramics in the art historical canon. Over time, ceramics have earned their rightful place as a significant art form. This was shepherded also by artists working in the 1960s and 1970s under the influence of the Funk Movement and the Bay Area Figurative Movement, when figurative ceramics became the prevailing trend within the region of Northern California. Significant ceramics programs emerged at many of the leading art schools, including UC, Davis (with Robert Arneson), UC, Berkeley (with professors Peter Voulkos, Richard Shaw, and Jim Melchert), Mills College (with professors Antonio Prieto and Ron Nagle), California College of Arts and Crafts (with professor Viola Frey), the and the San Francisco Art Institute (with professors Stephen De Staebler and John Roloff). The artists who trained under these luminaries went on to become renown artists in their own rights, and have taught the successive generations of ceramists a love for the art. Ceramic artists remained noted for their collaboration and their inventiveness in an ever-changing landscape.

Since the gallery’s inception in 1986, John Natsoulas has consistently prioritized exhibiting and celebrating ceramic artists. The annual 30 Ceramic sculptors exhibition brings together historic and contemporary ceramic sculptures. Along with Robert Arneson, Natsoulas co-founded the annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), which invites both professional artists and students to learn and share their work.

The John Natsoulas Press has published dozens of monographs about ceramic artists from across the country. The significant emphasis on female ceramists has resulted in one of the largest groups of offerings about women ceramic artists.