The John Natsoulas Gallery is thrilled to host the solo exhibition of ceramic work by Mia Harmon, the CCACA 2026 Student Exhibition Award Winner. Her exhibition will be on view on the second floor of the gallery, and, through it, she explores diverse themes of existence in the world.

Mia Harmon’s first solo exhibition, A Brief Existence, explores how the remnants of past cultures are consumed, reimagined, and transformed into the fabric of contemporary life. Through the familiar motifs of everyday existence, Harmon considers what is lost, what is retained, and what is passed on as each generation reshapes the world it inherits.

What will outlive us? What remains after we die? What do we wish to pass on to others?

Harmon finds significance in the seemingly insignificant moments that make up a life: the quiet enjoyment of nature, the beauty of familiar surroundings and activities, and the fleeting feelings of awe that emerge in the everyday. Often overlooked due to their familiarity, these moments connect us across time, becoming fragments of our individual and collective past, present, and future. Using ceramic and mixed media, her work draws attention to the recognizable symbols of the natural world and the small details that shape our understanding of ourselves and one another. 

A Brief Existence invites viewers to pause within the fleeting experience of being alive and recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary, celebrating the quiet yet enduring mark each of us leaves on the world.