Keleigh McMullen, a Master of Fine Arts student at Cal State San Bernardino, was awarded Best in Show for her sculptural work at the 2025 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference, an international gathering of artists, educators and curators in the field of ceramic arts.

Her piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023),” was selected for the highly competitive NCECA Juried Student Exhibition, which featured 23 artists from across North America. The exhibition was held in March at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City.

“I’m proud to say I brought our university global recognition through this exhibition and award,” said McMullen. “I've always dedicated my time and energy towards my art since I was a child, so it was so special being recognized on such a high level and having my colleagues next to me for the event.”

Keleigh McMullen’s piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023),” was selected for the highly competitive NCECA Juried Student Exhibition, which featured 23 artists from across North America. She won Best in Show.
Keleigh McMullen’s piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023),” was selected for the highly competitive NCECA Juried Student Exhibition, which featured 23 artists from across North America. She won Best in Show.

The NCECA Juried Student Exhibition is considered one of the most selective showcases for emerging talent in the ceramic arts, making McMullen’s first place honor a significant milestone in her artistic career.

Her award-winning sculpture is a powerful and deeply personal piece composed of ceramic, sand, aluminum and grass turf. Standing nearly two feet tall, it resembles a standard outdoor ashtray. Inside, McMullen has sculpted a miniature rendition of a room tied to personal trauma, offering viewers an intimate look into the lasting impact of sexual violence.

“This ordinary room holds onto a painful and prevalent reality,” McMullen said. “Although this sculpted scene is from my own memory and experience, this same space echoes through many survivors' lives.”

A close-up of McMullen’s piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023),” for which she won Best in Show.
A close-up of McMullen’s piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023),” for which she won Best in Show.

During the exhibition, visitors were invited to engage with the work by moving cigarette butts through the sand and around the tiny, detailed furniture — a choice that added an interactive layer to the emotional weight of the piece.

“I’m speaking for myself and for others who are victims of sexual violence, and I hope to give viewers the opportunity to take back agency through this work,” she said.

McMullen has been working in ceramic arts for nearly a decade and is recognized for a sculptural style that blends hyperrealism with emotional depth.

“A lot of my work has a strong current of violence that runs through it, but the visual imagery contains bits of whimsy that cushions the often harsh subject matter,” she explained.

McMullen with her award-winning piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023).”
McMullen with her award-winning piece, “Three Months in the House of a Rapist (2023).”

Now in the final stages of her MFA program at CSUSB, McMullen reflected on her academic and artistic growth during her time at the university.

“My three years in the Master of Fine Arts program here at CSUSB have been a joy,” she said. “The opportunities, obstacles, and everything in between have created a platform that will allow me to further my career as an artist and educator.”

Looking ahead, McMullen hopes to pursue a career as a ceramics professor, continuing to build on the foundation she has developed at Cal State San Bernardino.