Groundwork Arts is very excited to announce an exhibition of artworks by elementary students from Morongo Unified School District, entitled Carved Codes: Clay Tiles at Black Rock Art Gallery. This exhibition, produced in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park, will feature 53 clay tiles by select students from 11 schools, with support from 113 teachers and 7 Groundwork Arts teaching artists.
The Joshua Tree High Desert is an extraordinarily rich artistic region. Groundwork Arts celebrates this resource and brings professional practicing artists into our schools to provide innovative arts education opportunities to our students, teachers, and families.
Each month, Groundwork Arts introduces students to a local artist, creates an instructional art project inspired by that artist, and employs teaching artists to work directly with students to create their own art.
In January, students had the opportunity to explore the art of local artist Thomas Alban, founder of the Pottery Shop in Pioneertown. Thomas creates wall sculptures made of carved clay tiles. Each one is built from repeated marks, abstract symbols, and rhythmic patterns that hold personal meaning.
Drawing inspiration from Thomas’s clay tiles, students explored simple symbols and marks to create their own 4″ clay tile that reveals a meaningful message told through symbols instead of words. Select tiles were chosen for this exhibition and grouped by school.
This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to experience the connection between a working artist’s practice and student interpretation—presenting original works by Thomas Alban alongside student-created tiles inspired by his visual language. Together, the works reflect a shared exploration of symbols, pattern, and personal storytelling across generations.
“Seeing student work in conversation with a professional artist’s practice is incredibly powerful,” said Rhonda Lane Coleman, Director of Groundwork Arts. “It allows students to recognize that
their ideas, marks, and creative choices have real value—and that they are part of a larger artistic community.”
There will be an opening reception on April 16. The exhibition will run from April 16, 2026, through the beginning of October (date to be determined) at the Black Rock Art Gallery in the Black Rock Nature Center, located at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284.
