In 2020, the Capital One Art Program engaged Rigby as the designer and coordinator of “Surface & Symbol, The Diverse Language of Clay,” to be shown on their main corporate campus in Richmond for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Annual Conference (NCECA). By hosting this exhibition, Capital One showcased the diversity of ceramics, providing visibility to local, regional, and national artists and organizations.

The artwork was installed during the final week of February 2020. Immediately after the installation, the world changed due to COVID-19. All Capital One facilities were closed to nonessential employees, and the conference was canceled. Serendipitously, photographer David Hunter Hale had been hired by Capital One to record each installation. These images are now the only record of the “Surface & Symbol” exhibition.

Exhibits included solo shows by Andréa Keys Connell (Boone, NC); Jeremy Jernegan (New Orleans, LA); Kendra Dawn Wadsworth (Richmond, VA); and Rebekah Wostrel (Richmond, VA). Group exhibits were presented by The Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, MT); Pottery Northwest (Seattle, WA); and the Workhouse Arts Center (Lorton, VA). A female collective presented “Women Who Woodfire,” which included the Pawmunkey Black Ware Pottery story, focusing on Mildred Gentle Rain Moore. A highlight video with more information can be found on the Media page of this site.

The following is a brief selection of the photographer’s images of the installations.