Following is a list of regional ceramic exhibitions, grouped by location and with highlights indicated. Please note that many are up only during the conference, Wednesday through Saturday. Some long-running shows will have extended hours and receptions during the conference. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

Highlights: Frank Ross memorial exhibition and resident artists Mieko and Hiromu Okuda at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild; American debut of German artist at The Warhol; Edinboro at Alcoa.

• Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St., 412-322-1773. "The Frank Ross Legacy Exhibition," the late teacher and 24 of his students including Guild founder Bill Strickland, through April 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. "Table of Elements," ceramics for the table by more than 100 local and national ceramists, from Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. At the Drew Mathieson Center for Horticultural Technology, "To Live Together Harmoniously With Nature," Hiromu and Mieko Okuda, individually and in collaboration with Pittsburgh students; and "Clay and Flowers," group exhibition of ceramic containers and Ikebana arrangements. The latter three exhibitions, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday ; 2-4 p.m. Saturday.

• The Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky St., 412-237-8300, www.warhol.org. "Ceramic Explosion: The Work of Martin Klimas," the German photographer captures porcelain figures at the moment of impact with the ground, Wednesday through May 31. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; until 10 p.m. Fridays. Admission (free or discount with NCECA name badge).

• Alcoa Corporate Building, 201 Isabella St., 412-553-2578. "Edinboro at Alcoa," Edinboro University of Pennsylvania alumni and student shows, now through March 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

• Artists Image Resource, 518 Foreland St., 412-321-8664. "Clay and Print," a hybrid art that has its own rules, lexicon, attitude, views, aesthetics, traditions, canons and purpose, now through April 5. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

• Moxie DaDA, 1416 Arch St., 412-682-0348. "It's Hot in Here -- Six Alarms at the Firehouse," work by six co-op members and open studios, now through March 29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday; noon-8 p.m. Thursday; ; noon-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; and noon-8 p.m. March 28, 29.

• VAC Gallery at CCAC Allegheny Campus, corner of Galveston and N. Lincoln. "Painting With Smoke -- Three Visions: Naked Raku," carbon-stenciled raku from Hawaii, San Francisco and England, March 18-27. 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Highlights: NCECA Invitational at Society for Contemporary Craft; stoneware; and George Orr influences at Heinz History Center.

• Society for Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman St., 412-261-7003. "Voices," 2008 NCECA Invitational Exhibition, 23 artists focus on the narrative thread in contemporary ceramics; and "K[ne(e)[a]d]," installation combining cast terra-cotta molds and breadmaking, both through June 7. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

• Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., 412-454-6000. "Out of Madness -- Seven Potters Follow Ohr," the influence of George Ohr, "the Mad Potter of Biloxi"; "Pots by the River: Treasures from the Waynesburg University Collection," 60 salt-glazed 19th-century Western Pennsylvania pots; and "Women With Wood -- Three Generations," wood-fired pots, Wednesday through May 18. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission.

• Penn Avenue Pottery, 1905 Penn Avenue. "Penn Avenue Pottery Artists," wood-fired pots. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• Borelli Edwards Gallery, 3583 Butler St., 412-687-2616. Cleveland Institute of Art Ceramics Program: 1978-2008" and "Composite: Works by Ohio University Faculty and Graduate Students," through March 29. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

• Kiln-n-Time, 3801 Penn Ave., 412-687-0383. "SRU Undergrads Rollin' on the River," Slippery Rock University students. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

• La Vie Gallery, 3609 Butler St., 412-253-7365. "Natural Distortions," organic forms. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

• Asian Influences, 3513 Butler St., 412-621-3530. "Tea Bowls and Teabowls," 30 bowls, traditional and nontraditional styles and techniques. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• Gallery on 43rd Street, 187 43rd St., 412-683-6488. "SPEAK OUT," sawdust pit-fired, pinched pots by Marlene Boyle, through April 25. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

• Fe Gallery, 4102 Butler St., 412-860-6028. "From the Ground Up," progressive approaches to a traditional medium, through April 18. Noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

• The Framery, 4735 Butler St., 412-687-2102. "Sarah Conway." 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

• Trinity Gallery, 4747 Hatfield St., 412-687-2458. "Topographies: Recent Sculpture by David S. East and Paul Sacaridiz," through March 30. 4-8 p.m. Thursdays; 4-6 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.

• Hawk Studios and Gallery, 5208 Butler St., 412-781-1999. "Keystone Connections," Pennsylvania and national artists who've done residencies at Baltimore Clayworks, through April 25. Noon-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Highlights: Rogers and Hirsch at Pittsburgh Glass Center.

• Union Project, 801 N. Negley Ave., 412-363-4550, ext. 22. "Tableware From the Neighborhood," functional ceramics; "Union Project Co-op Member Show," functional and sculptural ceramics; "Wood Fired Ware: Ceramics by Kiln Build Workshop Instructors," all through March 28. 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. "Cryptae: An Environmental Installation," outdoor installation, Tuesday through Saturday, 24-hour access.

• Spinning Plate Gallery, 5720 Friendship Ave., 412-400-8800. "A Micro-Macro Lexicon." 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

• Pittsburgh Glass Center's Hodge Gallery, 5472 Penn Ave., 412-365-2145. "Recollection," a collaboration between glass artist Michael Rogers and ceramist Richard Hirsch, both Rochester Institute of Technology, N.Y., faculty, through March 30. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

• Modernformations Gallery, 4919 Penn Ave., 412-362-0274. "Americana Refigured," figurative show focusing on what it means to live in American society today. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• Imagebox Productions, 4933 Penn Ave., 412-441-0930. "Raku Dreams," by John Dorinsky. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

• The Clay Penn, 5111 Penn Ave. "Decalcomania, Recent Ceramic Work by Laura Jean McLaughlin." 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday; 6-9 p.m. Friday.

• Box Heart Gallery, 4523 Liberty Ave., 412-687-8858. "Michael Smithhammer," through March 29. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 1-5 p.m. Sundays.

Highlights: NCECA Regional Student Juried Exhibition at Center for the Arts; CMU exhibitions; ceramics at Morgan; NCECA honorees and Warren MacKenzie at Mendelson; 17 shows at Ellis School.

• Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Ave., 412-622-8830. "Hanging by a Thread," 10 artists exhibit wall-mounted works, through March 31.

• Carnegie Mellon University, The Frame Gallery, 5200 Forbes Ave., 412-268-2081, "Ceramic Sculpture: Carnegie Mellon Student Work," noon-5 p.m. Friday through Monday; and University Center Gallery, 412-268-9510, "Ten From Ten Carnegie Mellon University Alumni," 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Both curated by Joe Mannino.

• Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, 5833 Ellsworth Ave., 412-441-5200. "Japanese Threads," more than 20 artists, including Paul Soldner and Jack Troy, who have studied in Japan or been influenced by it s ceramic history, through April 28. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; noon-5 p.m. Saturdays.

• Gallerie Chiz, 5831 Ellsworth Ave., 412-441-6005. "Tacitly Tactile," 11 artists explore the creative process, through April 19. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays.

• Mendelson Gallery, 5874 Ellsworth Ave., 412-361-8664. "NCECA 2008 Honorees Exhibition," including Regional Awards of Excellence to Elvira Peake and the late Frank Ross, and "Warren MacKenzie & David Lewis, Pots & Paintings." Noon-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Lewis will sign his book, "Warren MacKenzie, American Potter," from 6-9 p.m. Thursday.

• Molto Bella Ceramica, 5529 Walnut St., 412-682-1277. "Ceramics of Italy," 20 artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• The Ellis School, 6425 Fifth Ave., 412-661-5992. Alumna Hall, "From a Women's Hand: Past Visions -- Present Realities," figurative work by 18 artists including Laura Jean McLaughlin, Denise Suska Green, Eva Kwong and Mary Martin, organized by Ceil Sturdevant. Exterior Courtyard and walk areas, "Pipe Dreams East," invitational outdoor pipe sculpture exhibition from Logan, Ohio, Pipe Sculpture Workshop. Both 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

• The Ellis Armory, 6425 Fifth Ave. (Penn Avenue at Putnam, across from Reizenstein School), 412-661-5992. 15 exhibitions: "Adaptation," organized by TeaYoun Kim-Kassor; "Lingua Franca," organized by Debbie Kupinsky; "Terra Nova," curated by Steven Kemenyffy; "After China: The Politics of Fabrication," organized by Ian F. Thomas; "Chautauqua School of Art," organized by Jeff Greenham; "Slipstream: Works by Karen Bolton and Thomas Schneider," organized by Thomas Schneider; "Keramos and Friends: 8 Artists From Marshall U," artists who are now or have been members of Keramos Student Potters Guild at Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va. , organized by Earline Allen; "Emotional Affair," figurative work by Mike Prather; "Constant Conversations: Educating Ourselves in Clay," experiences of a blog critique group, organized by Kip O'Krongly; "Clay at Goshen College," established and emerging graduates of Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. , organized by Justin Rothshank; "Our Nature, Your Nature," organized by James Leslie; "Finding a Path-Honing a Line," organized by Beverly Fisher; "Throw Back: Ceramic Evolution," organized by Donna Webb; "Recent Refinements," organized by Jared Ward; "Earth and Ash: The Clarion University Wood Kiln Community of Artists," 16 years of wood firing at Clarion, Pa. , organized by Mike Stek. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

• Michael Berger Gallery, 415 Gettysburg St. Point Breeze, 412-441-4282. "Object(ions)," artists, including Richard Notkin and Patti Warashina, address issues such as the Iraq War, Katrina and its aftermath, poverty, gender and sexuality rights, through April 26. Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

• Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave., 412-361-0873. "NCECA Regional Student Juried Exhibiton," annual showcase of undergraduate and graduate student work from a multi-state region surrounding the conference host city, now through Saturday. "Earth and Fire," the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh explores the theme in a variety of media, now through April 13. "Material Translations: Pinch, Coil, Slab," reinterpreting traditional hand building techniques, and "BackTalk," emerging Canadian artists, Wednesday through Saturday. . Regular hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Extra NCECA hours 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday.

Highlights: Seminal Pittsburgh clay figure Peake at Clay Place; primo residency displays from Archie Bray and Anderson Ranch at 3rd Street; Allegheny County children at the library.

• Standard Ceramics, 24 Chestnut St., 412-276-6333. "SUNY New Paltz, Alum-plus," alumni, faculty and friends of The State University of New York at New Paltz; "Nordic Woodfire," work from 2007 Nordic Woodfire Extravaganza, Horne, Denmark, organized by Gregory Miller and Dale Huffman; "From Belgrade to Bellingham, New Work From Syracuse," grad students, faculty and guests from Syracuse University's School of Art and Design; "Muchachos," Internet Networking; "Forgotten Forest," mixed-media installation by Alexandra Watrous. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

• Standard Ceramics, 1 Walnut St., 412-276-6333. "The Myth of Permanence," organized by Margaret Boozer and Catherine White; "re-Collection," Jae Won Lee and Blake Williams. Same hours as above.

• The Clay Place Gallery, 1 Walnut St., 412-276-3260. "Friends in Clay," Elvira Peake, Kirk Mangus, Eva Kwong, James Simon, through April 26. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

• 3rd Street Gallery, 220 Third St., 412-276-5233. "Residents From the Bray 2007," work from the Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, Mont.); "Erudite Lunacy," sculpture and mixed media; "Ranch Hands," Anderson Ranch Center for the Arts (Snowmass, Colo.) 2006-07 residents. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• Conscious Cafe, 36 E. Main St., 412-446-0431, ext. 108. "L'amour, La Mort," Brian Molanphy in residence at the National (Porcelain) Manufactory of Sevres, France. 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

• Andrew Carnegie Free Library, 300 Beechwood Ave., 412-276-3456, ext 6. "Allegheny County Regional K-12 Ceramic Exhibition," Allegheny County students, now through March 29. 2-8 p.m. Mondays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. Closed March 21.

Highlights: African-American clay at 209/9 Gallery; Brits at Robert Morris; Transcendence and the Circus at Three Rivers; 100 table settings; and the Orton Cone Box show at the Westin.

• August Wilson Center 209/9 Gallery, 209 Ninth St. at Liberty and Penn, 412-281-5484. "Black Clay in PA: A Dialogue in Flux," organized by Pittsburgh native and Winston-Salem State University faculty member Sharif Bey, now through May 31. Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; until 7 p.m. Thursdays.

• 707 Penn Avenue Gallery, 412-456-2961. "Suggestion/Submission," Ian F. Thomas and Jeffrey A. Schwarz, now through April 5. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

• 709 Penn Avenue Gallery, 412-471-6078. "h u m," installation by Michel L. Conroy. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Blvd. of the Allies, 412-291-6340. "Earth and Fire," group show. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• MCG @ 800 Penn Avenue Gallery, 800 Penn Ave., 412-322-1773, ext. 196. "Between Surface and Self," tile works collaboration between Paul Wandless and Pittsburgh teen artists, through April 25. Storefront gallery, daily through windows.

• Robert Morris University Gallery, 600 Fifth Ave., 412-397-6881. "Brit by Brit: Contrasting contemporary ceramics by British artists Rod Bugg and Steve Dixon," curated by Sarah Nichols, now through April 19. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays after this week.

• Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery, 937 Liberty Ave. (third floor), 412-281-8723. "Material Transcendence: Clay as Commentary," artists who use clay as a tool, looking beyond the material to confront issues related to gender, hypocrisy, duality, irony, consumption and the ephemeral. "The Greatest Show on Earth," inspired by the circus and the carnival and celebrating the history of the outcast in society. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

• Society for Contemporary Craft Satellite Gallery, One Mellon Center, "Water Receptacles," ceramic water filtration devices designed by artists for use in impoverished countries, through May 18. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

• The Westin Convention Center Hotel, 1000 Penn Ave., 412-281-3700. "La Mesa, Presented by Santa Fe Clay," a national invitational exhibit of 150 place settings displayed on a 100-foot banquet table, with tablecloth, flowers and candles. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. "2008 International Orton Cone Box Show," more than 150 miniatures that fit into the original 3-by-3-by-6-inch Orton Cone (a device for reading kiln temperature) Box. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday (closed Saturday).

• James Simon Sculpture Studio, 305 Gist St., Uptown, 412-434-5629. "Amazing Ceramics at Gist Street," national and regional artists. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

West End

• James Gallery, 413 S. Main St. , 412-922-9800. "Two for the Show," Regis Brodie and Bill Strickland, through May 3. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Sewickley

• Sweetwater Center for the Arts, 200 Broad St., 412-741-4405. "Juicy Terracotta," group show now through April 4. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Mt. Lebanon

• Art Loft, 615 Washington Road, 412-563-3003. "Birds I View," Jacqueline Jrolf's humanized birds, and "Recent Works of Una Mjurka," through March 29. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

• Create-a-Frame/Handworks Gallery, 670 Washington Road, 412-341-1744. "Teapots and Other Clay Stuff," by Ron Korczynski, through March 31. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

• Planet Art Gallery, 632 Washington Road, 412-343-3808. "Echoes From the Rustbelt," Cleveland- and Pittsburgh-area artists, through March 29. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays.

Washington

• Olin Art Gallery, Washington & Jefferson College, 60 S. Lincoln St., www.washjeff.edu/olin.aspx. "Shadows of Collected Memories," installation by Ilena Finocchi. March 19-22, noon-5 p.m.; March 24-April 6, noon-7 p.m. daily.

• The Artists' Co-op, 30 E. Beau St., 724-229-0365. "Frankly Speaking," students and friends of the late Frank Ross, through March 31.

Morgantown, W.Va.

• ZENCLAY Studio and Galleries, 2862 University Ave., 1-304-599-7687. "The Four States Ceramics Exhibition," from Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, now through March 31. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.