Mara Superior is a nationally recognized visual artist who works in porcelain. Her love of history and the decorative arts is apparent in many of her ceramic works, including Tulipieres: A Collection of Tulipiere Vases. This platter displays Dutch tulipieres vases made of blue cobalt-decorated earthenware (commonly called Delftware). The center vase displays red tulips while the two tall vases on either side are empty. Since the early seventeenth century the Dutch have cultivated tulips and flower bulbs for which they are still known and admired.
As a Dutch colony settled in the early seventeenth century, Albany has maintained connections with a Dutch cultural identity. Tulip Fest, held every year in early May, is one of the city's most beloved outdoor festivals that features thousands of tulips planted in Washington Park.
Mara Superior's work is held in various museum collections across the country including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and many others. She lives and works in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
