The Potters Cast

Curtis Houston, a lifelong native of the South who currently resides in Lower Alabama. Curtis is the Three-Dimensional Art Professor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Southern influences have shaped Curtis' perception of the world and tinged his work with a sense of wry quirky wit. Within these cultural and regional idiosyncrasies, Curtis' sense of kitsch-like designs find their visual narrative and artistic voice.

Tasja Pulawska was born in Warsaw in 1983 and lived in different parts of Europe before finally finding her home in Copenhagen. Tasja studied graphic design in Warsaw and Media art at the Bauhaus university in Germany. Tasja worked as a Graphic designer for about 5 years, and about 10 years ago she tarted playing with clay. Tasja decided to make pottery her full-time occupation in 2014. Tasja was a workshop assistant in a shared working space/studio in Oslo, and after moving to Denmark in 2014 she became Eric Landon's apprentice and later assistant at Tortus Copenhagen (for two and half years). Tasja opened her own workshop in December 2016.

Patrick Kingshill was born in Eureka California. Patrick received his BFA from San Jose State University and MFA from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. In 2014 Patrick studied glass and ceramics at the University of Sunderland, England and has recently worked as an apprentice for Takeshi Yasuda in Jingdezhen, China. Patrick now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Christine Tenenholtz has been making her way in clay for nearly 25 years. After apprenticing with a few established potteries Christine discovered a love of product design and production. Christine struck out on her own with a signature line of mid range, colorful, functional work, selling primarily in the Southwest, and in her thriving Etsy shop.

Bunty O'Connor learned pottery at evening classes in 1970. Interested in using local clay, Bunty collected and tested different clays of Trinidad. In 1987, Bunty and husband Rory, started Ajoupa Pottery making terra-cotta figurines and exporting in the Caribbean. Globalization eventually caused the closure of the business. Bunty now teaches mosaic and Raku workshops and works on making whatever she wants!

Marc Armitano Domingo was born in Northern California. He spent his childhood traveling to Venezuela where his parents are from and fell in love with Baroque music from a young age. His Grandparent & apos;s house was covered in Venezuelan art, Bromeliads, and a vast collection of Orchids on their roof. His passion for Baroque music led him to study Historical Performance on Viola da Gamba where he learned more about Baroque and Renaissance art and especially ornamentation. In Baroque music, pieces are usually left quite bare and minimal and it is up to the performer to add expression, graces, trills, and other agrément. In this style, Marc uses simple forms and adds appliqués, etchings, and other decorating techniques to create variety and beauty in a piece. Most of his work has some sort of utilitarian purpose.

Jami Porter Lara began working in ceramics after a 2011 trip to Mata Ortiz, Mexico, where she learned to forage and prepare clay, build coiled vessels, burnish, and pit-fire in reduction. Jami's conceptual ceramics project, which contemplates the plastic bottle as a contemporary artifact, has been widely exhibited, including a 2017 solo show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Jami lives in Albuquerque, NM.

Rebecca Killen, a graduate of Belfast School of Art, is a ceramic designer-maker living and working in County Down, N. Ireland. With a love of curating collections of complementary objects, Rebecca aims to create ceramic products that can evoke memories, a sense of nostalgia or serve as decorative pieces in the home to be used and treasured for years to come. Our bottles, dishes and vessels are made in small batches using the slip casting technique.

Sara Beth Elkins is a small batch potter working out of her home studio in Lubbock, Texas. Sarah Beth find joy in replicating patterns, textures, and color from daily life and filtering them in and out of her work to create a sense of comfort or nostalgia. Sarah Beth allows her work to transition in color/theme with the seasons to keep things fresh! Sarah finds the composition and marks in her work to be very organic, yet also structured. Each piece dictates it's own path in Sarah Beth's studio, allowing patterns and textures to naturally flow onto the surface. The majority of Sarah Beth work focuses on functionality. Not only does Sarah Beth's want you to enjoy the presence of the pot itself, but also physically incorporate it into your daily routine. Connecting from Sarah Beth's hands to yours.

Cathy Terepocki has been working full-time as a ceramic artist for fourteen years. Cathy's functional work and jeweler is sold in shops and galleries in North America and she has also developed a portfolio of one-of-kind pieces and conceptual projects. In the Spring of this year (2018) several of her designs were launched at Anthropologie stores Internationally. Cathy lives in Yarrow, BC with her husband and 3 children.

Matt Davis' work marks society in the information age and is concerned with a post-contemporary aesthetic in the form of hyperreal vessels. The artifacts aim to challenge perceptions of the digital medium and further the dialogue of handmade versus machine in the creation of craft.

Travis Winters is a ceramic artist and Programs Manager at Touchstone Center for Crafts. Working primarily with animals and figures, Travis creates figures based on mundane day-to-day life, past struggles, and real people. An MFA graduate from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Travis exhibits work nationally and has shown at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, MD, The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA, The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA, The Baton Rouge Gallery in Baton Rouge, LA, and the AMOCA Museum in Pomona, CA. Travis was the Lormina Salter Fellowship Artist at Baltimore Clayworks, long term Resident at Odyssey Clayworks in Asheville, NC, a Kiln God Summer Resident at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in New Castle ME and a Short-Term Resident Artist at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, MT.

Zach Orenstein has a communications major with a focus in Graphic Design. Zach is a Graphic Designer full time and potter by hobby. Zach has taught marbling workshops, was a TA at Haystack MtSchool, and a member of the MCA. Zach loves to cook and bake in during his freetime and when time permits, to travel the world.

Josh Edgar served in the U.S. Army for five years before beginning his journey into college in 2013, receiving his BFA in Ceramics from the MUW in 2017. Josh is primarily a wood fire potter, currently residing in Austin, TX. Josh tries to harness natural forces and aesthetics in his work, utilizing texture as a main component of his pieces.

Alana Noy is a Brooklyn, New York potter where she runs Malka Dina, a studio that produces an evolving collection of home wares, jewelry, and art.

Delvin Goode has been doing pottery off and on for over 20 years. Delvin is currently pursuing a Master of Ceramics from Fort Hays State University, though he work in all types medium. Delvin is loving the process more and more each day.

Carly Gibran Hamid graduated from Stetson University in 2003. She taught art in public schools for seven years, owned a small gallery, and has worked with several local art organizations. In 2015, she left teaching to become a full time studio artist. Carly works with porcelain, making functional and sculptural ceramics that are inspired by the natural world. She lives in DeLand, Florida with her husband and their two sons.

Originally trained as a painter, Kara Leigh Ford is a potter working from her tiny garden studio in rural Somerset, UK. Kara predominantly makes tableware and larger art pieces. Growing up next to the ocean in Devon, England - Kara's work is inspired by the ever changing textures and colour of her beloved coast.

Jeanette Zeis is a functional and decorative potter, and has worked with clay for over 20 years. Using a variety of techniques, Jeanette continues to explore and evolve her studio pottery practice. Jeanette's pottery line contains beautiful and original housewares- wonderfully crafted, with an eye for detail, and designed for everyday use while still being perfect for lovely displays. An admirer of vintage housewares, Jeanette's color palette reflects a love for fiesta ware.

Bryan Wilkerson is a Tennessee Native and Professor of Art and Design at Roane State Community College. Bryan's creative practices are focused primarily on Ceramics and Public Art but extends into design and drawing. Bryan's work explores humor, craft, irony, and play through common symbolic references. Bryan is also the creator and director of the ArtMobile traveling gallery and pop up workshop space.

Dana Gabel produces ceramic work that is functional with a sculptural flare. Born and raised in Bronx, NY she now resides Pennsylvania. After obtaining a BA in Visual Art she currently continues to refine her work, showing predominately in Northeastern Pennsylvania but also displaying work in parts of the U.S.

Danny Meisinger have been a potter now for about 30 years. Danny has taken a few college classes but is mostly self taught. Once Danny began making work worth keeping, he has had about 4 evolutions of work, with the forth being pretty new right now. Danny is married and has four children and two grandchildren.

Amy Noel grew up in Nova Scotia and was certified as an art teacher and eventually moved to Japan. Amy lived in the Japanese countryside for 3 years and was a member of a community pottery center for her last 1.5 years. Amy came back to Nova Scotia and has been making and selling pottery since 2013. Amy is inspired by Wabi Sabi and Nova Scotia culture, attempting to combine the two in her pottery. Amy has a 2 year old and 3 year old (daughters).

After graduating from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, former product designer Gabrielle Burke founded g ceramic & co. Gabrielle was enamored by the way ceramic objects habitat in our daily lives. For her it is amazing how people rely on objects such as mugs and bowls and have an interpersonal relationship with them. Gabrielle creates work for wedding registries, restaurants, online, retail, markets, and is also available by appointment at her studio on Alberta & 5th Avenue in Vancouver, BC.

In 1980 Dale and Liane Maddox purchased a century old, two story corner building in Hardy Arkansas, a sleepy resort town on the Spring River. The building had been neglected, but with much preservation effort, it was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas. Melding their work ethics and skills, they established their pottery studio and began a retail shop (Hardy Pottery) to sell their work and the work of other artist/craftsmen, earning a nomination as one of the top 100 sellers of American Handcrafts from Niche Magazine of Philadelphia. Somehow the combination of a pottery , retail, and raising 4 children was managed with a chaotic balance. In 2016, they reached a decision to sell the building and retail business. They established a new workshop on Petit Jean Mountain, in central Arkansas, just West of Little Rock, Now under the name, Old Dog Pottery, they produce a variety of gas fired stoneware for their former business and new clients gained in central Arkansas. At a less frenetic pace, they are exploring earthen ware, cone 6 electric and reduction firing, and have time for welcome interruptions such as grandchildren and casual visitors.

Anastasia Ceramum is a ceramic artist living in Moscow, Russia. Anastasia has built a thriving business catering to other businesses that need ceramic items to be made for them. She has employees and is making a a great go at it in Moscow.

Wendy Wrenn Werstlein came to clay as a second vocation. For 10 years Wendy taught high school biology were she worked to cultivate in students a desire to explore the world while also encouraging scientific inquiry. Wendy finds these two skills served her just as well in the studio. Wendy left teaching and returned to the classroom as a student at Haywood Community College completing an Associates Degree in Professional Crafts. From there Wendy moved to Floyd, Virginia and worked as an apprentice to Silvie Granatelli, studio potter. Wendy now lives and works in her studio/home on the Blue Ridge Parkway, building a life as a studio potter in Floyd, Virginia.

Steve received his MFA at Alfred. He is a full-time potter and retired JSU professor. Steve recently self-published a book on glazes. He has been a presenter, panel moderator, glaze doctor, and TGDL at NCECA. He has hosted the AL Clay Conference and been awarded ASCA and SAF/NEA fellowships. Lynnette Hesser received her MFA from UF. She taught 26 years, now works full-time in the studio, and was the contributing editor on a book on glazes for her husband, Steve Loucks. She received the ASCA Crafts Fellowship, conducts workshops, exhibits her work nationwide, and has co-hosted the Alabama Clay Conference.

Tom Edwards took his first ceramics class at Mira Costa High School when he was fifteen years old. While pursuing a B.A. degree in Art History at UC Santa Barbara, Tom took two years of studio art classes in ceramics and sculpture. By 1983, Tom had a relatively successful line of pottery which he sold mainly through retail craft fairs. It was at this time that he came up with the idea of Wally. The next year Tom moved to Los Angeles where he built a small studio in his sister's garage. He dropped his previous line of pottery and he began decorating all of his pots with cartoon imagery. Eventually Tom moved and set up shop in Colorado where he lives and works today. Recently Tom stood up to Tesla and Elon Musk for copyright infringement and Tom won.

Inge Vincents started playing with clay when she was 4. Inge continued clay playing through school and beyond, and at 37 she sold her first piece. Inge has specialized in thinware porcelain and has worked as a full-time studio ceramist for the past 14 years. Inge established her own studio in Copenhagen in 2009.

Lori Rollason was originally from Middletown, Connecticut. Now Lori lives and works in Hillsborough New Hampshire. Lori Is a full time potter and a part time teacher. Lori has her own studio in the barn attached to her house. Lori makes mostly functional cone 6, electric fired pottery.

James Tingey is a studio potter whose work explores ideas of utility, process, material and landscape. His work incorporates a straight forward visual language to address function, and the vocabularies of utility and wood firing to investigate the intersection of form and flame. Currently, James is Resident Coordinator and Studio Technician at LH Project in Joseph, OR.

Cara Steinbuchel is the designer and maker of Potters' Skin Butter Deep Hydration for Hardworking Hands. She started making Potters' Skin Butter out of her studio in 2004 for the pottery community in Asheville, NC. Her lotion is now available nationwide in pottery supply stores and through her website.

Jessica Butala is an Industrial Designer working in product development. Jessica also has an uncontrollable passion for Ceramics. Jessica has worked with clay since high school and recently built a home studio to experiment with clay more often. Jessica draws inspiration from nature and enjoys adding a folkloric element to her work.

Dennis Stark was born and raised in Quincy, Illinois. He moved to Maryland in 1979 while serving in the U.S. Air Force and currently lives in Frederick, MD. Dennis is a functional potter and draws most of his inspiration from Warren Makenzie. Dennis began his ceramic career in 2012 by attending classes at the Frederick Pottery School and at Frederick Clay Studio. Most of Dennis' training came from workshops and 'Youtube University'. Dennis, with his partner Phil Berneburg and his wife and partner Gerri Berman, founded Washington Street Studios in 2017. Dennis transitioned to be a full-time studio potter and gallery owner on June 1st, 2018.

Curt Hammerly is a ceramicist that combines cutting-edge technology with age-old pottery techniques. Curt found clay after a car accident leaving him with a broken neck. Now fully recovered he is on his way to a career in ceramics full time.

Valerie Grossman is an artist and owner of BRICK Ceramic and Design Studio located in Cleveland, Ohio. Valerie received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2012. In May of 2015, Valerie opened BRICK as a shared studio space and gallery for ceramic artists. Kyriaki Karalis is one of our interns from the studio and was the ceramics tech at University of North Florida. Kyriaki is a professional potter who relocated to Cleveland from Florida and recently found our clay community and studio to be a good fit. Kyriaki makes and sells wheel thrown porcelain pottery.

Using his backyard botanical sanctuary for inspiration, ceramic artist Joseph Sand purposefully crafts sculptural forms and functional pottery utilizing elements from the natural world including wood, stone, and seashells. He is focused on keeping the final function in mind, such as the fluted vase made to showcase a single stem of iris. Growing up in rural Minnesota, attending college on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, and eventually moving to rural North Carolina, it's no surprise that Joseph finds inspiration in his surroundings. Joseph moved to North Carolina in 2006 for a full-time apprenticeship with master potter Mark Hewitt. It is there he learned that wood-fired pottery allowed for a deeper connection between him and the final piece, using his hands to form, guide, and finish each creation. Joseph wood fires his 40-foot-long, 8-foot-wide kiln only three times per year. His work has been featured in Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated and in several permanent collections, including at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. Most recently, his 36-piece large-scale work "Resurgence" was selected for permanent installation at the Benton Convention Center in Winston Salem, NC. Joseph's creations can be purchased locally at his rural home and gallery space in Randleman, North Carolina, as well as at many galleries nationwide.

Home thrown & Hand grown Stoneware made in the hills of Coshocton Ohio. Rachel Jane Hall is a second generation potter but growing up in her parents salt glaze business, potting wasn't on her short list of careers. But the universe had other plans for Rachel Jane. 4 years ago Rachel Jane met her mentor and started on at a local mini production studio to attach handles. Hillbippie Clay Co. is a product of rural inspirations and functional interpretations.

Sarah McNutt was born in Buffalo, NY and is currently living in San Francisco. Sarah uses art and education as a platform in which to observe, comment on, and engage others about the intersection of disciplines. Sarah has worked as an artist since 2009 and has been a educator in a range of capacities since 2012, teaching undergraduate classes at KSU, workshops, and art education in schools across the country. Sarah's artistic research leads me to exhibit nationally, write grants, and author for publications such as Ceramics Monthly.

Emalee Hudson is the woman behind soft Earth ceramics! Emalee started working with clay in college and hasn't looked back since. For Emalee, simplicity is beauty, and she tries to reflect that in the pieces that she makes. Emalee loves getting her work out of her studio and into the hands of people.

Justin Akeim Trapp is an Indianapolis native, transported to the Berkshires. Justin attended Herron School of Art and Design's and graduated with a BFA in photography and ceramics. Maker, potter, and EMCEE, Justin is trying to make a life off his work. Currently Justin is exploring tableware, and he ebs and flows between functional and mixed media installation.

Ashley Lin Ames is a passionate potter that is dedicated to the craft of making hand thrown vessels for the home and the robust restaurant scene.

Sarah Van Raden is a full time potter who has been at this business since March of 2015. Sarah loves to create simple, timeless, and organic forms with glazes that are subtle and refined. Sarah's work is primarily in stoneware and porcelain.

Born and raised in Virginia, Molly Anne Bishop graduated from the Virginia Commonwealth University craft/material studies program in 2012. Working mostly in clay, Molly draws inspiration from lizards, popular sports, and travel. Molly has been a resident artist at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana, Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago, the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece, c.r.e.t.a. in Rome, and the International Studio in Jingdezhen, China. Molly has work in the permanent collections of her mom and ex-boyfriend. SPONSORS Use Promo Code: PAUL for $5 off You can help support the show! Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Gabrielle Schaffner is a ceramic artist, producing a line of functional pottery in her Boston studio. Gabrielle's work has been sold and exhibited in stores and galleries across the United States. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Gabrielle has been a resident of the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston since 1988. Gabrielle spent many years working in various arts administration roles for the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) and served as their Executive Director until 2014. FPAC is a community non-profit organization founded in 1980 by area artists to preserve and promote the local arts community. Gabrielle continues to be engaged in Fort Point, and serves on the Board of the Friends of Fort Point Channel.

Alterfact is an experimental design studio created by Lucile Sciallano and Ben Landau in 2014. Since graduating from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2013, Lucile and Ben have worked in tandem on various issues in different mediums. They explore current and future issues and translate them into installations and objects. In this episode Ben tells us a bit of their story.

You can help support the show! Ruth was born in Haifa, Israel in 1959. The first time Ruth encountered clay was far away from home in the magical land of Alaska. There, during cold and dark winter days, Ruth searched for an interesting practice that would bring her joy. Ruth found it in the ceramic department of the University of Fairbanks Alaska. The ancient art of ceramics found a warm place in her heart. Currently Ruth resides in the southern desert in Israel, managing her own studio and teaching. Ruth's motto is "Love what you do and world becomes your child" (Japanese proverb).

Stephen Mullins is a potter and business owner in Sheridan, Wyoming. Stiphen received his BA in Arts Ed 2012, and BFA 2013. In 2018 Stephen Mullins opened his first brick and mortar store in the heart of Sheridan, Wyoming's historic downtown. Stephen now runs a production house and Community Clay Center during the day, and teaches community classes in the evenings.

Lori Phillips is originally from Cincinnati, but grew up in Kentucky where Lori was fortunate to find clay in high school. Lori earned her BFA from Eastern Kentucky University, and her MFA from the University of Dallas. Lori primarily make sculpturally functional work. Being a full time potter is Lori's goal.