Artist Statement

Early memories of my childhood bring me back to being nestled underneath quilts. Traditionally, quilts were composed of refuse fabric that was harvested from worn out clothing.  When combined, these scraps create new patterns and forms.  These new forms are reminiscent of the original, but in combination they are greater than the individual parts. I understand quilting to be a metaphor for reclamation and resurrection.

I have inherited many family heirlooms.  These heirlooms help me to understand that objects convey emotional and cultural ideas.  By reinforcing community and identity, they become physical reminders of the values that my family represents- comfort, durability, and a sense of nostalgia.

Through use, functional art objects give people a new level of attention and appreciation for daily life.  By investing the time to decorate my earthenware pottery with historically high-class patterns, I treat the material as if it is a precious commodity. This transformation encourages the user to value and celebrate everyday experiences. I see adornment as synonymous with the expression of emotional fullness and gratification. 

Food and the relationships that surround consumption influence my choice to make pots for daily use. I make forms out of earthenware clay that celebrate casual domestic service.  Physically my pitchers, platters, bowls, mugs, and teapots serve nourishment.  Culturally they are instruments of community.

Biography

I've traveled far and wide to see and make pottery. I started in Virginia with an International Baccalaureate ceramics certificate in high school; then to Boone, NC, for a BFA in painting and ceramics from Appalachian State; and then on to a post-baccalaureate year at the University of Florida. Along the way I have been a resident at the Canton Clay Works, Canton, CT, The Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art, Asheville, NC, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO. I am currently enrolled in the MFA Ceramics program at the University of Florida.

I've worked for numerous potteries, and I've spent countless hours soaking in good pots. I consider these experiences to be essential to my formation as a potter and as a person. I think of myself as being extremely fortunate to have found a direction in life at a young age that has put me into contact with so many wonderful people, environments, and good pots.

Education

Master of Fine Arts Candidate
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Post Baccalaureate Study
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Bachelor of Fine Arts
Magna cum Laude Ceramics Painting
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Professional Experience

Curator
Panorama: New Ceramic Work from the University of Florida
Arts Center West, Roswell, GA

Curator
Ranch Hands: New Work from Anderson Ranch Arts Center Residents
Third St. Gallery, Carnegie, PA
Held in conjunction with NCECA 08

Resident Artist
Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO

Curator
Academia: The New Apprenticeship
Thrown Together, Louisville, KY
Held in conjunction with NCECA 07

Curator
Ceramic Residencies of the South
Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO

Curator
Odyssey Goes West:
The Influence of the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art
The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT

Resident Artist
Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, Asheville, NC

Studio Potter
Black Mountain Studios, Asheville, NC

Studio Assistant
Rock Creek Pottery, Bakersville, NC

Resident Artist/ Summer Studio Manager
Canton Clay Works, Canton, CT

Studio Assistant
Pine Root Pottery, Bakersville, NC

Studio Potter
J&S Beaumont Pottery, Valle Crucis, NC

Teaching Experience

Instructor of Record
Ceramics: 3D Concepts
School of Art and Art History
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Visiting Artist
Art Center West, Roswell, GA

Visiting Artist
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL

Instructor of Record
Throwing: Skills and Concepts
Studio for Non Art Majors
School of Art and Art History
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Visiting Artist
JClay Ceramic Studio, Roanoke, VA

Faculty
Throwing and Surface Design
Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art, Asheville, NC

Visiting Artist
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Visiting Artist
Department of Cultural Affairs, Savannah, GA

Visiting Artist
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Visiting Artist
The Oak Hall School, Gainesville, FL

Summer Faculty
Throwing and Surface Design
Canton Clay Works, Canton, CT

Gallery Representation

Signature Nine Gallery
Roanoke, VA

Select Invitational Exhibitions

Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, MD
Spoon It! Fork It! Cut It Up!
A Salon Show of Domestic Ceramic Implements

Art Center West, Roswell, GA
Panorama: New Ceramic Work from the University of Florida

Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, MD
Teapots IV

Clay Art Center, Porchester, NY
Transformations: 6x6

Focus Gallery University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Crossing the Domestic Divide
Two-person show with Pat Coughlin

Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
Cup: The Intimate Object VI

Clay Art Center, Porchester, NY
potPOURri: Pots that POUR

Third Street Gallery, Carnegie, PA
Ranch Hands: New work from Anderson Ranch Arts Center Residents
Held in conjunction with NCECA 08

Signature 9 Gallery, Roanoke, VA
New Work

Media Image Gallery, Gainesville, FL
Made with our Two Hands

The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Mastery in Clay 2007

Grove Arcade Arts & Heritage Gallery, Asheville, NC
The Odyssey Experience

Thrown Together, Louisville, KY
Academia: The New Apprenticeship
Held in conjunction with NCECA 07

Anderson Ranch Center for the Arts, Snowmass, CO
Winter Resident Artist Exhibit

The Trading Post, Bodega Bay, CA
Made of Mud

Rainy Day Design Studio, Carbondale, CO
Ranch Hands

Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO
Ceramic Residencies of the South

The St. Petersburg Clay Co, St. Petersburg, FL
A Resident Exchange: A Simultaneous Exhibit

The Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art, Asheville, NC

The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT
Odyssey Goes West: The Influence of the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art

Black Mountain Center for the Arts, Black Mountain, NC
Clay Six Ways

Art Center West, Roswell, GA
Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art resident exhibition

Sky People Gallery, Asheville, NC
Constant Flux

Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, Asheville, NC
The Butter Dish Show

Media Image Gallery, Gainesville, FL
Foolish Endeavors: Brilliant Creations

Amelia Center Art Gallery, Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, FL
Clay Tangent

Looking Glass Gallery, Boone, NC
Between
Collaborative installation with Chris Davenport on Divorce in American society

Center for Craft Creativity and Design, Hendersonville, NC
Clay and Fiber

Select Juried Exhibitions

LSU Shaw Center for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
8 Fluid Ounces 3: A National Cup Show
Juror: Michaelene Walsh

Amelia Center Gallery, Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, FL
National Juried/Invitational Cup Show
Jurors: Jeremy Randall, Sarah Panzarella

Baker University, Baldwin City, KS
2006 International Orton Cone Box Show
Jurors: Steven Hill, Don Reitz, Inge Balch
Purchase Award

Charlie Cummings Gallery, Ft. Wayne, IN
Cup: The Intimate Object IV
Juror: Linda Arbuckle

Rockaway Artist Alliance, Queens, NY
Sewn and Thrown
Juror: Rockaway Artist Alliance

Catherine Smith Gallery, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
Art Expo 2003
Juried Annual Exhibition

Center for Craft Creativity and Design, Hendersonville, NC
Mountain Inspired: Artists influenced by the Environment of Western North Carolina

Awards and Recognition

Emerging Artist
Ceramics Monthly

Purchase Award
2006 International Orton Cone Box Show

Publications

500 Plates and Chargers: Innovative Expressions of Function & Style
Lark Books Asheville, NC

The Spirit of Ceramic Design
Pebble Press Inc., Farmington Hills, MI

“The MFA Factor: University of Florida”
Sherman Hall, Ceramics Monthly, Vol. 56 #9, 2008, USA

“Emerging Artist 2006”
Sherman Hall, Ceramics Monthly, Vol. 54 #5, 2006, USA

500 Bowls: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design
Lark Books, Asheville, NC