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Jenny Beech
Jenny fell in love with clay as a high school student in Silver Spring, MD, and as a teenager decided that she wanted to pursue ceramics as a career. She went on to graduate from Towson University with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts, Ceramics concentration. While at Towson, she exhibited her work twice in the annual juried student show, winning awards for her pottery on both occasions. Her work has appeared in shows at Baltimore Clayworks, Mugi Studio, Supermud Pottery, and Clay Arts Las Vegas. Since her graduation from Towson, Jenny has worked at several studios and after-school programs, teaching ceramics to both children and adults. In 2019, she moved to NYC to pursue her career in clay, and started teaching at three studios around Manhattan. During that time, Jenny discovered a passion for teaching the potter's wheel, and grew profoundly as an artist and an educator. Connecting with students over clay is one of her joys in life, and she is so excited to be teaching at District Clay! jennyfire41 (at) gmail (dot) com. Ray Bogle Ray Bogle has been working with clay and making pots as a hobby for over 30 years. His first exposure was in high school and while he enjoyed the class he had no idea what impact this stuff called “clay” would have on his life. Following high school, he joined the Air Force where he was able to further hone his pottery skills at nicely equipped Arts and Craft centers. Over the years, he’s explored most pottery aspects and techniques, but many years ago settled in on wheel thrown Raku pieces. He found the “interactiveness” of this technique intriguing and enjoyed the immediateness of the process. Ray has explored other related low temperature firing techniques such as Pit and Saggar firing. His current work is focused on a Naked Raku, a variation of Raku where the finished pieces have no glaze and Saggar fired vessels. He’s currently a member of the CalvArt Gallery in Prince Frederick Maryland, teaches pottery classes at Annmarie Garden, and conducts private lessons and occasional workshops at his studio in Huntingtown, Maryland. Ray teaches District Clay's Raku firing workshops and also does DCC Raku events at venues outside of District Clay. rbogle (at) comcast (dot) net. Samantha Briegel Samantha Briegel was born and raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Knoxville, Tennessee. Samantha received her BFA in Three-Dimensional Arts at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in May of 2013. After graduation, her passion for pottery led her to Helena, Montana where she interned at Archie Bray Foundation Clay Business. After completing her internship, Samantha moved to Missoula, Montana to study ceramics at the University of Montana as a post-baccalaureate student. Samantha has recently received her Masters of Fine Arts in ceramics at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She is a resident artist at Baltimore Clayworks. samantha.briegel (at) gmail (dot) com. Connor Czora Connor Czora work explores the relationship between domestic ceramics, cultural taste, and sociopolitical power structures in the United States. As a queer American artist, Connor often investigates themes of national, gendered, sexual, and performed identity. They received their BFA in Ceramics and Gender Studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art. As a Resident Artist, Connor will be working on gallery exhibition and special events as well as assisting with other duties at District Clay. Connor's work was recently included in the LIES exhibition at the District Clay Gallery. cczora180 (at) gmail (dot) com. Chad Gunderson Chad Gunderson received his MFA from Arizona State University and his BFA from Minnesota State University. He has taught ceramics at the University of Puget Sound, Brooklyn College and Bennington College. He has done residencies at the Bakehouse in Miami, Fl and The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China and his work has been exhibited in over two dozen shows across the country. Gunderson's work merges commercial design with geology to create amalgamations that reflect on our modern anthropocene. As a Resident Artist at District Clay, Chad will be starting a new body of work that continues to examine the liminal space between natural objects and man-made products in the current space age we live in today. chad.gunderson (at) gmail (dot) com. Carol Herwig Carol Herwig has been making and building pots for more than 30 years in Washington DC. What began as therapy has become an avocation. Carol began, and continues to study with Jill Hinckley, as have many potters in the DC area. She taught summer camp and after school pottery programs for children and teens at the Sitar Center for the Arts in Adams Morgan for three years before coming to District Clay. In her other life, Carol was a newspaper journalist for more than 35 years, mostly covering sports for USA TODAY, and is now a certified arborist. She has a small landscape business based in Petworth, where she lives with her husband, two dogs and too many cats. carolherwig (at) icloud (dot) com. Jon Kerr Jon Kerr began working with clay in high school, continued in college and rounded studies out with classes at the Torpedo Factory. His focus is functional ceramics, and he enjoys pushing the material in new directions, always interested in novel forms. When seeking solace from a cubicle without windows day job, he renewed his passion for working with clay in 2007. Jon is the Studio Manager at District Clay Center. He has attended conferences and workshops ranging from NCECA in Houston to Simon Leach. He has taught pottery classes at different venues across the DC metropolitan area. stonewarejon (at) gmail (dot) com. Ara Koh Ara Koh received her MFA in Ceramics from Alfred University and her BFA in Ceramics and Glass from Hongik University in Seoul. She was an international exchange student at Cal State Long Beach and has exhibited in the United States and Korea. Ara received numerous awards including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Honor by the Korean government. Her works are collected by Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Daekyo Culture Foundation, Winell Corporation, and many personal collectors. A District Clay Resident Artist, Ara will be working on District Clay's Community Clay! Program as well as assisting with other duties at District Clay. During her time in District Clay, Ara will be exploring how architecture and space is defined by brick modules. araangelako (at) gmail (dot) com. Liz Lockett My work begins as an exploration of geometry, and my goal is for the form and surface to work together to bring the work alive. Making the work starts with a sketch representing a simple three dimensional form. It continues with manipulations on paper and in clay to define volume, and finishes with the laying of color from glaze and flame. Inspiration for my work comes most often from sketches and drawings which explore form and line. Slabs cut free form, loosely based on the drawings begin the process, an exploration of the corners and lines that define volume. I am constantly striving to recreate the loose freedom of the two dimensional line in three dimensional form. Pottery, functional not in its connection to sustenance but in its ability to contain space, must still relate to the human body, its surface pleasant to the hand, its form interesting to the eye. “I am driven by the insatiable pursuit of the “good pot”. Successful in terms of tactile, visual, and functional attributes; lastingly significant when packed with the passion of the maker- reflecting humanity, and contributing to the craft.” Lorna Meaden elockett (at) gmail (dot) com. J. Chris Landers The society we live in today is constantly in a rush, with most not taking the time to stop and appreciate life. When we fail to pause and notice the seemingly insignificant details of the world around us, we are robbing ourselves of meaningful thoughts and introspections. Through my work, I hope that you will be able to touch, sense, and enjoy the everyday phenomena that we as a society so frequently overlook. It is my sincere hope that by exposing the public to my visions of the simplistic and imperfect, I will encourage my observers to take some time out of their hectic routine to appreciate the beauty of the under appreciated aspects of one's daily life." Chris is an accomplished wood fire studio potter and also runs the Clay Co-op in Rockville which offers studio space, exhibition opportunities and artist residencies. Chris recently completed his MFA in ceramics at Hood College. jchrislanders (at) gmail (dot) com. Jill Ross Meltzer Jill has taught beginning to advanced wheel throwing for nearly ten years at District Clay and other venues. She also inaugurated with Liz Lockett and Jon Kerr, District Clay's popular online interactive class schedule in 2020. Before moving to DC, she was an Associate at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia and a professional member of the Potters Guild in Wallingford, PA. Jill graduated with a degree in Ceramics from The George Washington University/Corcoran School of Art and has attended many workshops around the country. In her previous life, Jill was a practicing attorney in DC. Jill’s primary interest is in making functional one-of-a-kind serving pieces with a decided bent towards the decorative. Harmonizing the demands of utility with those of imparting some measure of magic to everyday things is a challenge she finds inspiring. jrossmeltzer (at) gmail (dot) com. Cole Norton Cole Norton learned to throw in 2001, but remembers digging clay from the creeks of northern Pennsylvania as a kid. The sixth of seven children, he learned traditional folk crafts and skills from his parents and grandparents. Cole credits his rural upbringing and close knit family as the inspiration for his love of nature and functional art. Cole has been an Associate Artist at DCC for many years. His one eyed dog, Bebe, can often be seen following him around the studio as she supervises his work. colemnorton (at) gmail (dot) com. Mike Pappas Mike succumbed to clay’s quiet seduction in 2001 after enrolling in a wheel throwing class at Hinckley Pottery. Under Jill Hinckley’s tutelage, he quickly advanced from apprentice to instructor, and now has ten years experience teaching children and adults to throw pots, in community studios and privately. He loves throwing pots, but he loves teaching more. There is magic in centering a ball of clay, and alchemy in the firing of it; Mike strives for the magic. Mike has taught at ceramic studios in the Washington area, including District Clay, Hinckley Pottery and the Glen Echo Community Center. Michael.d.pappas (at) gmail (dot) com. |
