The Slip Trail Blog

With great pleasure we announce our jurors for Celebration of Clay 2026: Liz Hunt of Santa Fe,  Serít deLopaz Kotowski of Taos, Mary Sharp Davis of Albuquerque. 

Elizabeth Hunt

A rolling stone might gather no moss but I think it gathers a much more interesting patina. I have lived in many places in my life from London, England to Kingston, Jamaica to Detroit, Michigan to Long Beach, California to Chicago, Illinois and now Santa Fe, New Mexico. This restless nature directly affects my work and I can move from one series to the next in the blink of an eye. This might not be comfortable for people to figure out what my work is about but it has kept me interested in clay for about 30 years. Clay has the potential to become anything and it is that potential which is at once both daunting and electrifying.

Liz is the Head of Ceramics at Santa Fe Community College where this year's exhibit will be held. 

Liz Hunt. 

Serít Inez deLopaz Kotowski 

Born: In a vacuum

Named: Sherrie Inez Kotowski

Re-Named: Serít Inez deLopaz Kotowski

Serit del Bosque Studio

Currently: Still breathing. Still curious, still outspoken and unbearably shy in a bold way; in other words, unpredictable and many times contrarily fickle.

Past lives: Cat X 9 including a scaredy cat.  Student, teacher, caretaker, gardener, dabbler, dancer, lover, nurse, mother, maker, sailor, voyeur, child, adult, rebel, fool, creator, destroyer, loner, hermit, daredevil, heartbreaker, earth shaker, firebrand, warrior, idiot, chicken shit… to name a few in no particular order.

Intention: Live life to the fullest and ultimately leave only beauty in my wake.

The Thread: Artist and Participant.

For decades now I have taken many chances, challenges and dares that have been offered up. My experience lies in the things I leave behind.

Serít deLopaz Kotowski.

Mary Sharp Davis  

Some history:

After moving from Las Vegas in 1971 I returned to Albuquerque Where I had previously earned a BFA in painting and drawing from UNM. Being a new mother at the time and working as a sign printer I wanted to get back into the arts and when I first experienced someone throw a tall vase from a lump of clay I was enchanted. I had no wheel or kiln but took a community college class through UNM where I learned to handbuild. A couple of years later I joined a wheel throwing class and learned the basics about throwing and glazing and made friends with women who owned a studio and allowed me to fire there. Except for a few Ghost Ranch (when I could afford them) workshops with the newly formed NMPCA, I created my own studio workspace in the South Valley of Albuquerque. I loved the fact that clay offered such 3-dimensional versatility and was so tactile. It is truly an alchemical experience!  At first, I used a pit fire and sand blasted method to give my pots a sense of age and wear. that the dessert inspires. My new husband and I built our first kiln from bricks salvaged at an old brick yard that when fired, bellowed fire from every crack and cranny.  That was a disaster waiting to happen!  Several months later we built our first soft brick kiln with help from someone that knew what they were doing and it was a cone 10 dream come true. Years later I transitioned to an electric kiln and cone 6 firings. At age 80 I broke down my studio as I could no longer deal with the heaviness and work involved. I am now focused on painting once again but am still a lover of all that is clay!

Mary Sharp Davis.

Taos artist Serit deLopaz Kotowski shares with us this month. Long associated with NMPCA in many capacities, she is an active participant in the vibrant ceramic community where she lives. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

Let me think, I grew up in the Mojave Desert so there wasn't much mud but I definitely loved sand and dirt. And the way the wind could fill the sky with it.

 

"Home." Serit's piece that won Best of Show at the 2025 Celebration of Clay: Of Mind and Matter in Silver City at the Light Art Space. 

Describe your studio. 

I have two studios. One in home I call “my studio”. It literally occupies about 1/3 of my residence including the gallery. The work space is very cluttered with things covering all the horizontal surfaces. I clear out portions to make work. I have lots of clay; wet and waiting to be recycled. I have a friend, Jaques du Potier, who is a Pug Meister. The clay part of the studio is a general wreck.

The other is the Taos UNM studio. I love being around other people who are interested in learning. Lee Akins has been fantastic as a professor and an inspiration in helping me to make sense of how 1 + 1 can equal 4. It's hard to describe in words; kind of like the quantum physics of clay working.

 

Photo of the artist and kiln. Provided by the artist. 

 Soda Goddess. By Serit.  

Describe your “work.”

My work is a reference to spurious antiquities. Earth forms are a great reference as well as entropy. Robert Smithson continues be a great inspiration as well as the “earth workers” of the 70's and 80's. Also, I traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and how people manipulated new materials  to look very old. I have brought that into the clay work. My work looks as if it has been weathered by the elements and formed by forces of nature. I build large sculptural vessels and name many of them after cross cultural Goddesses. 

"Cocoon." Serit's piece that she entered in the 2025 Sunport Ceramic Showcase at the Albuquerque Sunport.

"Ashera." By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I don't know so much about the “clay community” promotion but I have focused many works on “globalization of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons” in New Mexico and the overwhelming negative effects on all living beings.

 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy?

My friends and Flamenco. I also have a job; I am not retired.

 

"Full Moon Over Mora 2022."  By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

No music for me, I listen to podcasts. Trevor Noah because he is young and from the continent of Africa. Through Lines because young people connect the past with the present. This is Love because “love” is such a basic instinct and comes in so many ways. Nuclear Hotseat because it is the pulse of nuclear activism and Time Zero because it is artists and activism on the edge.  All of them keep me informed.

What other pottery do you have in your home?

I collect. I buy and trade and I have been for years.

"Ma'at."  By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved.

I wanted to be more involved with other people who saw clay as an inspiration and a home coming. I have been on the board off and on and have been a part of many projects including Celebration of Clay in Taos, the Sunport Show three times, and as chair of the Bill Armstrong Grant; giving away money is great!

Photo of the artist, supplied by the artist. 

New to NMPCA, but not new to New Mexico, Monica Devine comes from Alaska, and is now a member of the Abiquiu community, too. Monica gave a lot of her energy and construction savvy at the latest Volunteer Camp at Ghost Ranch.

How did you first get interested in clay? 

Quite a few years ago I began periodically visiting Santa Fe for a couple months at a time, in self-directed writing retreats. One day I heard two women on the bus talking about Ghost Ranch, and I was intrigued. I was stunned by the landscape, and after that started taking classes at Santa Fe Clay. The way adobe homes seem to rise up out of the earth was fascinating. At the same time, I was drawn to the work of Debra Fritts, Adrian Arleo and Jane Flint. Thus began my study of figurative ceramics. It took a number of years to get a studio up and running at my home in Eagle River, Alaska, where I’ve lived for 40 years. We recently built a house in Abiquiu, and I’m setting up a studio there so I can work in both places. 

"Owl's Cry" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

"Drum" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe your studio

My studio in Alaska is a couple hundred square feet of space I share with my husband, who works in glass. The light is flat during the winter months, my most productive time, and is completely different than the vibrant sunshine experienced in Abiquiu. I’m drawn to both landscapes; both are wild and raw and inspirational in their own ways.

"Ukraine" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe your work 

As a visual artist, I exercise an eclectic approach in creating clay sculptures of women. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by a story or quote that leads to a psychological insight, a memory, or the marking of a specific occasion. Then I’ll make a sketch to parse out a theme. 

I enjoy trying new cold treatments on my sculptures, including slip trailing, image transfers, mixed media, and encaustic elements. Women and animals are often juxtaposed and I usually work within a limited palette.  My ceramic work has been on display at the Anchorage Museum, the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Enso Circle Invitational Artist Residency and others. 

"Rock Hunter's Wife" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe any work you do that promotes clay community

I am volunteering at Ghost Ranch to help rebuilt Pot Hollow after the 2015 flood. I am eager to meet other clay artists in northern New Mexico. The clay community is very small in Alaska, the ground not conducive to harvesting clay, and most are production potters. 

"Ravenna" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

Climbing mountains, skiing, and writing. I have published 5 children’s books and my most recent adult non-fiction book, Water Mask, was completed at Ghost Ranch, which proved to be a very quiet, productive place. I’m currently working on a novel titled The Memory of Geese.

"Becoming" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Do you play music in your studio?

I’m an old hippie so I cling to 70’s music, Americana, and blues. I listen to Joni Mitchell a lot, and enjoy her modern-day geniuses Brandi Carlisle and Taylor Swift.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

I have, or used to have, a collection of pitchers and vessels that were destroyed in the 2016 earthquake. I’ve museum-puttied other pieces since then!

What caused you to join NMPCA? 

The desire to meet other northern New Mexico artists. I’m pretty new at this endeavor and am excited to learn from others.

Jim Romberg moved to New Mexico in 2024, but has contributed to the clay community here over many years. Read on to learn more.

How did you first get interested in clay? 

I had several encounters with clay as an undergraduate student of ancient history. A friend was taking a ceramics class and invited me to give it a try. Later my sister did the same and it was intriguing to throw a pot.

Describe your studio. 

A converted two car garage with spaces for the wheel, glazing, slab construction and painting.

Title:  Sunset Dreams. Photo by the artist.

Describe your “work.”

Although I started at Pottery Northwest in Seattle with stoneware and salt glazed work, an introduction to Raku at a summer workshop there with Paul Soldner captured my imagination. I have been doing Raku work ever since. Inspired by the history of Raku, its effect on culture, the immediacy of directly handling the work at every step and the interaction with glaze, fire and smoke is continually inspiring. My work is abstract vessels and sculpture presenting pieces that will hopefully provoke questions and contemplation about human nature and our place in the world. 

Title:  Tracings of a Dream. Photo by the artist.

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I have directed two conferences, “Raku: Origins, Impact, Contemporary Expression,” and “Critical Santa Fe, promoting criticism in contemporary ceramics.”  Recently I have been working with MAKE SANTA FE to promote classes and the practice of Raku for the community .

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

Certainly, the art and culture of Santa Fe and a little fly fishing on the side.

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to? 

 Yes, I do play music in the studio. Combinations of jazz and classical.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

Native American vessels, tea bowls of Toshio Ohi, other work of Fabienne Giorgia, Aline Favre, Tim Andrews, Paul Soldner, Tom Coleman, Terry Shepherd, Patrick Crabb, and various contemporary Japanese Potters.

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved?

I first worked with NMPCA at the Ghost Ranch with Jenny Lind and Jim Kempes.  I have participated in shows and events with NMPCA, including the Celebration at the Taos Ceramics Center and the recent celebration in Albuquerque as a panel member discussing the future of contemporary ceramics. 

I joined NMPCA to interact with fellow artists involved with clay about issues important to the field. 

Portrait of  the artist.

New member Anita Feng recently wrote to The Slip Trail, sharing her book, Autobiography of Clay, released in 2025 by Finishing Line Press of Georgetown, Kentucky. 

Autobiography of Clay tells an intimate story of that extraordinary raw material, clay, starting from the beginning of the cosmos to what we can dig out of our own backyard. Blending science and mythology along with her life-long career in working with clay, Anita Feng examines the question: what is clay really, and how should we behave together? How is it possible to make an original life out of unruly mud? And how much will it cost? As these questions imply, to understand clay is the same as understanding ourselves. 

“Anita Feng’s Autobiography of Clay is a wondrous book, the story of the mystery of clay in all its many forms. From eroding mountains to the beginnings of life on earth to the accidental discovery of pottery-making to the frustrations amazements and inner alchemy of shaping a clay vessel on a wheel that will be fired in a kiln and sold at a Farmer’s market, this deft little book of masterful prose poems will remind you of the wonder of everyday things.” –Norman Fischer, poet, author, Soto Zen priest, author of Through a Window, a serial poem about looking and seeing.

"Bodhidarma" by Anita Feng, raku. Photo provided by artist. 

Anita Feng’s major writing awards include a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Washington State GAP award and the Pablo Neruda Prize for poetry.  Publications include a lyric novel, Sid, and two books of poetry, Internal Strategies, University of Akron Press and Sadie & Mendel, Backwaters Press.  Her recently published book, Autobiography of Clay, is now available from Finishing Line Press. Additionally, Anita works as a ceramic artist and teaches Zen in Albuquerque. 

Copies of her book can be purchased online at Finishing Line Press or at Amazon.  https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/autobiography-of-clay-by-anita-feng/ 

Excerpt from the text:

The Grandmother Of Clay

 

For billions of years I’ve been grinding my teeth in my sleep, shattering mountains in my jaws, my arms and shoulders locked over this hoard of flinty clay. 

But the real reason I don’t sleep at night is because I’m on guard against the wind, rivers, and rain that steal my clay away.

So when some bright-eyed, ignorant child saunters by with the aim to just take some, you can be sure I’ll let her know the price.

Every time her precious pots crack or fall apart, her problems will be the same as mine. 

She should know better. She should be more reckless and divine. And she should leave something of use behind.

Jaymes Dudding is a Rio Rancho potter with ties to a gallery in nearby Jemez Springs. 

How did you first get interested in clay? 

I enrolled in a course of Hand-building at UNM taught by Carl Paak. I had found my medium!   I followed Hand-building class with Pottery on the Wheel, advanced Ceramics, and eventually a Clay Studio concentration.  I took ceramic classes from Carl Paak in the mid sixties. I also studied with Professor Dick Evans. He greatly expanded my understanding of the unlimited possibilities of clay. 

"Prepping for the Deer Dinner" ceramic. 22”h x 18”w.    Photo by the artist. 

Describe your studio. 

My in-home studio is a converted meat-cutting shop that was my father’s. It had concrete floors, a built-in sink and cabinets for storage. I added my vintage gear-driven potter’s wheel, sculpture stand, and wedging table when I moved home to New Mexico after 28 years of teaching Ceramics at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. 

"Crow" Red clay, clay slips. 14”h x 9”w. Photo by the artist. 

Describe your “work.”

Most of my work begins on the potter’s wheel. I throw large cylinders and then stretch, paddle, and stack them together to form the concept in my mind and the sketches I have drawn. Usually, this becomes one of my many goddesses. I also enjoy creating a wide variety of birds, animals, and sometimes functional ceramic ware. I decorate them with carved textures, colored slips, acrylic paint, and gold leaf.  

 

“Mother”, red mica clay, 14”ha 9”w. Photo by the artist.

 

“Ceremonial Vessel “ red mica clay. 23”h x 12” w. Photo by the artist.

“Serpent Mother” stoneware, slips and gold leaf. 34”h x 26”w.    Photo by the artist.

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I still enjoy doing demonstrations and lectures whenever I can. I show my art at Jemez Fine Art Gallery in Jemez Springs, NM. 

“Trophy Trout” custom urn, red mica clay, slips. 12”h x 8”w. Photo by the artist.

“Mountain Spirits Dance”, stoneware and acrylics, 18”w x 5”h. Photo by the artist.  

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

My wife and I love to travel. We’ve enjoyed visiting the cultures of Greece, Spain, Mexico, Belize and most recently Ireland. 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to? 

Yes, I always have music playing when I’m working. I listen to a wide variety of music from classic rock, jazz, Blues, and classical. 

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

I have been collecting Native American pottery for many years. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved. 

I joined NMPCA two years ago because I needed more opportunities to meet pottery people and become more involved with the New Mexico clay Community. 

“Arch of Gaia”, stoneware 15’ h x 9’w. By Jaymes Dudding. 

By Jasper Eyrich-Bingham

My time spent in this short 3-day workshop at the beautiful Ghost Ranch was truly transformative, not only in terms of ceramic knowledge but personally and emotionally. 

I went in with the main goal of figuring out a making method and style that I enjoyed and could pursue using the limited space I have at home. I’m glad to say I came away with that information along with a revitalized connection with myself, my appreciation and love for the wilderness and my fellow potters and clay artists. 

View from the field by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham.

After an 8 hour drive I was apprehensive and usure of what to expect from the workshop. It was different than any I’d taken in the past, focusing heavily on altering forms on the wheel, throwing “complete” objects without the need to trim, and improving technical ability. Although I wish I had more time to make, all the information was well worth my attention. Sarah, along with Karen who taught the hand building portion of the workshop, had amazing chemistry with each other and were incredible teachers and presenters. I will never throw on a wheel again without the phrase “full revolution” popping into my head. 

Sketch by Jasper Erich-Bingham.

I met so many amazing fellow artists, who I had a blast working with in the studio and dining with in the mess hall. 

Clay vessel by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham.

It revitalized my love of ceramic art making and sparked interest in any residency opportunities at Ghost Ranch or the Village Potters Clay Center in North Carolina.

Sketch by Jasper Erich-Bingham. 

I extend the utmost gratitude to the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artist for making this opportunity possible. It was truly transformative.

Atop Kitchen Mesa by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham.

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Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, WNMU graduate as of June 2025, applied and received this year's Judy Nelson-Moore Scholarship to NMPCA annual workshop -- this August with Sarah Wells Rolland and Karen Dubois of The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lucky to have Lois Price's professional experience with packing art, from decades as a museum conservator, on this year's COC committee. She submitted this article at the end of May. It's good to have this advice! All photos by the author. 

By Lois Price, May 2025

Having finished (end of April 2025) helping deinstall the Celebration of Clay exhibition in Silver City and, having packed each participant’s entry for return, I feel a few notes about safe packing methods and materials are in order.  I know all of us doing the "take-down" felt responsible for the safety of the pieces we were preparing, but some of the original packing methods and materials made this a challenge.  And some were just plain scary.  Our annual member shows, with pieces from all over the state, depend on a system of collecting and transporting our breakable clay works, thus requiring careful packaging. 

So, a few does and don’ts -- from a former museum conservator:

1. The box MUST be big enough – at least a couple inches larger in each dimension than the object within.  A box that is too big can be tailored to a smaller size with an X-acto knife and packing tape.  If the only available box is a little small, add on the necessary height or width with cardboard cut from another box.  

Figure 1: Object is too big for box, so box cannot be fully closed leaving object vulnerable to breakage.

2. Labelling the box is important.  Anyone unpacking it needs to know what is in the box and which side is UP. Please attach the box label provided in registration confirmation email, use arrow/labels to indicate box orientation, and write your name on the unlabeled sides of the box in big letters – it helps a lot when boxes are stacked in storeroom at gallery.

3. If the surface of your object is sensitive (matt finish easily marked with finger prints or abrasion) wrap it in something smooth/soft (old tee shirt, soft paper, etc.).  Place a note in the box asking that the object be handled with gloves. 

4. Please DO NOT secure bubble wrap or other packing material around the object with packing tape.  It is difficult to unwrap safely.  Please use a minimal amount of blue tape (it peels off easily) or snug but not tight rubber bands. (Thank you Lin Johnson.)

5. Packing materials – it is fine to recycle what you have available if you do so thoughtfully.  NO LOOSE PEANUTS.  But peanuts can be placed in sealed plastic bags to make packing pillows (Ziplock bags, knotted shopping bags, etc). Foam and bubble wrap also work well. Crumpled paper is less effective; bathroom towels and random pieces of cardboard are almost useless – your aim is to create a supportive, air-filled cushion around your piece.

Figure 2: Foam cutouts that immobilize complex figure in box.

Figure 3:  Good use of peanuts in plastic bags to form pillows.

6. At least two inches of foam or bubble wrap should be placed above and below the object as well as around it.  Fill the rest of the space firmly, but not tightly.  FILL TO THE TOP.  Boxes are often stacked for transport and need the support of the packing material to provide adequate protection.

Figure 4: Inadequate packing material and loose peanuts. Top of box may collapse if box is stacked.

7. If you are packing a vulnerable, complex or multi-piece object, PROVIDE PACKING INSTRUCTIONS.  This will ensure that it is unpacked and repacked safely.  

Figure 5: Customized box with packing instructions. 

Figure 6:  Good use of foam to support object.    

Because my pieces tend to fall into the vulnerable category, I have had to develop custom packing solutions.  I am fortunate to have had helpful training for this.  I am happy to consult with any member with a packing challenge to find a safe solution.

Thanks to John Weber of Corrales for agreeing to be our Meet the Member for July. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

I was eight years old the first time I touched clay—not in a classroom, but in a friend’s garage. They had a heavy kick wheel and a kiln, both interesting and engaging to me at the time. My friend and I took turns seeing how fast we could get the wheel going, putting small balls of clay on the wheel and laughing as they flew off in all directions. Without knowing it, we were playing with centripetal force —and with something much deeper. That same year, I got to work with clay in school for the first time in 3rd grade. But it wasn’t until 7th grade that the fascination truly took hold. I discovered that clay wasn’t just something to shape with your hands—it had rules and risks. The idea that a piece could explode in the kiln if there was air trapped inside? That captured my imagination completely. At 12, the possibility of something  blowing up was thrilling—but it also planted the seed of respect for the material. In high school, I was mostly on my own. My art teacher was a painter, not a potter, so I taught myself to throw on the wheel by studying photos. Then one day, a visiting artist came to our class and introduced us to throwing and raku. Watching the flame meet the clay, seeing how earth and fire could come together in an unpredictable dance— that moment hooked me for life. Then college is where I took off with clay and never looked back. Clay has taught me patience, persistence, and the beauty of imperfection. It’s about the process: It’s about learning to listen to the material - it becomes a language for your own.

Describe your studio.

I have a small 10’ x 10’ studio with a large 15’ x 18’ covered area outdoors attached to it. It has a tin roof over it with cedar plank walls and red pavers for the floor. The equipment I use is a Skutt 1027 studio kiln (free from a high school because it was being junked) which I rebuilt. Most recently I’ve built a raku kiln using a 55-gallon drum and Kaowool ceramic fiber. I also use a Bailey slab roller and I have 2 work tables. I love welding, woodworking, and soon, metal pouring.

Describe your “work."

I am trying to envision the fusion of impressionist painting and abstract sculpture in clay. The fusion of two styles creates a unique artistic language where the organic, fluid qualities of clay and the impressions that clay lends itself to, mirror the spontaneity of impressionist brushstrokes. The abstract nature of the designs allows for open interpretation. The pieces each evoke landscapes, emotions, or even memories, but they remain undefined enough to let each viewer bring their own perspective to the work. This interplay between the concrete and the intangible is what makes these pieces so compelling tome because they invite a dialogue between the artist, the medium, and the audience. Sometimes it is like looking at clouds and seeing things that create a connection between the viewer and the sculpture. The direction in my work is dynamic and raku firing these sculptural forms is the next step for where the work will carry me. The Nostalgia of Route 66 is also a subject matter for a different line of my work. I enjoy the painting on the clay as if it were the canvass.

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community.”

This year is my first year with NMPCA and it has been great! I am a member of International Ceramic Artist (ICAN) which has great information and ideas. NCECA is another organization I have been a member of for many years as an educator and continue to support.

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy?

I enjoy being out in nature either camping, driving, or walking. I also shoot pool, fish, and spend time with family.

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

Yes! Music in my environment is instrumental (no pun intended) in the atmosphere of my studio. I have eclectic tastes in music as it fills the space for me where silence once was. I love the music from the 60’s on up whether rock n’ roll, country, bluegrass, jazz. Not really into polka, disco, or most hip hop. My newest likes in music are Charlie Crockett and Lukas Nelson.

What other pottery do you have in your home?

My wife and I have a collection of story tellers from Acoma Pueblo. We have a Jemez Pueblo wedding vase, and many pieces from Oaxaca, Mexico.

What caused you to join NMPCA?

After teaching art for many many years, I wanted to express my ideas with my own art in my retirement years. NMPCA is a great avenue to meet like-minded artists and share ideas and stories.

Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved.

This is my first year with the NMPCA. The Silver City exhibit in the spring and the people I met there was a great experience. Then recently, the 50th Anniversary Celebration was inspiring and an honor for me to have been a part. I look forward to the future with the NMPCA.

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John Weber has a Studio Tour Page on this website. His own website is https://www.johnweberstudio.com/ 

The annual New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists workshop occurs August 22 through 24 this year. In the long tradition of NMPCA renting space at Ghost Ranch for workshops beginning as far back as early 1980s, we look far and wide for ceramics teachers.

After reviewing potential presenters over the winter months, the Workshop Committee picked Sarah Wells Rolland of The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville, NC. Sarah will add the fees we pay her to the larger fundraiser to rebuild their 14,000 sq. ft. facility that was destroyed in the flood caused by Hurricane Helene last September. Her teaching (alongside George Rolland and Karen Dubois of The Village Potters Clay Center) will include a public presentation in Santa Fe at Paseo Pottery the night after the workshop. This multi-faceted gig in New Mexico is the last one in a string of 14 in nine states, all happening in a planned Workshop Tour starting just this year in 2025. 

The workshop is full at Ghost Ranch, but the Monday evening event (August 25th) with throwing demo “Exploring Pots for the Woodfire Aesthetic” and presentation “The Kazegama Kiln: Construction, Firing, Wood and Soda Ash” still has room for a big crowd at Paseo Pottery, 1273 Calle de Comercio, Santa Fe. There is no fee associated with the event. Donations are encouraged with all proceeds going to the recovery of their center, and can be made online through NMPCA or directly to The Village Potters.  Donations at the event can be made by cash, check or credit card. You can reserve your spot on the NMPCA website. An online raffle of four ceramic works, with a piece by Sarah Wells Rolland of The Village Potters Clay Center, will be added to the event. 

Sarah Wells Rolland answered the following questions for The Slip Trail recently.

1. Please tell us briefly about Village Potters Clay Center’s history and your tenure and role there. 

Sarah Wells Rolland (she/her) and her husband George (he/him) co-founded The Village Potters in 2011. Sarah currently serves as President of the Center, leading both the administrative and teaching/mentoring staff. George, Vice President, oversees all facilities operations that includes building, maintaining, and repairing the infrastructure that supports the center’s daily function. 

In addition to being a thriving creative hub, The Village Potters also is a clay supply company. Sarah works closely with the clay company administrator to support our communities clay, tools and glaze material needs. 

Sarah has her personal studio within the center. She devotes most of her time to teaching and mentoring aspiring potters both locally and across the US, focusing on intermediate to advanced ceramic techniques, business development, and helping artists discover and refine their personal aesthetic. She regularly teaches both online and weeklong workshops. 

Sarah’s distinctive and evolving body of work is exhibited and sold exclusively at The Village Potters Clay Center Gallery. Although she spent more than 25 years selling her work in galleries nationwide, she now chooses to offer her work solely through the Center.  To learn more about their loss and recovery, visit website. 

  

From left to right: Sarah Wells Rolland, Karen Dubois, George Rolland. Photo credit: Village Potters Clay Center. 

2. The Village Potters Clay Center’s mission connects with how many potters and ceramic artists in your region? 

The Village Potters primarily serves adults in Asheville, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee, while also welcoming visitors and artists from across the U.S. 

Our programs and facilities support a diverse and growing community, including: 

• 25 displaced professional ceramic artists who will return to permanent studio space when we reopen in October. 
• 14- 18 emerging artists enrolled in our Advanced Studies Program, built on independent study and mentorship. In this nationally unique program, designed to nurture and raise up the next generation of potters. Seasoned professional staff mentor the students in honing skill, creating a unique body of work and business in the arts. 
• Over 100 community members study with us weekly who participate in pottery classes for all skill levels. 
• More than 1,400 regional potters who rely on us for access to clay, tools, and essential ceramic supplies. 
• Local and national visitors shop in our contemporary ceramic gallery, supporting artists through direct sales. 
• Artists from across the country travel to Asheville for our weeklong intensive workshops and educational events. 

Through these already established offerings, we support the creative, educational, and professional needs of ceramic artists at all stages of their journey. 

 

Left to right: Sarah Wells Rolland studio at the Village Potters Clay Center, before and after flood. Photo credit: Village Potters Clay Center. 

Village Potters Clay Center aerial view after flood. Photo credit: Village Potters Clay Center. 

3. In the 9 months since the river flooded after the hurricane, destroying all the many aspects of your facility, tell us the story of the progress happening so far. 

On September 27th 2024, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding that devastated The Village Potters Clay Center with 26 feet of water. Our studios in the River Arts District were overwhelmed, and we lost almost everything, 16 kilns, tools, infrastructure, equipment and we no longer had a facility for our vibrant community of ceramic artists and students. 

When the waters receded, we removed all the equipment we could and began a cleaning, repairing and restoring project at a donated apple barn. This is still ongoing. We have restored over 37 wheels, 4 slab rollers and other equipment. However, all our 17 kilns were lost but one, the Kazegama kiln, which was built on a trailer, so we drove it out of the flood area before the waters came. 

We have acquired a new facility that is 18,000 sq feet and out of the flood plain but only .8 miles from The River Arts District. We are currently upfitting this facility with a budget of $200,000. 

In the wake of this disaster, we were humbled by the outpouring of support from our community near and far. That support gave us the strength to begin again, not only to rebuild but to reimagine the future. As we recover, we are establishing a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Village Potters Foundation, to ensure the legacy of our mission. 

Our Foundation’s Mission: The Village Potters Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of fine craft, inspiring passion, nurturing growth, and supporting sustainable careers for the next generation of clay and ceramic artists. 

The Foundation will sustain our educational programs and gallery, support working ceramic artists who have been displaced, and help offset the exponentially higher costs associated with relocating to a new space in Asheville. Our goal is to provide subsidized studio spaces for up to 25 artists and to reopen our full educational programming, clay supply company and gallery operations. 

We currently project a soft reopening in Sept 2025, with educational programs resuming shortly after. Our Grand Reopening Celebration is planned for October 11th with a fundraising event on Oct 9th, “The Shape of Resilience: An evening of Hope and Renewal”. 

Photo credit: Village Potters Clay Center. 

4. In your slide show presentation, you share a special kiln, designed in California, that has graced your complex since 2016. What state is this kiln in now? Was it damaged in the flood? Tell about its popularity and how much it’s being used after the flood. 

The Kazegama kiln was born out of our desire at The Village Potters to merge the soulful beauty of wood fired and soda fired pottery with the practicality of a modern studio practice. Constructed by George Rolland of Rolland Kilns and Potter Karen Dubois, the kiln was originally designed by Steve Davis of Aardvark Ceramics in California. George and Steve talked extensively during the construction of this kiln. 

Since our first firing in Oct 2016 this kiln has had many modifications to perfect its firing results, as well as efficiency in fuel usage. George modified the kiln to meet our needs changing the liner to accommodate soda ash, which is highly corrosive, and changing the burner system to passive burners as well as changing the way we introduce wood ash and soda ash to insure action and beauty in all areas of the loading chamber. 

Kazegama, named by Steve Davis, means “wind Kiln” in Japanese. Our modified kiln is fired with natural gas to cone 9 (2230-2300 degrees Fahrenheit) and then screened wood ash is blown into the atmosphere of the kiln through ports we created around the perimeter. Then we bring the kiln back up to temperature, cone 9, and spray soda ash in the kiln through the same ports 

We surrender our pots unglazed to the fire and ash. The flame moves through kiln creating the magic, lighting wood and soda ash on the surfaces of the pots, leaving behind subtle flashes, warm blushes, and glaze effects that are both beautiful and unexpected. 

Today, the Kazegama kiln, which was our only kiln to survive the flood, is a centerpiece at The Village Potters Clay Center, where it serves both as a teaching tool and a vessel of exploration for potters who seek that elusive balance between control, surrender and spontaneity. It represents innovation rooted in tradition and is an invitation to surrender and celebrate its magic together. This kiln creates friendships, relationships and community. We are so thrilled it survived the flood. 

    

Views of Karen Dubois and George Rolland retrofitting the Kazegama kiln. Photo credit: Village Potters Clay Center. 

5. How many places are you visiting on your Recovery Fundraising Tour? 

During my fundraising 2025 Workshop Tour I have offered 14 workshops and traveled to nine states. I have one workshop left on the tour at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. My workshops include a Slide Presentation and Talk about our beloved center, our mission, our loss and our recovery. 

I have met over hundreds of wonderful potters across the country and have felt the amazing support and compassion for our challenges. 

After coming to Ghost Ranch and Santa Fe I plan to put all my focus on our reopening in early October, and begin having my workshops again at our new location in Asheville.

      

Collaborating organizations.

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If your curiosity is piqued, please join in the throng on Monday, August 25th at Paseo Pottery! 

Heartening to remember the effort by Taos Ceramics Center in 2024 that raised over $10K from New Mexico to aid potters in North Carolina via CERFplus .

It will be interesting to share the story of Pot Hollow at Ghost Ranch which flooded ten years ago, being rebuilt this summer, with these folks from Village Potters Clay Center, when they are at Ghost Ranch.

-the editor.