The Slip Trail Blog

A panoply of memories – let us pile them up – to remember one in our midst who connected with heart, humor, mind, playfulness. A bright palette of memories of Phil Green is followed by other sources about Phil’s life and ceramic process. For June 2025. 

Phil Green – In His Own Words 

… from his NM Potters and Clay Artists Studio Tour page

I have been working with ceramics for several years, throwing on the wheel, hand building and combining the two. However, I have recently become energized by the making of Raku clocks.  I love to take the extreme order of a clock face, surround it with chaos, and yield it to the unpredictability of the Raku firing process.  The “chaos” is made from orderly geometric shapes such as circles, lines, triangles, and coupled with irregular shapes and textures.  The Raku firing introduces metallic flash areas and color variations that are all colors of the rainbow.  I am always excited to see what the final work will look like.  Certainly, no two are the same and I like that.

    

“Retro Wall Clock” “Guide” “Lotus Wall Clock” Photos shared by Judy Nelson-Moore

Judy Richey / May 7, 2025

I first met Phil at a NMPCA workshop at the Ghost Ranch. He was very friendly and contributed a lot to our gathering. Later I knew him at a gallery in the East Mountains where his wonderful clocks were always a great attraction. Phil was a member of the committee planning the 50th anniversary celebration for NMPCA and shared many thoughts that will contribute to its success. Everyone who knew Phil will miss him. 

Phil at the sink at Pinon Pottery Studio. Photo shared by Judy Nelson-Moore.

Penne Roberts / May 8, 2025

Phil was a great friend. Really creative artist – I have one of his pieces. He and I would do the big Weems Art Fest at the Fairgrounds many years. I was always impressed that he played the bass. His years of being Newsletter Editor were a big contribution. We both attended Ghost Ranch workshops together also – as I never missed one, and tallied that I went to 60, all those years they happened twice a year, in both May and September. He served on the board with me for all the years we met in-person, many times at the ABQ Arts Alliance office, and at Ghost Ranch. 

Gary Carlson / May 12, 2025

I first met Phil Green in the late 1980s when he arrived in Albuquerque to work at Sandia Labs.  He was a physicist, I a chemist at the labs.  Later, I retired from Sandia and began a second career as a studio potter (1997).  I loved pottery and working organizationally with the (at the time) New Mexico Potters Association.  When Phil retired from the labs a few years later, he also began doing pottery seriously, developing a line of raku-fired ceramic clocks.  My wife and I have enjoyed having one of Phil's decorative clocks in our kitchen for many years.  As he had done previously, Phil taught me how to build my raku kiln.  I then also developed a line of raku products, including raku water fountains (the bases were stoneware, the tops decorative raku pieces).  Phil worked extensively with the Potter's organization, holding different positions over the years.  It was fun and interesting for us to follow each other down the pottery path, and we both attained considerable success in these second careers, so different from our previous technical jobs at the Labs.  And yet, they were related, since so much of pottery involves chemistry of glazes and physical processes of creating and firing ceramic pieces.  I will miss Phil in many ways, including, not the least, our mutual love of pottery and the creative process.  

Phil demonstrates glazing pots at Ghost Ranch NMPCA workshop. Photo shared by Judy Nelson-Moore.

Judy Nelson-Moore / May 13, 2025

Phil Green was the kind of man I call a Prince. His superior intelligence and creative thinking were only exceeded by his kindness, regard for others, and sense of fun. A workshop at Ghost Ranch with Phil was one of the best kinds of time I could spend—and those were some of the most memorable times we shared.

He had a wry sense of humor, a gift for making you feel truly heard, and deep expertise in many areas. Yet he was always humble, often deferring to others with grace.

Phil contributed to the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists (NMPCA) in many meaningful ways. He attended numerous Ghost Ranch workshops, participated in Celebration of Clay exhibitions, served actively on committees—including the Ghost Ranch Committee—and was a board member. Most notably, he served as editor of Slip Trail for several years, doing an outstanding job of both writing and organizing its content.

His raku wall clocks were ingenious, quirky, and delightful in design—reflecting his playful spirit and creative eye.

Many of us were delighted to discover that Phil was also a musician and played in a band with his wife, Judy Green.

I smile when I think of Phil. He lives on in my memory—with respect, admiration, and love.

Phil Green’s first Slip Trail as editor August 2004. Editor Note, cover, byline. 

Daisy Kates / May 20, 2025

In all the many decades I crossed paths with Phil… at Ghost Ranch and other events… he was always so accessible, friendly and supportive. I will surely miss him. 

Ghost Ranch in the 90s, from the collection of Gary Carlson. Phil is top right, Penne Roberts is bottom right, Gary Carlson and Jim Kempes, first top two.    

Sandra Moore Harrington / May 20, 2025

Phil

Kind, personable, interested in what someone had to say.

Devoted to his wife and to his raku clock making.

Moved to his own tick tock. 

Rarely on time for jobs at the Contemporary Clay Fair!  

Find him chatting away.  

I enjoyed hearing about his former life as a scientist.

And bumping into him at Santa Fe markets.

Humming along.

Mary Sharp Davis / May 28, 2025

I remember Phil Green so fondly from the CCF shows at the Women’s Club in Santa Fe. 
We often had booths next to each other and he was always such a self-contained, polite guy. I so admired the quality of his raku clock works and his design ability with attention to detail. I will miss his warm, agreeable, helpful personality.
When I was in charge of the food kitchen he would show up with pineapples which he then sliced and presented in the most gourmet, beautiful way.
Phil certainly filled a special niche in our craft community. God speed Phil. You are missed.

Amapola Gallery comments / June 1, 2025

“Phil was loved by the Amapola family for the wonderful person that he was. Customers and everyone enjoyed his creative, whimsical clocks.”  

“I will always remember Phil humming or whistling a tune while he worked at the desk or the wrapping area.”  

“Although I never was scheduled to work at Amapola Gallery with Phil, I could sense that the other members really liked him in the tone which they referred to him. That stood out to me. I did talk with Phil while at the Gallery a few times and could sense why he was liked. Very easy to talk to and when I had questions, he went out of his way to help me understand some basics about how he fired clay. And he was a musician too! How cool is that?”

Outpost Performance Space Newsletter / April 21, 2025

Meanwhile, we were sad to learn of the recent passing of longtime Outpost adult jazz class participant, supporter and friend, Phillip Green and wanted to share some personal words from Outpost Director, Tom Guralnick:

We were deeply saddened to hear the news of our friend Phil Green, who among other things, along with his pianist wife Judy, played bass in our adult jazz classes for umpteen years. Phil and Judy were always a dedicated, fun and accomplished musical addition to our classes and we have missed them as it became harder for them to make it to the evening classes from their home in the east mountains, the last few semesters. Phil’s Mississippi drawl always added warmth and color to the atmosphere in the room. Phil was accomplished at so many things besides his music. He was a physicist at Sandia Labs for many years and taught physics at Texas A&M before that. He also was an enthusiastic and accomplished ceramicist and showed his work in various galleries around town. As a couple, Judy and Phil seemed like a great “rhythm section” both on and off the stage. We will miss him and our deepest condolences go out to Judy and the rest of his family and friends. Outpost was honored to be designated as a recipient of donations in his name. We thank you Phil!  If you would like to make a donation in Philip Green's name to Outpost, please simply go to our Donations page and include in the note section that your donation is made in his name.

Raku isn’t Rocket Science / ABQ the Magazine March 2023

But for Phil Green, the fiery ceramics process offers its own excitement

From wooden biplane models he carved as a kid to unique furniture for his family home to electronic systems for satellites and rockets, Phil Green has always designed and made things. Retired from Sandia National Labs and a previous career as a university physics professor, Green is still at it. Today, he makes raku clocks.

While his work in science and engineering required creativity, Green grew interested in more artistic endeavors as he got closer to retirement in 2004. He took some classes and began dabbling in ceramics. The raku firing process captured his imagination.

“I don’t know why I loved it except that it’s full of surprises,” he says. “Of course, a lot of those surprises add up to the fact that 30 percent of what I do has failed. It just doesn’t come out right. You can’t get these patinas if you don’t have the right temperatures and the right mix of oxygen and then the lack of oxygen.”

Green isn’t sure how he came up with the idea to make raku clocks. “I was doing pots and things in raku, and once I made a clock, I got hooked on clocks,” he says. “I love to take the extreme order of a clock face, surround it with chaos and yield it to the unpredictability of the raku firing process. The chaos is made from orderly geometric shapes such as circles, lines, and triangles coupled with irregular shapes and textures. The raku firing introduces metallic flash areas and color variations that are all colors of the rainbow.”

Green seeks asymmetry but balance in his designs. And the pieces must be functional. “No matter how I shape the clock, I will always have a nice orderly face on it to read. I don’t want the type of clock where the face is interesting, but the hands are sticking out there and there’s no marker on the clock at all. I do want to be able to read it and, of course, I want to make something that appeals to me.”

The raku firing is the second phase of Green’s process. The first phase involves creating the design in raw clay. Green inscribes the entire piece of clay as it will appear around the clock face. He then cuts it into smaller pieces that can be more easily assembled around the clock. He bisque fires the raw clay to transform it into a more durable ceramic. Next comes the raku glazing, which he does by hand. Some clocks require six or seven different glazes. Green likes to use accent glazes, as he calls them, which result in different colors and textures, such as one that results in a smooth finish and another that creates tiny crackles.

Unlike other types of ceramic firing, which could be done in stages over several hours, raku requires rapid firing up to around 1,800 degrees within about an hour. At that point, Green removes the pieces quicky from the kiln and places them in a “combustion chamber—or that’s what I call it when I’m lecturing, but actually, it’s a garbage can filled with ripped-up newspaper.”

The newspaper—or sawdust, pine needles or other dry flammable material—catches fire. After a few seconds of burning, Green puts the lid on the can. Fire requires oxygen, and after the flames consume the newspaper, they take oxygen from the molten oxides and carbonates in the glaze. That’s how the patinas are created. But if Green takes the lid off too soon, allowing oxygen back into the can, the glazes might turn to a flat black. Once the glazed pieces have cooled, Green reassembles them around the clock faces.

Green has shown and sold his raku clocks at shows, online and in galleries. Nowadays, his pieces are in Amapola Gallery. Most of his customers are in the United States, but he’s shipped clocks as far away as Australia.

Philip Green Obituary / by Judy Green, Riverside Funerals March 2025 

July 12, 1941 - March 2, 2025        

“I am larger, better than I thought,

I did not know I held so much goodness.” -Walt Whitman

 

With profound sadness, we say goodbye to Philip Green, 83, beloved husband, father, and grandfather who passed away peacefully on March 2, 2025, of congestive heart failure complications. His vibrant spirit touched the lives of many.

 

Philip Joseph Green was born in Jackson, Mississippi to Elton and Lou Green. He was raised and attended school in Cordova, Tennessee, playing in the southern landscape he loved. He worked in cotton and gladiola fields as a young boy. As a student, he was extremely intelligent but disguised it by playing pranks, i.e., picking up one of his high school teachers and setting her up on top of a filing cabinet.

 

He attended Rhodes College graduating in 1963. He married Barbara Hollingsworth with whom he parented two beautiful daughters, Kelly and Kimberly. In 1968 he completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Louisiana State University and accepted a faculty position at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. For nearly twenty years Philip was a professor in the physics department at TAMU, his specialty was experimental cosmic ray physics. When the astronomy department needed a professor, he stepped in. Philip loved telling of an enthusiastic student who asked, breathlessly, “What sign are you, Professor?”

His rare combination of brilliant intellect and humility, humor and warmth made him the perfect ambassador to international conferences and physics experiments in many countries. He was a problem-solver and a diplomat.

 

In addition to his teaching duties, he represented A&M in the collaboration of seven American and seven Italian Universities, MACRO (Monopole and Astrophysical Cosmic Ray Observatory). This required him to work in an underground lab in the mountainous Abruzzi region of Italy every 8 months or so, pursuing monopoles and muons. His love of the cosmos and Italian culture, art, and cuisine were nourished there.

Philip had served as Choir Director at St. Paul’s Methodist Church during his time in College Station. More recently he enjoyed several months as a member of the Sandia Presbyterian Church Choir.

 

In 1986, Philip took a sabbatical from A&M to Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He loved the work; after a year he officially retired from Texas A & M. He continued working at MACRO until 1996. Throughout his employment in Albuquerque, he represented Sandia National Labs in global scientific collaborations.

He had taken a Technical Staff position at Sandia, working in the development of physics experiments for radiation effects testing. Soon he was recruited to a variety of endeavors in satellite experimentation, working with NSA, NASA, and other organizations including IEEE Standard for Terminology and Test Methods for Analog-to-Digital Converters.

 

His love of music led him to his wife, Judy Mahoney. In April 1990 they married and melded families. He became a father to Judy’s son, Tom, who knew him as “a man who loved unconditionally, a pillar of support, and an overall amazing human being”. As a couple Phil and Judy pursued classes in writing, painting, fly-fishing, tango and ballroom dance, and eventually played together in Phil’s music group, Jazz Breeze. In 1988 Phil joined a men’s group affiliated with New Mexico Men’s Wellness. Through the years he enjoyed bi-monthly meetings of his men’s group and NMMW conferences, thriving in the good company of fellow travelers.

 

Philip retired from Sandia National Laboratory in 2004 after 17 years of collaboration in science, engineering, and department management.

He was an avid golfer and enjoyed the Albuquerque sunshine that allowed him to play with his close friends (Dan, Dan, and Gary) almost every week of the year.

As “a true Renaissance man” he pursued creative interests, learning the art of raku-fired ceramics, designing and fabricating beautifully glazed wall clocks that he displayed in galleries and art shows. He joined New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists. “Phil was a super guy, a great potter, and a real friend of NMPCA. He was the clock guy (Raku Round the Clock).” He was a member of Amapola Gallery in Old Town since 2004.

Many happy hours were spent on the San Juan River. On a fine summer evening at the flats below the Texas Hole, Phil landed “Old Walter.” He and Judy loved Molas Lake and shared that love with grandkids.

 

Philip slipped the bonds of earth as he wished: peacefully, intentionally, and surrounded by family. He will be fondly remembered by family and friends for his keen intelligence, his gentle humor, and the eternal optimism he carried, positively impacting so many lives.

Philip was preceded in death by his parents, Elton and Lou Green, sister Christa Warner and her husband Fred. He is survived by his wife of 35 years Judy Green; brother Rodney Green and wife Lucille; daughters Kelly Ross and husband Alan, Kimberly Downey and husband Mike; stepson Tom Mahoney; grandchildren Ryan Green, Summer Wood, Taylor Backstrom and husband Scott with his first great grandson, Hank Backstrom, his granddaughter Caitlin Mahoney and members of the extended Green Family. Phil’s memorial will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 11:30-2:30 p.m. to celebrate Philip’s enchanted life. Location: Doc Long's in the Sandia Mountains.

--

Thanks to Judy Green for all your help.

-ccsb, editor

_{Jessica Archibeque is an Albuquerque native who has taken her pursuit of ceramics into the creation of a community studio.} 

How did you first get interested in clay?

_{My journey with ceramics started in high school here in Albuquerque. A close friend encouraged me to sign up for a ceramics class with them. I had planned to take a different elective, but that one decision ended up changing the course of my life. At a time when I really needed it, ceramics gave me confidence and a sense of purpose, and it’s been a constant source of curiosity and joy ever since.}

_{Describe your studio:}

_{“Cerámica” is a community-focused pottery studio in Albuquerque offering classes, workshops, and memberships—including 24-hour access options to fit a variety of lifestyles. We welcome everyone from beginners to more experienced potters, with offerings that include intro classes, continuing courses, and a wide variety of workshops.}

_{Our workshops range from casual, community-building experiences to advanced sessions led by visiting artists from both in and out of state.}

_{Inspired by the philosophy of Wabi-sabi and the art of Kintsugi, we believe in celebrating imperfection and finding meaning in the making process. My husband and I built Cerámica as a space to connect, grow, and create alongside others, where the cracks tell the story and the process is just as important as the final piece.}

Tile letters for her studio. Photo by the artist.

_{Describe your “work.”}

_{My ceramic practice is rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship, and an ongoing curiosity about the natural world—both within and around us. I began as a handbuilder and sculptor, later expanding my practice through the Arita Porcelain program at UNM, where I developed technical skill on the wheel. My background in toy design also plays a significant role in my approach, where narrative, character, and concept drive form and function.}

_{I’m deeply drawn to process shifting between sculptural and functional work, and grounding exploration in strong technique. My pieces often blend ornamental detail with utility, using textures, botanical forms, and animal motifs to explore the dualities of beauty and danger, desire and consequence. Bees, spiders, and other "don't-touch-me" creatures recur in my work, serving as both literal and metaphorical references.}

_{Themes of human nature, addiction, and entrapment surface throughout my work—not always overtly, but as undercurrents. I’m interested in that seductive edge where sweetness becomes rot, where what we crave might be our undoing. I see clay as a powerful medium for holding those tensions—between polish and imperfection, indulgence and restraint, the tactile and the conceptual.}

_{Ultimately, I make to connect—with material, with process, and with others. For me, the act of creating is just as meaningful as the result.}

 

“Lotus Eater” and detail by Jessica Archibeque. Photo by the artist.

“Tall Poppy” by Jessica Archibeque. Photo by the artist.

 

"Dulce Muerte" and detail by Jessica Archibeque. Photo by the artist. 

"Untitled" by Jessica Archibeque. Photo by the artist. 

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

_{At Cerámica, I aim to create an inclusive space where both beginners and experienced artists feel welcome to explore, ask questions, and continue learning regardless of skill level.} 

_{To support continued growth in our community, we offer accessible workshops that range from casual, community-building events to advanced sessions led by both local and visiting artists.} 

_{As we continue to grow, we’re committed to expanding access by offering sliding scale pricing, & payment plans. We also plan to establish sponsorships for kids’ classes and families who may not otherwise be able to participate. Ceramics can feel intimidating or financially out of reach, and part of our mission is to bridge that gap—making clay more approachable and available to all.}

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

_{I’m currently taking woodworking classes and have been learning bonsai alongside my husband. That led me to discover suiseki—a Japanese art form centered around the appreciation of naturally occurring stones—which feels like a perfect intersection of geology, design, and aesthetic presentation. I hope to one day pair a suiseki stone with a hand-carved wooden base using my own woodworking skills.}

_{I also enjoy flower arranging, taking care of my small collection of carnivorous plants, and spending time outdoors whenever I can.} 

_{Lately, I’ve become more interested in rock collecting and identification—something about the quiet complexity of stones really speaks to me.}

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

_{I have a studio playlist! Mostly songs that most people know. But If I’m by myself I listen to a large range. Tears for Fears, System of a Down, & lots of Pop for example!}

 

_{What other pottery do you have in your home?}

_{The pottery I own in my home is a melody of other artists I adore. I love to buy from artists I look up to. I have many pieces from many artists for inspiration.}

 

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

_{I joined after meeting a member at a workshop at New Mexico Clay and wanted to get involved. I’m brand new to NMPCA, I lived out of state and just moved back in August, so I’m happy to jump back into the community and help any way I can. Clay people are the best people and have appreciated the warm welcome and kindness from NMPCA.}  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Member: Jessica Archibeque. Photo by the artist. 

To find out more about Cerámica, visit: https://www.ceramicaabq.com

Our Meet the Member interviewee for April lives in Silver City, New Mexico. Amy Maule has a piece in the current Celebration of Clay there, at The Light Art Space.  

How did you first get interested in clay? 

My parents valued art and hand-crafted items, so I grew up surrounded by clay objects and art making. After college (in molecular biology), when I had time for hobbies again, it felt natural to enroll in a pottery class and I was quickly hooked. Over the years, I’ve taken community education and community college classes and workshops in clay and other art media, but don’t have a formal art education. 

Describe your studio. 

I work in a repurposed adobe building at the “bottom of garden” with an outdoor sink and an attached kiln/garden shed that I built myself. It’s tiny, cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but has good light. My wheel faces a sliding glass door looking out on the back yard. The small size forces me to stay organized - I’m probably unusually tidy for a potter. There is at least one lizard living in the ceiling and sometimes I can hear him moving overhead when I’m working, which is a bit unnerving, but he helps with the insects and doesn’t seem to mind my company. 

Studio photos by Amy Maule.

Describe your “work.”

As an artist and scientist, I’m interested in the intersection of art, science, and nature. I’m also very process oriented. Clay is an organic element that we manipulate with our hands, so my work tends to include unglazed surfaces, contrasting clay bodies, and marks of the maker – throwing rings, finger indentations, etc. 

 

Photos by Amy Maule.

Before moving to Silver City, I lived in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in wet, mossy, forests. I’m drawn to moss and lichen forms in particular, and concepts of life cycle, growth and decay in the natural world. 

In the northwest, I primarily fired in wood kilns and many of my mentors studied Japanese traditions and techniques, so I’m influenced by their teachings, including tea ware and tea ceremony. My own heritage is mostly British/Scottish, so I feel more comfortable reflecting a European aesthetic in my own work. In many cultures, tea is connected with a distinct formality and structure, in contrast to the way I tend to drink tea - on the couch with a book, blanket, and cat. 

Studio photos by Amy Maule.

The ideas I’m currently exploring incorporate all of the above, as well as the eternal debate of art vs. craft, functional vs. decorative. I’ve been throwing somewhat traditional tea forms in dark, earthen colors, and adding mushroom and lichen-inspired growths to them. The sculptural additions explore ideas of nature and decay but also reduce the functionality of the thrown pieces, pushing them from useful into the realm of sculpture. 

From a technical perspective, I’m currently firing cone 6 stoneware in reduction (small updraft propane kiln).

Studio photos by Amy Maule.

Studio photos by Amy Maule.

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

I’ve only been in New Mexico for about 3 years, so I’m still in the process of meeting people and finding my place in our local community. I take all the workshops I can manage and enjoy connecting with other clay artists. 

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

I have a day job as an environmental scientist, so too much of my time is spent in front of a computer. I also have a long list of house projects that distract me from the studio when I let them.

I try to spend what time I have left hiking, seeing live music, connecting with friends, and enjoying the sunshine. Silver City is a great place for all of those things! Artistically, I also dabble in photography and drawing and am interested in exploring printmaking, both on its own and integrated into ceramics. 

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

I almost always have music in my studio, but the type varies. If I’m feeling mellow: blues, 70s, 80s or 90s rock – the music of my childhood. If I need an energy boost, hip-hop or dance music. Lately, I’m also liking Bollywood and Cumbia.  

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

My current go-to coffee mugs are by local artists Lizzie Slegeir, Claude Smith, and Chris Sowers. Most of my pottery collection is from my clay friends and mentors over the years: Sandy Segna, Ted Ernst, Ken Pincus, Richard Brandt, Hiroshi Ogawa, Carol Opie, Sally Wu, and more. I often seek out clay artists when I travel, so I have an assortment of items from other countries and around the US – mostly small cups and bowls. 

I also have 2D art by Silver City artists Joe Huebner, Karen Hymer, Joel Armstrong, Sally Tilton, and Mimi Peterson. It’s important to me to surround myself with art that inspires me and is made by people I care about. 

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

I’m a brand-new member! I’d been considering joining for a while, but the upcoming show at Light Art Space was the nudge I needed. I’m looking forward to being involved, and hopefully connecting with other artists in SW New Mexico. 

Portrait of the artist photo by Amy Maule.

By Michael Thornton

With photos by Deb Jones, Tomás Wolff, and the artists. 

Light Art Space, a vibrant gallery in the historic center of Silver City, NM, is currently hosting the annual exhibition of works by members of New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists.  The annual Celebration of Clay exhibition, themed “Of Mind and Matter,” runs April 4 through April 27.  Notably, this annual presentation of ceramic artwork from NMPCA members across the state of New Mexico is a self-juried show. As such, it provides all members the opportunity to put forth their best work on an even playing field. 

Attending the show’s opening was a rare opportunity to trek to Southwest New Mexico, and to brave the picturesque “pass” through the mountain, testing my luck and skill over its nearly interminable switchbacks and precipitous drop-offs. The opening evening’s bash boasted a stupendous turnout! Many of the exhibiting artists attended, mingling with an impressive number of local art enthusiasts. 

Middle row: “Gold Cloud Bowl” by Leonard Baca; Steve Blakely’s “Mystic Fog”; “Cat’s Eye” by Michael Thornton. Bottom row: “Emerging Sphere” by Tomás Wolff; “Discovered Ores” by Sue Halpern. Photo by Deb Jones.

The exhibit demonstrates the breadth of variety in artists’ approaches in working with clay. It is a study in contrasts - with artists staking out territory on opposite ends of various spectra. 

For example, the eminently utilitarian “Tea Set” of Amy Maule or “Gold Cloud Bowl” by Leonard Baca stands on the other side of the spectrum from the purely abstract sculptural forms of Sara D’Alessandro’s “Claw” or Andrea Pichaida’s “Despertar”. The austere minimalism in color and in form found in Jenna Ritter’s “Vessel” or Doug Hein’s “We are Stars Wrapped in Skin” stands in contrast to the Roccoco outburst of forms and color in Jo Clay’s “Aspidiscus Cristatus” or Judy Nelson Moore’s “Study in Clay, Color and Other Matters”.  

“Tea Set” of Amy Maule.         “Gold Cloud Bowl” by Leonard Baca.  

    

Sara D’Alessandro’s “Claw”           Andrea Pichaida’s “Despertar”

   

Jenna Ritter’s “Vessel.”     Doug Hein’s “We are Stars Wrapped in Skin”

   

Jo Clay’s “Aspidiscus Cristatus.”  Judy Nelson Moore’s “Study in Clay, Color and Other Matters”.  Photos by the artists.

“Gaza” by Diane MacInnes; Greta Ruiz’s “Thrive;” Cathy Pankow’s “Crater Moon Jar.” Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

   

Hebé García’s “Puse un Huevo.” Elaine Kidd’s “From the Deep”. Photos by the artists. 

On the emotional spectrum, the disorientation and suffering of “Gaza” by Diane MacInnes or “Shock and Awe” by Darla Graff Thompson are a world apart from the whimsy and humor of Hebé García’s “Puse un Huevo” or Elaine Kidd’s “From the Deep”.

      

Lin Johnson’s Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie)”; Steve Blakely’s “Mystic Fog;” Jeff Cooper’s “Bird Water Whistle.” Photos by the artists. 

Throughout the exhibit one can find nods to inspiration from various historical artists and movements.  Lin Johnson’s “Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie)” recalls the work of Mondrian with its play on words and Red, Blue and Yellow scheme. Steve Blakely’s “Mystic Fog” is a loving throwback to early 20th century American Arts and Crafts pottery, while Jeff Cooper’s “Bird Water Whistle” recalls Pre-Colombian indigenous ceramic forms and rock art of the Americas. 

Darla Graff Thompson with her piece, “shock and awe.” Photo by Tomás Wolff.

Gathering round Zoe Wolfe with her piece entitled, “Ripple.” Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

One can view all the works in this exhibit online: https://www.nmpotters.org/Celebration-of-Clay-2025-NMPCA-NM#pta176554965.  However, if at all possible, I recommend visiting the Light Art Space in person. It takes a direct encounter with these artworks to bring them to life. In particular, I found it especially powerful to stand in the presence a few works there: the aforementioned figurative sculpture “Shock and Awe” by Darla Graff Thompson, in its arresting, warm/hot colors and contorted facial features, is impossible to fully appreciate from a photo alone. It calls to mind the Abstract Expressionist and Fauvist movements, and Cubism - in particular, Picasso’s “Guernica”.  Similarly, Zoe Wolfe’s wall piece, aptly named “Ripple” is an impressive achievement in its scale, and also succeeds in having an enveloping, mesmerizing effect on the viewer, with its deeply carved concentric waves, accentuated by effective use of color in its painterly undulations. 

Whether in person or online, you are invited to vote your preference for the People’s Choice Award.

--Michael Thornton 

Two six-year NMPCA board term member, Michael Thornton lives in Albuquerque. His piece in the show is entitled, "Cat's Eye Vessel."

By Andrea Broyles

Photos by Deb Jones and by the artists themselves. 

There is no denying that New Mexico has some seriously talented artists, and this year’s “Of Mind and Matter” show in Silver City does not disappoint. It is a self-juried group show from members of the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists. 

Opening night for “Celebration of Clay 2025: Of Mind and Matter” at the Light Art Space. Photo by Deb Jones. 

This exhibit is truly a testament to the talent and dedication to the craft of ceramic art. From functional to sculptural, the artists use a diversity of techniques, materials and styles. Many pieces such as Jeff Cooper’s “Bird and Water Whistle” or Sue Halpern’s “Discovered Ores” evoke the textures, colors and rhythms of New Mexico. Other works like Jo Clay’s “Aspidiscus Cristatus” or Judy Nelson-Moore’s mixed media “Study in Clay” challenge our concept of ceramic art.

Jeff Cooper’s “Bird and Water Whistle,” Sue Halpern’s “Discovered Ores.” Photos by the artists. 

Jo Clay’s “Aspidiscus Cristatus” or Judy Nelson-Moore’s mixed media “Study in Clay.” Photos by the artists.

Hebé García’s “Puse un Huevo;” Caroline Yezer’s “Catlady.” Photos by the artists. 

There is a good representation of figurative pieces as well which elicit the ideas of longing and loneliness. See Hebé García’s “Puse un Huevo” or Caroline Yezer’s “Catlady.” 

As a contrast, I appreciate the traditional pieces such as Leonard Baca’s “Gold Cloud” bowl or Gail Goodwin’s “Untitled” raku bowl which bring a solid grounding to the show. 

Leonard Baca’s “Gold Cloud” bowl; Gail Goodwin’s “Untitled” raku bowl. Photos by the artists.

“Of Mind and Matter” offers viewers a cohesive and educational experience that will leave them with a better understanding of the infinite possibilities of the medium and the rich talent sometimes hidden in New Mexico. 

---

Andrea Broyles is a Santa Fe ceramic artist, whose piece in the show is entitled, “Torso with Gold.”

Of Mind and Matter 

April 4^th to the 27^th. 

Light Art Space, Silver City, New Mexico

209 West Broadway Street

By Darla Graff Thompson

Photos by Tomás Wolff and individual artists.

The New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists (NMPCA) annual Celebration of Clay exhibit is being held at the Light Art Space Gallery in downtown Silver City, New Mexico. The show will run from 04 to 27 April 2025. The gallery, owned and operated by Karen Hymer, is a bright open space, large enough to also house two other exhibits that are well worth viewing. The neighborhood is filled with old historic buildings, now hotels, museums, galleries, shops, theaters and restaurants--- a delightful place to stay and explore.

Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

The NMPCA organization has recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary. The group’s annual exhibit answers the question--- “What would happen if you gave a chunk of clay to 50 or so talented and creative clay artists living all across New Mexico?” The answer? A fantastically diverse set of ceramic creations, both functional and sculptural, each unique and captivating and none aspiring to be like any other. For me, that is the highlight of this show--- enjoying the elements of each piece as a projection of each individual artist, but viewing them side-by-side as a collective, witnessing the power and span of New Mexican artists.

Karen Hymer, Susan Mach, Kathleen - at the opening. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

This year’s theme for the exhibit is “Of Mind and Matter,” and several pieces struck me as being interesting and thoughtful contributions that really merge the mental and material world. Susan Mach’s beautifully-decorated bowl, titled “Burmester’s Bowl,” honors the German mathematician and inventor of French-curve tools used in architecture and design; the swirls of green lines caught my eye from afar and were only more exquisite to examine up close. Susan is from Silver City. Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, also from Silver City, won one of the group awards with his “Veiled Tiger's Eye,” which is an amazingly-engineered pot-inside-a-pot, fused together with glaze--- the outer pot largely perforated to reveal the inner tiger-striped pot, and the two pots so contrasting in color, meticulously crafted and designed. Andrea Pichaida, Santa Fe, presented “Despertar,” a large immaculately-formed seed-pod structure with a matted green hull that houses an emerging cluster of brilliant yellow and orange shoots. Organic by design and entirely inspired by nature, but at the same time exaggerated and other-worldly, Andrea’s entry won the group’s award for best color and glazing.

          

"Burmester's Bowl" by Susan Mach, photo by artist; "Veiled Tiger's Eye" by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, photo by artist; "Despertar" by Andrea Pichaida, photo by artist.

Several wall-hanging pieces impressed me with their glazed landscapes, all captivating with lots to visually explore. Judy-Nelson-Moore of Santa Fe presents “Study in Clay, Color and Other Matter,” a brilliantly glazed and textured expanse of textures (and clay cloth?) and crystals and topography, refreshingly new and delightful to view up close as well as from the across the room. “In the Beginning, God Created...” is a large plate with an intriguing and teasing design that hints of planets being born and thriving in a sea of extraterrestrial matter; it is the creation of Claude W. Smith III, of Silver City, one of the show's three jurors. John Weber of Corrales has crafted a large and intriguing slab with two- and three-dimensional elements, real and abstract components, hinting at a colorful story of water where he says he purposefully “allows for personal interpretation” by the viewer. And Lin Johnson, Albuquerque, displays her “Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie),” a wall assembly of a dozen or so playful and impeccably-crafted abstract shapes, lines straight and curved, that are immaculately created and captivating in color and design. One more in this category, out of Albuquerque, I liked Cirrelda Snider-Bryan’s mosaic of tile pieces assembled to portray a barnyard of chickens in “The Pine the Hens Chose.” A fun assembly of fragmented colors and pieces.

    

"Study in Clay, Color, and Other Materials" by Judy Nelson-Moore; "In the Beginning, God Created..." by Claude W. Smith III; "Abstract for Water" by John Weber; "Primary Subjects (Woogie Boogie)" by Lin Johnson; "The Pine the Hens Chose" by Cirrelda Snider-Bryan. All photos by the artists. 

Center piece: "Claw" by Sara D'Alessandro.  Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Pondering "pronghorn" by Brian Pottorff. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

 

“light, dark, blood #1” by Robert King; “Aspidiscus Cristatus” by Jo Clay. Photos by the artists. 

Some other exhibit entries struck me as singular and fascinating. Robert King of Galisteo created an elongated structure he called “light, dark, blood #1” that to me looked like an ancient archeological find, distantly bone-like, with bubbled and boiled blood puddled on the upper surface; it was captivating in that it looked biological but unidentifiable, abstract yet reminiscent of something--- I even thought of a strange mushroom with a small hole for emitting spores. I found it intriguing. Brian Pottorff created “pronghorn,” a somewhat-primitive wall-hanging design of the animal’s head, made from wild clay he dug up near his hometown of Deming. In his description of the piece, he tells about the struggle of his creative desire working against a slightly-imperfect and unfriendly clay body, and the piece, stark in a way, feels more meaningful to know of its origins. With a group of several others that included children, I admired “Claw” by Sara D’Alessandro of Cuba. We talked about it and loved it for its largeness and asymmetry of shape (like a twisted horn or as the title suggests, a twisted tusk or claw) and its complex surface of earth-tone colors and textures with holes containing embedded but free- moving beads that begged to be touched and probed with fingertips (only some of us resisted the urge). Jo Clay of El Paso (one of the handful of out-of-state NMPCA members), created a piece entitled “Aspidiscus Cristatus,” a very large disk with a full-world display of underwater coral reef structures and textures with copper-wire plant-life. I later learned that sections of the outer walls were removable for a peek of more detail within, and I wished I could’ve explored all aspects of it. Lastly, I enjoyed hearing the details from Michael Thornton, Albuquerque, about his “Cat’s Eye Vessel” that was glazed using a technique called “naked raku,” where glaze is applied to the piece over the top of kiln wash (a glaze resist). The glaze fuses and cracks during the raku process (as it is removed from the still-heated kiln to an ambient reducing environment) but the glaze won’t actually stick to the pot, allowing diffuse lines of black combustion products to deposit on the bare white clay body. It was a beautiful piece, identifiably raku, but undeniably different. I enjoyed learning about it.

"Cat's Eye Vessel" on the right, with artist Michael Thornton. Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Bottom line, great exhibit. Very enjoyable part of a wonderful visit to Silver City. The reception was very well attended, even crowded. My husband and I live in Los Alamos where I have been an active member of NMPCA for 15 years. We enjoyed the motivation to spend a few days in a corner of New Mexico that is somewhat off the beaten path, surrounded by seemingly-endless mountains and an astoundingly-vast wilderness with a fascinating history and culture and welcoming group of people.

Darla Graff Thompson, the author, with her piece in the show, "shock and awe." Photo by Tomás Wolff. 

Our Meet the Member interview for March is Vickie Morrow. The Las Cruces ceramic artist was the first person to join this year's Celebration of Clay happening in Silver City. It is fitting that her interview be up as that show starts.

How did you first get interested in clay?

Always loved pottery.  I collected pottery from New Mexico and from travels in the USA and all over the world. In 2003 my mother asked me if I wanted her kiln when she was dying.  I said "Yes.  I want to make my own tile for my kitchen."

 

Photo contributed by the artist.

Describe your studio.

The main part of my studio is 20x14. At the back is a ten-foot standing height work table under a high window.  Each side of the studio has shelves filled with miscellaneous wood pieces, metal treasures and supplies and tools. In the center is a seven-foot work table where I can sit or stand to work look out the sliding glass door into my back yard and gaze at the Organ mountains.  I like to say, "I bought a studio with a house attached."

A small adjacent room has my slab roller, glazes, forms, patterns, textures and clay tools.

A second adjacent room has my bead collection and handmade parts for my mosaics and assemblages.  Hundreds of beads from all over the world, garage and estate sales and the many, many clay beads and buttons and medallions I have made.  Copper wire and sheeting, mixed patina formulas and finished copper "parts", leather cord, books and papers with two work tables.

 

 Photos contributed by the artist. 

Describe your “work.”

By 2008 I was confident enough to pursue handmade tile mosaic residential installations and Commercial and Public Art installations. From 2008 until 2018 I did kitchen and bathroom handmade tile installations and did commercial and public art installations. All of this work was made in my studio in Scottsdale. AZ and installed in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Sedona and the Ak Chin Reservation, all in Arizona. 

Each of these projects was sixteen steps from the 25-pound block of clay, cut out, in and out of the kiln a couple times glazed, assembled, set, grouted, transported, installed, finished and polished and the mess cleaned up.

Lots of heavy work.

Now my handmade tile mosaics are for my own home or as a group project.

My current work is mixed media Assemblage art.  My work is from 4x4 inches to no larger than 24x30 inches.

There are usually handmade tiles in the assemblage or they are the "star" of the art piece.

 Photo contributed by the artist. 

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

I participate in Empty Bowls in Las Cruces.  In 2024 I led a group to do an outdoor handmade tile mosaic 9' x 14' for the "Healing Wings" Project installed at the Agave Artists Gallery Garden in Mesilla.  Six Las Cruces Potters Guild members worked with me and can now do their own installations.

 

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

Working in my backyard, visiting with friends and reading.

 

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

My studio is quiet.  I can hear the birds outside.

 

What other pottery do you have in your home?

As stated above, I have a nice collection of pottery from all over. Most of it is practical and use it every day. Some is hung on walls and I have an "Art Niche" with works on display.

 

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

I am a new member to NMPCA.  My first introduction to the organization was when we applied and were the recipient for your grant in 2021 for our Healing Wings Project.  With attention to Southern New Mexico and the NMPCA show in Silver City, it was time to participate.

For more info, visit https://agaveartists.com/vickie-morrow

Three New Mexico artists will be Celebration of Clay jurors this year, two from Silver City, and one from Albuquerque. Claude W. Smith III is professor emeritus for ceramic arts at Western New Mexico University. Cate McClain, Albuquerque clay artist, won last year's Best of Show, and accepted the juror role that comes with that award. Karen Hymer is a photographer and the owner of The Light Art Space.

We are just one month away from our annual member show, this year occurring at The Light Art Space in Silver City, NM. Celebration of Clay 2025: Of Mind and Matter will open Friday evening, April 4th, from 5 to 7 pm. And to crown the evening, the jurors will announce the six awards. We thank them heartily in advance for sharing their time to collaborate on awards for the 47 pieces in our show this year. 

Read on to find out who these jurors are.

Karen Hymer

Photo submitted by the artist.

Karen Hymer was born in Tucson, Arizona. She earned her BFA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University, Medford and her MA and MFA in Fine Art Photography from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Karen actively exhibits her work both nationally and internationally. Recent solo exhibitions include SE Center for Photography, Navigating the Internal, Greenville, South Carolina (2023); Light Art Space, Navigating the Internal, Silver City, New Mexico (2022); The Photographer’s Eye: A Creative Collective, Age & Seduction, Escondido, California (2022); and Gallery 925, Solitude and Age & Seduction, Las Cruces, New Mexico (2021).

Her work is in several public collections, including the Center for Creative Photography and the Polaroid International Collection. Dark Spring Press released the first book of her work in April 2018.  Karen’s work is featured in numerous photography books including The Experimental Darkroom, Christina Z. Anderson, Jill Enfield’s Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes, Jill Enfield, and Polymer Photogravure: A Step by Step Manual, Clay Harmon.

Karen’s photography has received the following awards: LightBox Gallery, Jurors Honorable Mention Award, Melanie Walker, Serendipitous Eye, 2021, Julia Margaret Cameron 12th Annual Awards, First place, 2 categories; Honorable mention, 2 categories; 2018 Denis Roussel Award, Photographer of Merit, 2018, Southwest Print Fiesta, Best of Show, Artist Proof, 2017

LightBox Gallery, Jurors Honorable Mention Award, Kim Weston, The Photographic Nude, 2017 Rfotofolio, Choice Award, 2016, Alex Ferrone Gallery, Grand Prize residency with Dan Welden, 2016.

Karen’s experience and technical interests are wide-ranging. Although “trained” as a photographer and educator, her approach to image making explores the blending of photosensitive materials, digital media, and printmaking. She is fascinated with how the passage of time affects the human body and other natural elements in the world. In addition to working as a fine art photographer, Karen taught photography for over 25 years at Pima Community College, Tucson.

In the summer of 2018 Karen relocated to Silver City, New Mexico to open and operate Light Art Space in the historic downtown district. The space features galleries, wet darkrooms, a sculpture garden, and a printmaking/teaching studio. Karen teaches workshops and private sessions in Photopolymer Gravure and other alternative photographic processes at Light Art Space.  She lives on 28 acres of pinon-juniper forest with her standard poodle, Nigel, in an off the grid solar adobe home. 

The Light Art space has hosted the juried group show for Silver City Clay Festival since 2018, and is honored to present Of Mind & Matter in April 2025. New Mexico has a rich history of clay art, and we are excited to welcome clay work from around the state to our borderland town. Through collaboration and artistic interaction, we strive to support clay artists by presenting their work to the general public in a professional, welcoming gallery setting.   

Karenhymer.com www.lightartspace.com

Cate McClain

Photo submitted by the artist.

My first experience with clay was through my high school’s ceramics program and from the beginning I was attracted to the movement of the clay. After a long hiatus from clay while pursuing a career in medicine and while raising children, I returned to clay, slowly, as I transitioned into retirement. I realized I still loved having my hands in clay discovering what shapes and forms emerge. I am frequently surprised at the results. 

Currently, my work with clay has been inspired by shapes, forms, textures and colors I experience hiking mountain trails, wandering through the Bosque and exploring the desert in New Mexico and when traveling elsewhere. My hand-built pieces are created in my home studio in Los Ranchos, NM using a variety of different techniques, stains and glazes. 

Claude W. Smith III

Photo submitted by the artist.

Clay is my passion and throwing, my form of meditation. I love making pots. Having grown up in the agrarian Midwest, I love the hard work and physicality that clay provides. Whether functional, one-of-a-kind or sculptural, the creative act of making pots elevates the spirit of the maker to be enjoyed by the user.

I am a traditional potter. The vessel form began serving a purpose in the kitchen or on the table. Functional vessels are designed and crafted for specific purposes. The handmade object lifts the mundane act of eating three meals a day to a higher level. The maker’s personalities, friendships, and acquaintances are remembered and experiences reflected in/with our use of these vessels.

My Creation Series is a personal statement. By the grace of God seeing me through a series of medical episodes, I have been changed in the way I view life and my saggar-fired work. I compose on the platter or around the vessel surface by arranging organic materials which burn out leaving an ash residue on the vessel’s surface, much like pit firing. Once the temperature rises beyond Cone 8 (2257), the ash begins to flux different localized areas dissipating about the kiln. I like to think of this part of process as the kiln breathing on the pots. Interior kiln atmospheric conditions generate a variety of textures and colors. The end result is a total collaboration between the potter and the kiln creating gratifying and surprising results. The process is an educated gamble based on experience whereby the potter either wins or loses. Taking risks through experimentation is worth the gamble. More experimentation yields more control and success.

https://www.claudewsmithiii.com

--

Celebration of Clay 2025: Of Mind and Matter runs from April 4-27 at The Light Art Space.

Shipping address for pieces:  

2340 Highway 180 E #203,  Silver City, NM 88061. 

Bianka Groves shares stories from her life with clay, in February's Meet the Member.

How did you first get interested in clay?

I was first introduced to clay in high school in South Dakota in the 1990s. I was always getting into trouble and skipping school and spent a lot of time in ISS, (in-school suspension). The ceramics teacher would pull me out of ISS and put me to work loading & unloading kilns, scraping kiln shelves, and doing the basic odd jobs of the ceramics classroom upkeep. I loved the hard work and being productive, and I learned so much. She sort of took me under her wing and I took to the potter’s wheel. That was nearly 30 years ago and since then I have been a self-supporting clay artist for over 10 years. I received my BFA in ceramics in 2012 and have taught ceramics at Baltimore Clayworks, Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, and Santa Fe Clay. I just recently decided to go back to school to get my MFA. 

Describe your studio.

My studio is a small but easy-to-clean, 90 sq ft shed on the side of my backyard. It has a nice clay-splattered window in front of my wheel that looks out into the desert where I can watch birds at the bird feeders and the occasional coyote, deer, and rabbit who happen to pass by. I have a glass door that looks into the backyard where I can watch my dogs play and dig holes. The back wall of my studio is lined from the ground to the ceiling with shelves that my uncle and I built, and they are filled with everything you’d expect to find in a clay studio; books, dry materials, tools, greenware and bisqueware, and a little figurine of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There are lots of things hanging on the walls from an old 1940s map of New Mexico, found skulls of various animals, a chart of the periodic table of elements (which I hope to memorize one day), and a giant poster of all the different classifications of rocks. In another little makeshift building, I have my kiln. I recently upgraded from a small Paragon from 1978 to a brand-new Skutt 1027; it’s super shiny and still has that brand-new car smell. 

  

Functional ware by Bianka Groves. Photos from the artist.

Describe your “work.”

My work is wheel-thrown, porcelain, black and white, and mostly useable. For the normal functional pots, I use Bernard Leach’s white liner glaze on the insides, and on the outsides, I carve patterns and designs and inlay black slip into the carvings, similar to the art of tattooing. I also make large bowls that are a little too large to be functional and their surfaces are usually unglazed or heavily textured, making them lovely art pots. All of the unglazed surfaces are polished to a silky-smooth finish. 

Mugs by Bianka Groves. Photo from the artist.

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

Any free time I have outside of the studio is spent outdoors with my husband and our dogs. We make our way out to the middle of nowhere on old forest logging roads and hike for hours, play in the dirt, and look for treasures like rocks and old bottles. Sometimes, we find pieces of old rusted vehicles or newer, abandoned stolen vehicles. I’m in grad school and teaching ceramics at UNM now, so my time is much more strictly organized. I only get outside about once a week. 

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

I listen to podcasts and audiobooks in the studio. I used to only listen to non-fiction works such as biographies and documentaries but now I listen to pretty much everything. I go through a book about every other day. The stories keep me on task much more than music, so I save music for inside the house or car. The same goes for music alongside podcasts and audiobooks, I listen to all kinds, from punk-rock to indie-Spanish. I love it all. 

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

Inside my home, I think I have a pretty impressive pottery collection. Lots of mugs, which is funny because I don’t drink coffee, I am a loyal tea drinker. I’m a sucker for aesthetics as well as good craft and design. Some of my favorite mugs are made by Sunshine Cobb and other New Mexico potters, Rachel Donner and Patty Bilbro. The plates and bowls we use the most are by Birdie Boone, Justin Rothshank, Didem Mert, and David Swenson. All of our dishes are handmade by many different potters (minus the few pint cups we accidentally left with from a bar). The ceramic art pieces we have around the house are works by Bryan Hopkins, Brett Freund, Shoko Teruyama, Kristen Kieffer, and more New Mexico artists, James Creamer and Betsy Williams. Too many to name really. And never enough. 

Bianka with her dogs. Photo from the artist. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA.

I am new to NMPCA, and it was brought to my attention through Cirrelda Snider-Bryan. I haven’t had much involvement with NMPCA yet, but I hope that will change soon. One of my goals as a grad student at UNM is to expose the art department to the wonderful world of ceramics and the ceramics community that New Mexico has to offer and I am eager to learn all I can about NMPCA to make that happen to benefit all of New Mexico’s clay people.

Bowl with luster by Bianka Groves. Photo from the artist.

Thanks to Angela Smith Kirkman for being our January 2025 Meet the Member. Angela lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

I started doing pottery when I was 18, my first week in college. Though I majored in Romance Languages at Colorado College, I spent every spare moment in the pottery studio. From the beginning, I was captivated by the sensation of clay in my hands—working with clay has always been my way of grounding myself, a kind of “mud therapy” that continues to bring me joy.

  

Describe your studio.

Paseo Pottery is my happy place. I’ve been part of this studio for over 22 years. It’s warm and welcoming, and I love coming here. This studio is full of some of my favorite people on earth. When we come together in the studio, our workdays are done, and we’re all here by choice, enjoying our free time, catching up, making art, learning, laughing—sometimes crying—aways in full expression of what it is to be human. It’s such a joyful place. 

  

Describe your “work.” 

For the first 30 years of my clay journey, I specialized in wheel-thrown rustic dinnerware and production pottery fired to cone 10 in gas reduction. I love harvesting my own clay and knowing that I have the ability to form a handful of earth into a vessel that I can use to feed loved ones. I love imagining that—maybe just maybe—hundreds of years from now when that vessel lays shattered on the ground, returning to the earth, the sight of it might still bring joy to some future being. Most recently I am enjoying delving into more exploratory work—big-ass wheel-thrown pieces as well as more experimental hand building and sculptural work. I’m still a cone 10 gas reduction gal, but I’m also enjoying a deep dive into alternative forms of firing, such as wood, Raku, and saggar.

Vessel fired with Naked Raku method by Angela Smith Kirkman, photo by the artist.

Saggar-fired vessel by Angela Smith Kirkman, photo by the artist.

Describe work you do that promotes “clay community."

Paseo Pottery has been part of the art scene in Santa Fe for over 30 years and thrives on a spirit of giving back. Run largely by volunteers, Paseo is more than a creative space—it’s a hub for connection and service. On the first Friday of each month, we host a Pottery Throw Down inviting different local nonprofits to come in and play in the mud with us. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU! to all of the nonprofits working to make Santa Fe a better place. All proceeds from our Pottery Throw Downs are donated to charity, and thus far we’ve donated over $100,000 and hosted over 40 local nonprofits. We’re so proud of this contribution, and we love sharing our passion for clay with those who may never have had the opportunity to experience the healing power of clay.

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

When I’m not in the studio, I’m generally helping my husband with his business, Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery, which is HIS happy place. Or I might be at Tumbleroot Pottery Pub, our newest location and a marriage of our two businesses. Or maybe I’m out in my garden, or on a hike, or hanging out with my kids, or perhaps with my girlfriends, or maybe traveling somewhere exotic, or just sitting by the fireplace reading a good book.

 

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

Oh yes, there’s always something playing in the studio. Generally whoever’s managing the studio that day or teaching a class gets to choose the tunes, so on any given day it can be anything from classical to emo to punk to metal to salsa to Reggaeton to Ani di Franco to French language lessons or maybe just some good old rock-and-roll.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

One of my favorite moments of every morning is standing in front of my cupboard—PJs and tousled hair—picking out a mug for my morning coffee. My cupboard is full of mugs and tumblers made by a dozen different artists, and I love each and every one of them.

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA.

Joining NMPCA was recommended to me decades ago by my guru, Mike Walsh, who founded Paseo Pottery in 1991 and is still a huge part of our studio. I’ve been a member for years, and I always look forward to receiving the NMPCA newsletter and hearing what’s going on in the in greater New Mexico clay community. Clay attracts a community of good people.  I’m happy to be part of it. 

Photo of Angela Smith Kirkman, supplied by the artist.