This year I had the amazing experience of assisting none other than Laura Casas at the Arrowmont school of arts and crafts.
The experience was absolutely life changing. The location is a hidden gem just off of a busy strip in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Every building and studio has so much character, the staff are WONDERFUL, and the students were such a joy to work with.
Laura was leading a surface decoration workshop focusing on using colored slips, underglazes, and a variety of decorative techniques. We worked with water etching, creating our own transfers, sgraffito, and more.
As an assistant I was in charge of maintaining our materials, custom mixing our colorful slips/glazes, and prepping our clear glaze. I also assisted with a couple mini demos, and firing/loading the kilns.
see images below of the campus, clay studio, and more...
I have always been interested in art. Constantly feeling pulled towards folk arts practices, I have felt the strongest pull towards ceramics and pottery. Most of my time is spent working and practicing in the medium. I enjoy creating glazes, exploring clay bodies, and teaching others basic skills and techniques.
Work Experience
Instructor/Pottery Studio Tech
Studio Duties include: loading/unloading kilns, scheduling firings, Kiln maintenance and kiln shelf care; Organizing open studio, adult clay lab, and youth studio rooms; ensuring time sensitive pieces are fired as needed; processing clay summer camp and track-out camp creations, occasionally with a 2 day turn around; mixing and maintaining commercial glazes; Assisting with Gas kiln
Instructor duties include: 2-8 week Adult Project based classes, occasional substitute for making or glazing days with youth classes, teaching youth or teen 2 week project based classes,
Studio Coordinator/Instructor
Coordinator duties include: Mixing and Testing Glazes for the studio, Kiln Loading/Unloading, Kiln Maintenance, Studio Orientations, Assisting with Gas kiln firings
Classes have Included: Multi-week Glaze Workshop, 2-7 week Adult Project Based Pottery, One-Day Adult pottery Workshops (Wheel-Throwing and Project Based) 2 week kids pottery basics, One-Day Artist Trading Card workshop, One-Day Art Journaling Workshop
Instructor: Project based classes/workshops
Classes/Workshops have included: 2 week Project Based Adult Pottery, 4 week and 2 week Teen & Kids Pottery Basics, Weekend Art journaling, Once-a-week Art Journaling, etc...
Previously Part of the front desk staff maintaining day-to-day functionality of the center, classes , and studios
College Education
BFA, Scuplture & Ceramics
Graduated Spring 2021University North Carolina - Greensboro