Touchstone, 2026

Chris Staley

Porcelain

17 in H x 12 in D

Inscribed signature on bottom

Inspired by the rugged coastline of Maine, Touchstone reflects Chris Staley's enduring connection to the natural world. Its surface echoes the weathered rocks along the shore, each connected by the slightest points of contact. It is a quiet reminder of the interconnectedness of all people.

A longtime member of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts community, Staley has often spoken of the profound inspiration he finds in the surrounding landscape. Describing the shoreline, he remarked, "When you go down to the rocks, it's like you're going to church... You're going to this sacred place. That sense of awe and contemplation is captured in Touchstone, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the beauty and vastness of the natural world."

Bringing this remarkable work into your home offers more than a stunning ceramic sculpture-it brings a lasting reminder of nature's quiet power and our place within it.

Artist Biography

Chris Staley (b. 1954, Boston, MA) has lived primarily in the eastern United States his entire life. He earned his BFA in 1977 at Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, and then spent a year as a Special Student at the Kansas City Art Institute. He went on to earn his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.

Chris Staley has had a distinguished teaching career, beginning with Rhode Island School of Design, Wichita State University, and finally at Pennsylvania State University where he was Professor of Art and Professor-in-Charge of the Ceramics Area in the School of Visual Arts. He is also active in the community, serving on the boards of both the Archie Bray Foundation and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Last year Chris joined The Clay Studio as an artist in our studios. His presence here has had a positive impact on his fellow artists and the whole organization.

Artists Statement

The essence of making pots for me is about being human. It's about fragility and strength. It's about the intimate moment when the handle of a cup touches the hand. Pots are about potential. Pots can create a world of slow time where meaning can be found. It is a notable experience to use pots that exude the soul of the maker. All of our senses are engaged in this experience.

Very few things can be touched and leave one a different person. It is this paradox of who is touching whom that gives pots their greatest potential.

As a young boy I often played outdoors and made things out of dirt and sticks. I struggled sitting behind a desk at school. I knew very early that to survive spiritually I had to keep creating with my hands. With technology spreading at a very increasing pace my need to feel the world seems essential.

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Sprawl, c. 2000

Ken Eastman

Ceramic

19 in H x 21 in x 14.5 in

Written Signature

Inspired by contemporary architecture, this slab-built ceramic sculpture pairs crisp geometric lines with a dynamic sense of movement. Its refined form plays beautifully with light and space, revealing new angles and perspectives as you move around it.

Designed with a closed base, the piece can also serve as a distinctive vessel for branches, dried botanicals, or other natural elements. Both sculptural and functional, it is a striking addition to any collection and a sophisticated expression of the intersection of art, architecture, and design.

Artist Statement

I am interested in the relationship between color, the illusionistic space of a surface and actual space. This relationship is a complex one - as well as inhabiting the two-dimensional space on a curving plane of clay, color can, in a sense, fill the actual 3 dimensional space of the vessel itself.

Artist Biography

Ken Eastman was born in 1960. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art (1979-83) and at the Royal College of Art, London (1984-87). He exhibits widely and has won many awards in the field of ceramic arts, including the 'Premio Faenza', Italy in 1995, the 'Gold Medal' at the 1st World Ceramic Exposition 2001 Korea and the 'President De la Generalitat Valencia' at the 5th Biennale International De Ceramica, Manises, Spain. In 1998-99 he was awarded the Arts Foundation Fellowship in Ceramics. Eastman's work centres around the idea of the vessel. He uses the vessel as a subject- to give meaning and form to an expression. Working through the medium of ceramics, Eastman can be both builder and painter; can handle shape and structure, as well as exploring tone and colour.

His work is held in numerous public collections including The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Japan; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA; The Powerhouse Museum Sydney, Australia; Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Landesmuseum, Stuttgart; Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Montreal, Canada; The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Museu de Ceramica de Manises, Valencia and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

In addition to his studio work, Ken Eastman has lectured and taught in universities throughout the UK and is currently Associate Lecturer in Design Thinking at the Open University. 'Ken Eastman, Behind the Gates of Clay', a monograph about the development of the artist's work was published in 2004 by the Barrett-Marsden Gallery, London. With an analytical essay by Jane McCabe, the book explores recurrent themes in Eastman's work and the artist's approach to making ceramics.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Planter Dreams, 2026

Lisa Naples

Stoneware

8.5 in H x 10 in D

Written Signature

This compelling vessel reflects Naples' vision of ceramics as both functional object and sculptural form. Blurring the boundary between utility and fine art, the work resists easy categorization and invites the viewer to consider its purpose-and meaning-for themselves.

Beyond its striking form, the vessel offers a meditation on identity, complexity, and connection. Just as the object can inhabit multiple roles at once, it reflects the many experiences, relationships, and perspectives that shape who we are and ultimately connect us to one another.

Displayed as a sculptural centerpiece or filled with plants or branches, this thoughtful work brings beauty, versatility, and a sense of quiet reflection to any space.

Artist Biography

Naples earned a B.A. in English Literature from Rutgers University. She completed graduate and post-graduate studies in Ceramics at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of the Arts and went on to attain an M.F.A. from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Canada. Naples was a Resident Artist at The Clay Studio in the 90's. She has received many awards, has exhibited her art extensively, with a solo exhibition at the Clay Studio in 2020, and solo show at Michener Art Museum in 2025. She founded the Lisa Naples Clay Studio in Frenchtown, NJ in 2023 where she teaches classes and has guest teachers from all over the country.

Artist Statement

A long studio career has given me continuity throughout my life: an intimate relationship with creativity through ceramics. I have found myself shape-shifting a number of times. In the earlier years I felt quite comfortable claiming the title of "Potter" or "Thrower". But as time went by, the wheel became no more important than a rolling pin... a tool to help me bring forth an idea. And pots yielded space to explore sculpture. In recent years, labels have become harder to assign. They seem too confining: "Potter", "Sculptor", "Painter", "Storyteller", I leave it to the viewer and the lens of time to decide. I am in service to bringing persistent ideas into form.

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Landscape of the Heart

Sung Jae Choi

Porcelain

13 in H x 9.25 x 4.75

Written Signature and Makers Stamp (on box lid)

Created to celebrate The Clay Studio's 50th Anniversary, this elegant porcelain bottle by Sung Jae Choi was featured in the 2024 exhibition, 50 Years in the Making, honoring the artists who have shaped the organization's remarkable legacy.

Known for his refined forms and masterful restraint, Choi transforms porcelain into a quiet meditation on beauty, balance, and gesture. Soft, expressive brushwork glides across the pristine white surface, creating a composition that is both minimalist and deeply evocative. The vessel's understated elegance invites contemplation, rewarding viewers with new subtleties in line, texture, and form.

Both a significant commemorative work and a striking example of contemporary ceramic artistry, this porcelain bottle is a meaningful addition to any collection and a lasting tribute to five decades of creativity at The Clay Studio.

Choi's Reflections on his time at The Clay Studio:

As a ceramic artist who studied pottery in Korea, I spent a long time as a resident and guest artist in Canada and the U.S. for over two years and I completed that journey at The Clay Studio. I worked passionately as a guest artist and made experimental and challenging works on the theme of human social relationships. Jimmy Clark was the director at that time, and not only was he a passionate mentor, but he also provided support for the creation of my work and helped me live in Philadelphia. I also remember encountering a variety of excellent contemporary ceramic works artists at the Clay Studio 20th Anniversary Exhibition. Now, more than 30 years later, the time spent at The Clay Studio still gives me inspiration and a new perspective on the development of the world of my work.

Artist Biography

Sung-Jae Choi earned his BFA and MFA from Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. He is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, and is currently a professor at the Korean National University. Choi's artwork is held in collections around the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Sung-Jae Choi was a Guest Artist at The Clay Studio in 1993.

Choi makes vessels in the Korean tradition of 'buncheong ware.' He uses a painterly style to evoke his interpretation of Korean aesthetics. Choi's work combines traditional Korean 'punch'ong' techniques of white slip decoration with contemporary drawn decoration.

Artist Statement

The expression of my Buncheong ceramics is based on that of grayish-blue powdered celadons that were made with white clay and red stoneware clay, which was manufactured in Korea in the 16th century, leading to its maximization of modern pictorial ceramics. This method is focused on applying white slips to the surface of a vessel to maximize its pictorial elements, expressed in the process of applying white clay slip to the surface of a vessel with rough brushes, hands or tree branches. As for the shapes, flat square vessels or round jars are favored. It aims to express the traces of impromptu passing actions conducted by an artist as well as abstraction and contemplative landscape of a comfortable mind reminiscent of the natural image.

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Baby Bird, 2003

Ryan Wilson Kelly

White earthenware

10 in H x 7 in x 7 in

Written Signature

Add a touch of wit and curiosity to your collection with this distinctive sculpture by Ryan Kelly. Cast in low-fire white earthenware from a vintage toy chicken body and topped with a hand-modeled macaque head, this playful yet thought-provoking work perfectly captures Kelly's signature blend of humor, craftsmanship, and subtle memento mori. As a Resident Artist from 2006-2011, Kelly infused our community with energy and whimsy.

The piece was featured in the 2003 Ceramics Monthly announcement for Kelly's solo exhibition, Cerama-Lama-Ding-Dong, at Baltimore Clayworks, making it a notable and delightful example of the artist's imaginative approach to ceramics and a memorable addition to any collection.

Artist Statement

My work comes into being through a great deal of half-hearted research, tangential explorations and an abiding love of the object, the well made, properly made, appropriate object-leaving room for the appropriateness of the immediate, the unrefined and the crude.

The form my work takes, and the subject matter I work with are in a looping dialogue. Often I evoke archetypal domestic or theatrical spaces. I borrow characters from history, popular culture, decorative arts, literature and vernacular myth making. These serve as an entry point for viewers, and a jumping off point for myself into allegories for my own internal struggles and observations.

Kelly says about the piece "At the time, I was embracing the kitschy side of ceramics. The gallery at the Baltimore Clayworks is broken up into multiple rooms and long hallways. I created different themes for each room. The main entrance had low, satin upholstery topped platforms with large slip-cast piggy banks cavorting and enjoying each other's company. There was a 1776 room with an enormous bas relief Ben Franklin and a number of commemorative objects, and finally there was the Non-denominational holiday ornament and tchotchke room. This is where the piece in question was displayed. In this room there was a ceramic chandelier hanging above a tiered circular pedestal topped with a large ceramic basket brimming with slip cast tchotchkes."

Artist Biography

Ryan W. Kelly holds a BFA in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from The Ohio State University. His work ranges from performance and video to object based installations. He draws inspiration from American mythology, historical inaccuracies and the curious story telling that finds its way into our material culture and decorative arts. He celebrates the myopic strangeness often preserved in our souvenirs, monuments and commemorations.

Currently Kelly is a Professor of Ceramics and Foundations at Western Washington University. Previously he was a Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University in Ceramics and Foundations. Prior to that he lived and worked in Philadelphia, where he was a resident artist at The Clay Studio; a recipient of an Independence Foundation Fellowship, and a co-curator at Practice Gallery. His collaborations in dance and theater include credits in the Green Porno series by Isabella Rossellini.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Untitled, 1981

Robert Palusky

Blown glass, inlaid colored stoneware

8.5 in H x 11 in D

Inscribed Signature

This exceptional covered vessel captures a pivotal moment in Palusky's career, when his formal training in ceramics met his newfound passion for glass, a medium he would later embrace almost exclusively. The rare combination of the two makes this early work particularly distinctive.

Skillfully rendered, animated figures in colored clay encircle the ceramic vessel, showcasing Palusky's command of the medium. Above, a vibrant Venetian-style glass paperweight lid bursts with layers of color, bringing energy and movement to the piece.

Together, ceramic and glass create a work that vibrates with creativity, offering a fascinating glimpse into an artist at a transformative moment in his practice.

Artist Biography

Robert Clark Palusky, born in 1942, is a distinguished American glass artist known for his innovative and abstract glass sculptures. He earned a BFA from the University of Wisconsin at Superior and later earned his MFA in ceramics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Despite his formal education in ceramics, Palusky is largely self-taught in the art of glass, which has become his primary medium.

Palusky's career spans over four decades, during which he has established himself as a pioneer in contemporary glass art. His works are characterized by their abstract forms and intricate designs, often exploring the interplay between light and glass. Palusky's art has been celebrated globally, and his pieces are part of numerous prestigious collections. Robert Palusky's impact on the world of glass art is profound. His innovative techniques and unique artistic vision have earned him a place among the most respected glass artists of his time. Palusky's dedication to his craft and his role as an educator at Hamilton College for 37 years have left an indelible mark on the art community.

Today, Palusky continues to create and inspire from his state-of-the-art glass studio in Upstate New York, where he remains an active and influential figure in the contemporary glass art scene.

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The River

Sadashi Inuzuka

Terracotta

Sizing dependent on installation - 18 pieces total

Inspired by the quiet rhythms and ever-changing forms of nature, The River by Sadashi Inuzuka is a contemplative installation that invites viewers to slow down and explore. Composed of individually crafted ceramic elements, each organic form suggests stones, seeds, shells, or objects shaped by the steady passage of water and time.

Installed together, the pieces create a poetic landscape that evokes the movement of a river and the subtle connections between natural forms. Richly textured surfaces and deep, earthy tones celebrate the tactile beauty of clay while reflecting Inuzuka's masterful craftsmanship and reverence for the natural world.

Both meditative and visually striking, The River transforms any wall into a sculptural composition, offering a timeless reminder of nature's quiet power, beauty, and continual transformation.

As Inuzuka notes, "My wonder about technology and my concern for the world around us, has pushed me to create work that questions our role and responsibility in the survival of this planet."

Artist Biography

Sadashi Inuzuka is a visual artist with a background in ceramics who also creates installations and public art projects. Born in Japan, he had a life-long ambition to immigrate to North America and become an artist. He received a diploma from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in 1985, and went on to receive his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA in 1987. He has exhibited extensively in both solo and group shows across Canada and the United States, as well as in Australia, Japan, Finland, Denmark, and Venezuela, Taiwan, Czechoslovakia, France, and the Netherlands. He has also been invited as a visiting artist or artist-in-residence to many places in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

Artist Statement

When I began to study art and when I encountered clay for the first time it was a revelation. I discovered how to connect the material and spiritual world through the creative process. Decades of art practice have allowed my attitude to evolve, yet my first belief in art - its power to communicate and bring the inside and outside worlds together - remains unchanged.

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Tall Vessel

Paula Winokur

Porcelain

26.5 in H x 8.5 in x 6.5 in

Inscribed Signature

This exquisite porcelain work offers an early glimpse into Paula Winokur's lifelong exploration of the Earth's changing landscapes, a theme that would come to define her celebrated career.

Cloaked in a delicate celadon glaze, the pristine porcelain form evokes both beauty and fragility. Winokur pressed lace into the wet clay to create impressions of intricate floral motifs. The use of lace was a reference to Feminist Art and its critique of the subjugation of women's work. The decorative pattern contrasted with the monumentality of the vessel reflect Winokur's enduring interest in the importance of feminism as a subject in the art world.

A small repair was done on the crown feature.

Artist Statement

My work has been influenced by information gathered at places in the natural environment that I have responded to visually. The earth itself particularly cliffs, ledges, crevices, and canyons: the effects of wind, earthquakes, glaciers and natural phenomena such as geological shifts and faults interest me. The works are abstractions of what I have seen in my travels and some are informed by information gathered in various locations. For example the knowledge that icebergs float with 2/3 of their mass below the water and only the 'tip" showing above. "Black Ice" refers to a past oil spill off the coast of Alaska. It is not my intention to create literal images of what I remember but rather to present to the viewer the ideas lurking in my memory.

Artist Biography

Paula Colton Winokur (1936-2018) was an American artist. She was one of the leading ceramic artists in the United States from the 1970s until her death. Paula was born and raised in Philadelphia. She attended Tyler School of Art, where she was a student of Rudolf Staffel. Paula was a pioneer in several aspects of our clay community. Her work in porcelain was groundbreaking in its emphasis on the strength and robustness of the material, rather than the traditional emphasis on its delicacy. After being told that as a wife and mother she did not deserve a full-time teaching position, Paula went on to lead the ceramics program at Arcadia University, becoming a mentor to countless young women as she gained well-deserved status in the field.

In the last decades of her career she turned her artistic attention to environmental issues, using her beautiful sculptures to bring attention to global warming and the melting of the world's icebergs. Notable were the monumental, jagged, and nuanced works shaped from huge slabs of porcelain that serve as metaphors for the glaciers and icebergs she saw on her travels in Iceland and Greenland. The clarity of her vision and the intuitive handling of her material are tactile reminders of our eroding environment.

In 2002 she was elected to the College of Fellows at the American Craft Council. She has exhibited widely and has been collected by museums around the world - notably the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Contemporary Art.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
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Pitcher

Lisa Orr

Earthenware

12 in H x 12 in x 7 in

Relief Signature

Pitcher that can be used as a vase or to serve any beverage. Beautiful oceanic colors move across the body of a well crafted form, drawing the eye into all its amazing detail. Orr often shared how she found great pleasure in creating fresh, graceful, and pliant pottery pieces that might be reminiscent of folk pottery, or perhaps forms found in nature. A wonderful addition to any functional or aesthetic collection.

Artist Statement

My artworks for the table refer to traditional porcelain or restaurant whitewares, but with softer forms inspired by the playful and abundant qualities of Mexican earthenware. I invented my own production process after studying clay mold fragments in antiquated factories and museums. After forming pieces in molds, on the wheel, or both, I finish with gestural animals, stamps, slips, sprigs and multihued glazes.

To some, my jeweltone glaze colors evoke a healthy garden in bloom or an underwater seascape. My colors, textures and strength of my forms set my work apart; my forms are muscular and strong but also fluid. I engage both ends of the spectrum, from the dynamic and substantive to the detailed and dreamy-I celebrate tiny surprises in my work. My colorful, shapely earthenware looks best holding a freshly prepared meal on the table.

Artist Biography

Lisa Orr completed an MFA at The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1992. She has been awarded a Fulbright and National Endowment for the Arts fellowship through Mid-America Arts Alliance. Orr taught high school ceramics in Austin, Texas, and travels extensively for lectures and workshops. She creates low-fire pottery intended for use in everyday life. Though rooted in the deep history of ceramics, her forms are fluid and often gently asymmetrical-a combination of the clay's natural expression and her own inspiration in the moment. Her slip work and relief decorations along with her rich colors suggest images of sky, coral reef, or flowers in bloom. The work is a riot of color, energy, memories, and emotion, all of which come together to create finished work that is cohesive and confident.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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It's All in the Details, 2026

Nuokan Huang

Porcelain

2.5 in x 3 in x 2.5 in

Seeing is believing. Nuokan Huang's extraordinary miniature sculpture showcases an astonishing level of precision, patience, and craftsmanship. Every tiny teapot, cup, and vessel is meticulously formed, creating a captivating still life that invites viewers to step closer and discover new details with every glance.

A testament to both a nimble imagination and remarkable technical skill, this exquisite work transforms the everyday into something magical. Equal parts playful and awe-inspiring, it is a true celebration of the artistry possible at the smallest scale.

Artist Statement

I started making miniatures when I first moved to the United States. The limitation of studio access and the uncertainty of my personal future inspired me to make small-scale work. I was delighted to have found infinite possibilities and joy in creating tiny pots. My work has evolved from traditional functional forms into mini-landscapes. These landscapes form a personal space in which I am completely free to create and explore, escaping the chaos of daily life.

Artist Biography

Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Nuokan graduated from Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in 2010 and started working on ceramics full-time in 2014. She and her partner moved to the United States in 2018. They currently live in Brooklyn, NY.

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Swarm (set of 2), 2010

Nick Kripal

Terracotta

This striking pair of sculptures by Nick Kripal comes from his celebrated Swarm series, originally commissioned for the Philadelphia International Airport in 2010. The large-scale installation transformed slip-cast historical food molds and serving vessels into an abstract urban landscape, exploring the evolution of industrial design, architecture, and city planning through ceramic form. Twenty-six elements from the original installation remain on view today in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Collection.

Elegant and sculptural, this pair embodies Kripal's distinctive ability to transform familiar objects into compelling architectural forms. Beyond their beauty, they represent an important chapter in Philadelphia's rich craft history. A visionary artist, educator, and connector, Kripal played a vital role in strengthening the relationships among the region's artists, universities, and cultural institutions, leaving a lasting impact on Philadelphia's vibrant craft community.

Artist Biography

Nicholas Kripal was the chair of the Crafts Department Tyler School of Art, Temple University, area head of the department's Ceramics Program, and one of the founders of the Crane Arts Building in South Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, across the street from The Clay Studio's new building. He was an active member of the community, a Board member of The Clay Studio, and believed passionately in our mission. He crafted enormous, imposing adobe sculptures and terra cotta pieces that could fit in your hand. He taught hundreds of students over 34 years as a professor. He passed away in 2016, our community continues to mourn his loss.

He was an artist who utilized the ceramic medium as a source for sculptural installations, and he created work in the arena of site-specific/site-related installations that explored architectural iconography as a source for their format. Kripal designed sculptures for cathedrals and spiritual spaces. He was inspired by gothic architecture and religious stories, and the idea of creating something new for all those old places.

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Large Bowl, c.1980

Phillip Maberry and Scott Walker

glazed earthenware

10 in H x 20v x 16 in

Bursting with color and playful energy, this vibrant work by Maberry and Walker beautifully embodies the artists' distinctive creative vision. Bold hues, dynamic abstract forms, and imaginative composition come together to create a sculpture that is both joyful and visually captivating. There is a similar bowl by Maberry in the collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian.

Whether displayed as a focal point or incorporated into a larger collection, this spirited piece is a celebration of color, creativity, and whimsy, a reminder that art has the power to brighten both our spaces and our everyday lives. Their work is so exuberant that in 1990 the home and studio they designed and lived in was featured in a B52's video.

Artist Statement

Phillip Maberry's earliest memory is of wallpaper with large green and yellow flowers heavily outlined in black in a bedroom in his parents' home in Dallas. A dubious choice, Mr. Maberry now acknowledges. But that wallpaper, along with the vividly colored 50's furniture he grew up with, led him into a garden of fantastical colors he has never entirely left.

Artists Biography

Phillip Maberry studied ceramics at East Texas State University in the early 70's, where he mixed found objects with glazed clay in crazy animal shapes, adding rhinestones and sequins, while his classmates succumbed to what he calls ''the brown pot syndrome.''

A few years later, Maberry with his partner Scott Walker, moved to New York and began adorning their loft on West 20th Street with an anarchic display of psychedelic colors, using discontinued paints bought cheaply on Canal Street. They also blended in wavy shapes cut from wallpaper. They considered themselves, along with the artists Robert Kushner and Brad Davis, part of a pattern and decoration movement establishing itself in playful antithesis to the prevailing minimalism.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Concentration,

Matt Nolen

Glazed Porcelain

24 in H x 10 in x 14 in

Inscribed Signature

More than a vessel, this extraordinary pitcher is a world of stories waiting to be discovered. Across its expansive surface, Matt Nolen brings together fantastical scenes, expressive figures, and moments drawn from everyday life, inviting viewers to linger and uncover new narratives with every glance.

Rich in movement, imagination, and intricate detail, the piece rewards repeated viewing-revealing something unexpected each time. Whether admired as a sculptural centerpiece or celebrated as an exceptional example of ceramic storytelling, this remarkable work is sure to captivate collectors and guests alike.

Artist Statement

"As a painter, architect and storyteller, clay provides the means by which I can marry my loves: the painted surface, three dimensional form and narrative content. Ceramics gives me the language to communicate my stories to a world audience. The themes of my early work have included a broad range of social, political and psychological subjects.

Most recently I have turned to the figure as form departing from the lavishly painted vessels and tiled environments of previous works. In doing so, the stories I am telling have become more personal and often are informed by the inner landscape of self: notions of shelter that explore what we protect and keep private vs. that which we choose to reveal, escape through dreams, and contemporary takes on ancient Greek and Roman portrait busts and the architectural load bearing caryatid and atlas. I have developed 3-D porcelain speech and thought balloons that I am combining in various ways to explore the narratives that inspire me. Recent bodies of work have included print editions as well as sculpture rendered with ceramic, metal, wood, stone, rubber and found objects.

My figures tell the stories of those who are challenged by conflicts and are in the midst of emotional or psychological transitions. It is life lived within the complexity of these "margins" that interests me the most."

Artist Biography

Matt Nolen is a studio artist living and working in New York City and Narrowsburg, NY. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous private and public collections including: The Cooper-Hewitt Museum, NYC., The Museum of Arts and Design, NYC., The Houston Museum of Fine Art, TX., The de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA. and The Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY.

Nolen has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, Mid Atlantic Foundation (regional NEA) Fellowship and international residencies in Israel and China. His residency at the Kohler Co.'s Art/Industry Program resulted in a handmade public washroom that has been named "Best Restroom in America" by the Cintas Corp. and among "The 10 Best Bathrooms in the World" by the Travel Channel.

He has recently served as President of the Board of Trustees for Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine and is Adjunct Professor of Art at New York University, Hunter College, and Ceramics Area Coordinator at Pratt Institute.

This piece was donated by the Grainer Family.

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Viktoria, 2026

Janina Myronova

Stoneware

10.5 in H x 14.2 in x 4.5 in

Bright colors and delightful details-including the lively plant forms growing around the figure's head-capture the artist's ongoing search for beauty and connection. At the center is a serene, pleased smile, offering a gentle reminder to meet the world with curiosity, optimism, and joy.

Viktoria is a vibrant wall-hanging sculpture infused with Janina Myronova's joyful and deeply observant approach to life. Born in Ukraine and shaped by ceramic residencies around the world, Myronova brings a distinctly global perspective to her work, drawing inspiration from the people, places, and experiences she encounters.

Playful, expressive, and full of personality, Viktoria is a work that promises to bring a smile to everyone who encounters it.

Artist Statement

"My characters display a specific, distorted body perspective. The forms are a bit clunky, chubby, anatomically misshapen, marked with accents which double the characters or hybridize their silhouettes. Each sculpture is a different personality, a personal story, a graphic "novel" featuring my favorite motifs: images of family relationships, parent and child, partners, pets. My emotions are "scratched" into them, with a subtle hint towards humor. Wonder, anger, fear and joy are all present there. What also influences the emotional charge of the figures is the colour scheme of my sculptures, defining the characters and saturating their personal stories placed on the bodies and clothing. I emphasize their colouration by the black-and-white drawings in the background, constituting a backdrop to my stories."

Artist Biography

Janina Myronova is a current Resident Artist at The Clay Studio. She earned her MFA from the Department of Ceramic Art at Lviv National Academy of Fine Arts (Lviv, Ukraine) in 2012, an MFA from the Department of Ceramics and Glass at The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts and Design (Wroclaw, Poland) in 2013, and her PhD from the Department of Ceramics and Glass at Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in 2019. Continually developing her work and practice, Myronova has attended numerous residencies including opportunities at the New Taipei Yingge Ceramics Museum (New Taipei, Taiwan), Clayarch Gimhae Museum (Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea), Lefebvre and Fils (Paris, France), the Polish Sculpture Centre (Oronsko, Poland), and the International Ceramic Research Center (Guldagergaard,Denmark), International Ceramic Studio (Kecskemet, Hungary), Northern Clay Center (Minneapolis, United States) and Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, MT, United States).

Myronova also has artwork in numerous public museum collections including those at Crocker Art Museum, (Sacramento, USA), Porcelain Museum (Riga, Latvia), the Mark Rothko Art Center (Daugavpils, Latvia), Museu Cerà mica (Alcora, Spain), and the National Museums in both Wroclaw and Krakow (Poland), New Taipei Yingge Ceramics Museum (New Taipei, Taiwan).

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Hedgehogs and Mushrooms Platter

Celia Feldberg

earthenware, underglaze, glaze, slip
15 in x 7.75 in x 1.25 in
Inscribed Signature

Step into an enchanted woodland with Celia Feldberg's charming Hedgehogs and Mushrooms platter. Two inquisitive hedgehogs wander among a lush landscape of colorful mushrooms, grasses, and tiny flowers, creating a scene filled with warmth, whimsy, and delightful detail.

Feldberg's lively illustration transforms this generous ceramic platter into a functional work of art. Perfect for serving at the table or displaying where its woodland inhabitants can be enjoyed every day, Hedgehogs and Mushrooms is sure to bring a little joy, color, and magic into your home.

Artist Statement

My work incorporates narrative imagery, playful humor, and bright color on ceramic forms to invite connection and impart joy. The pieces themselves are often functional or made for the wall, intended to become part of a home where they can be seen and engaged with often. By having illustrations that wrap around three dimensional forms, I create a process of discovery, as one must turn the piece in their hands to unfold its full story. Nature and everyday moments inspire me, and animals often take center stage. I love the direct connection we make with images of animals and that anyone can see themselves in these characters. I seek balance in my work, wanting the pieces to feel both niche and relatable, to express joy with a touch of poignancy or playfulness with an edge of carefulness. I aim to highlight small moments and memories, and capture a sense of place, emotional truth, and wonder.

Artist Biography

Celia Feldberg is a Philadelphia-based ceramic artist. She holds a BFA in ceramics from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and has completed artist residencies at The Clay Studio of Philadelphia and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, among others. Celia has exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Flower City Pottery Invitational, and in galleries nationally. She has taught at community studios and craft schools including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Snow Farm. She served as the glaze technician for Ben Carter's Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors. Celia was selected as a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist in 2026, and her work has been featured by Homo Faber, The Ceramic Shop, Pottery Making Illustrated, and Tales of A Red Clay Rambler.

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Dreaming of a Crystal Forest, 2026

Jeanne Blissett Robertson

Porcelain

7.5 in H x 16 in x 10 in

Bring a cool fairytale breeze into your life with this beautiful sculpture by Jeanne Blissett Robertson, a unique marriage of nostalgic fantasy imagery and Robertson's experience participating in research concerning the effect of melting glaciers.

This piece is part of a series of porcelain crystal forms with dreamy paintings of animals and nature taken from slot machine graphics. These symbols of freedom and adventure have been re-contextualised to question what we seek and how we find it in an increasingly noisy world.

In 2024 Robertson joined Dr. Jon Hawkings and his team at the University of Pennsylvania researching the elements released in glacial meltwater and biochemical cycles. This research influenced Robertson in creating a series of glacial forms with various imagery from charts and quotes highlighting scientific research to the colorful fantasy and exotic creatures you see today.

Artist Statement

This piece is part of a series of porcelain crystal forms with dreamy paintings of animals and nature taken from slot machine graphics. These symbols of freedom and adventure have been re-contextualised to question what we seek and how we find it in an increasingly noisy world.

I have recently been developing a line of work involving the long standing human interest in crystalline forms and their power to connect internal human experiences with the material world. I reflect on the precarious state of our changing natural environment and its effect on our culture, both spiritually and politically. The crystal forms provide a 3D canvas for me to combine diverse imagery from
sources such as photographs, painting and symbols to communicate through active, tactile engagement and to challenge core, binary understandings.

Artist Biography

Jeanne Blissett Robertson graduated with a BA Hons in Sculpture & Environmental Art from Glasgow School of Art in 2015. Since then she has lived and worked internationally carrying out artist residencies in Abu Dhabi (Manarat Al Saadiyat), Mexico (Trapo Galeria), Edinburgh (Edinburgh Ceramics Workshop) and most recently Ullapool, Scotland (An Talla Solais). She recently received an Arts Council England grant, 'Developing Your Creative Practice', for a self-tailored ceramics training programme where she learnt from crafts people based in Scotland. Her activity included salt-glazing in Isle of Skye, making geological glazes with rocks from Assynt (world heritage site), foraging for clay and minerals, and multiple-part mould making for slip-casting. Recent exhibitions include 'To A Green Thought', DVAA, Philadelphia, 2022, 'Off-Kilter', Drill Hall, Edinburgh, 2021, and 'Running Parallel', Lewes Light Festival, 2020. Alongside her practice, Robertson delivers experimental art workshops for people of all ages and abilities.

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Aster

Robert Zumwalt

Porcelain

4 in D x 20 in

Aster is a striking example of Robert Zumwalt's remarkable material expertise and inventive approach to porcelain. With a foundation in music, Zumwalt brings a sense of rhythm and composition to his visual practice, carefully orchestrating individual elements into a harmonious whole.

This piece, formed by thin sheets of porcelain, richly colored with layers of Mason stain, creates rhythmic waves across the surface of the wall-hanging sculpture. The undulating patterns evoke sound waves in motion, translating the language of music into ceramic form.

Precise yet dynamic, Aster celebrates Zumwalt's mastery of porcelain and the creative vision that defines his cross-disciplinary virtuosity, bringing together material, movement, color, and rhythm in a sophisticated work of contemporary art.

Artist Biography

Music and nature are instilled in Robert Zumwalt and the objects he creates. Robert grew up in Fresno, California where his family frequented the epic national parks of Yosemite and Sequoia. Drawn to music at an early age, Robert spent half his life studying classical piano and clarinet, culminating in a master's degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Following school, he volunteered at San Francisco's arboretum where he studied botanical form and landscape which led to work as a gardener. Robert conceptualized and installed gardens using his foundation of music. Musical ideas of form, structure, texture, motifs and style lent themselves to constructing physical space. The seasons and the ephemeral nature of the garden became his meter and rhythm. At age thirty-five Robert enrolled in his first pottery class. Initially, he was enamored with producing functional ceramics, the technique and physicality of wheel throwing. However, the call of the sublime, a reminiscence to music making, of constructing and sharing other worlds, returned to Robert's aspirations. Graduating in 2024 from Syracuse University with his MFA, Robert now focuses on bringing a sense of time and space into immutable objects with the transformative experience of music as his guiding light.

Artist Statement

My ceramic practice is a material investigation guided by process. I create iterative systems of production that result in series or fragments for larger works. Form is often a byproduct or secondary to this practice. My systems are set up to fail, creating obstacles that compel intuitive making, balancing process and hand and ultimately reflecting humanity. Recurring patterns of nature as well as natural forces make the bulk of my mark making. I use the layered clay technique, nerikomi, to create linework that evinces every action and to depict our existential experience through time.

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Where's the Toast?, 2025

Bradford Davis

Ceramic Stoneware, Underglaze, Acrylic Shelf, Magnet

Various Sizes

Pressed Artist Stamp

Bradford Davis brings a playful contemporary sensibility to the vessel form with Where's the Toast?, a striking set of three ceramic vases. Bold silhouettes and smooth surfaces are paired with a rich, avocado-inspired palette, balancing references to ceramic history with a distinctly modern aesthetic.

The title provides the punchline: you've got the avocado-now, where's the toast? Davis' humor adds an unexpected lightness to these sophisticated forms, reminding us that contemporary art can be both beautifully considered and fun.

Displayed together, the three vessels create a dynamic conversation of form, color, and scale. Where's the Toast? is a sophisticated, and clever, addition to a contemporary art collection.

Artist Statement

The transport amphora was a durable yet ultimately disposable tool. Designed for commerce, amphorae circulated across cultures carrying goods before being discarded or repurposed. I use this vessel as a surrogate for the human body-particularly the veteran body-to question where value resides when a tool can no longer perform its intended function. Like the amphora, veteran bodies have often been valued for their ability to labor, serve, protect, and endure rather than for the complexity of the lives they contain.

What can something discarded become? Rather than erasing evidence of change, each sculpture preserves the marks of what it has experienced. Through altering the form and disrupting its surface, I explore how an object carries its history. Like scars on a body, every crack, seam, and layer becomes part of the patina of lived experience.

Color offers another language for transformation. My increasing use of vibrant color reflects an evolution in both my work and sense of self, shaped in part by post-traumatic growth. Variations in form, color, surface, and scale accumulate into multiple portraits of identity, each iteration representing a different state of the self. Identity emerges through these variations not as a fixed construct, but as something layered, cumulative, and continually changing.

These works reject the expectation that restoration means returning to what existed before. Instead, they consider how fracture and transformation can carry what has already existed forward into something previously unimaginable.

Artist Biography

Bradford Davis is an award-winning multimedia artist who uses ceramics as the base matrix to express his feelings, emotions, and responses to his traumas and life experiences. As a retired Army Artillery Officer, he mines his journey of healing to feed his creative research. He mixes fibers, metal, and stained glass with wheel thrown ceramics; to explore the personification of the amphora vessel in its destruction, restoration, and rebirth. Davis received his MFA at Temple University's Tyler School of Art & Architecture and his BFA from the University of South Carolina, both with a focus in ceramics. He has been an Artist in Residence at Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan. His works have been shown internationally and can be found in the collection of the McKissick Museum. Bradford maintains a private studio in Downingtown, PA.

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Pair of Cups, 2026

Soojin Choi

Porcelain

4.25 & 4.75 in x 3.75 D

Artist mark on bottom.

Soojin Choi's work explores the remarkable ability of the human face to communicate emotion, identity, and experience. By returning to the form again and again, she reveals an almost endless range of expression-each face distinct despite emerging from a repeated process.

During her Residency at The Clay Studio, Choi has deepened the relationship between her painting and ceramic practices, expanding her technical command of glaze. While earlier works relied primarily on underglaze painting to articulate the surfaces of her sculptural forms, she now embraces glaze as an integral part of her visual language, using its depth, color, and material qualities to enrich each piece.

The result is a compelling convergence of painting, sculpture, and ceramics, demonstrating Choi's evolving mastery of the medium and her ongoing fascination with the complexity of human expression.

Artist Statement

Human emotion comes from the interplay between people, physical space, and emotion itself. The ambivalence of human emotion occurs through unresolved and confusing situations in external and internal matters. An ambivalent moment reveals itself to me, and I depict that gray area of humanity. I recount these unsettled situations so viewers can empathetically encounter the emotions of the human forms I create. In making my work, I attempt to express the ambiguity of emotion through flat and spatial surfaces; subtle facial expression, gaze and body gesture; as well as color and brush expressions. Building the surfaces with clay allows me to seamlessly weave between dimensions and textures to articulate feelings of ambivalence.

Artist Biography

Soojin Choi (b.1991) was born and raised in South Korea, and she has worked as an artist in the United States since 2010. Soojin earned her BFA at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015 with a double major in Craft/ Material Studies and Painting/ Printmaking. She continued her studies at Alfred University to pursue a MFA degree in ceramics in 2018.

After graduate school, she was a resident at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN with funding by Anonymous Artist Studio Fellowship, a long-term resident artist at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, MT, she is a long-term resident artist at Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT. Her work transforms objects, figures and spaces into visual language by repeatedly layering flat and spatial surfaces.

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Tiles, 2026

Daeun Lim

Porcelain

5.5 x 5.5 x 2 (each of 2 tiles)

Tiles is a pair of wall-hanging porcelain works featuring subtle images of a chair and two circles rendered in clear, glossy glaze. As light moves across their surfaces-or as the viewer changes perspective-the imagery quietly emerges and recedes, rewarding close observation.

Daeun Lim's practice explores the intersection of function, form, and idea, finding meaning and beauty in the familiar objects that shape everyday life. After beginning her ceramic arts education in Korea and pursuing graduate studies in the United States, Lim has continued this exploration during her Residency at The Clay Studio. Her practice has expanded from using function conceptually in sculptural work to creating functional ceramics, including cups and bowls now featured in The Clay Studio's Functional Gallery.

Understated and contemplative, Tiles brings a sense of calm, curiosity, and quiet beauty to a space-and offers a wonderful starting point for collecting Lim's work across both her sculptural and functional practices.

Artist Statement

My work employs the aesthetics of utilitarian ceramics in order to challenge assumptions about functionality. My process and the resulting forms adopt the language of industry - sleek, white ceramics rendered with 3D modeling, printing, and mold-making - but subvert the expectation of utility. These materials and methods produce objects that are both recognizable and unfamiliar, whose apparent functionality ranges from ambiguous to hyper-specific, impractical, or exaggerated to absurdity.

I explore objects' potential beyond practical use. I design "function" in a way that pushes boundaries rather than reinforcing traditional utility, and reposition function as a question rather than an answer. Function in my work moves beyond the literal and becomes an analog for the human experience. Shaped by the identities given to me - a woman, a foreigner, and someone who continuously moves between different cultural and social expectations - these functions reflect ways of seeing, adapting, and existing within shifting contexts.

Artist Biography

Daeun Lim is a designer and maker from South Korea. She studied ceramics at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and earned her MFA in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2024. She has participated in artist residency programs at the Interdisciplinary Ceramic Research Center (ICRC) at the University of Kansas, Baltimore Clayworks, the New Harmony Clay Project, and Clayarch Gimhae Museum.

Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally at venues including the Red Lodge Clay Center (MT), The Clay Studio (PA), Hudgens Center for Art & Learning (GA), Delaplaine Arts Center (MD), Bund 18 Jiushi Art Gallery (Shanghai, China), KCDF Gallery (Seoul), and Clayarch Gimhae Museum (Gimhae), among numerous others.

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Whipper Snapper, 2026

Jeremiah Ibarra

Earthenware, slip, decals

10 in x 7 in x 6 in

Jeremiah Ibarra creates functional ceramics infused with humor, nostalgia, and the visual language of popular culture. Drawing from hand-rendered imagery as well as newspapers, advertisements, cartoons, and other familiar sources, he transforms everyday objects into layered visual narratives.

Whipper Snapper invites you to look closely. A boxy green car straight from the 1980s, a map of the world, the cartoon character Olive Oyl, and an eclectic collection of other images cover the surface, offering new details to discover with every viewing. Its playful pink-and-black palette provides the backdrop for imagery chosen to make you think, remember, and smile.

And this is art meant to be used. Fill the pitcher with your drink of choice, gather some friends, and let Ibarra's wonderfully unexpected imagery become the start of a lively conversation.

Artist's Statement

I'm interested in elevating seemingly prosaic scenes and otherwise mundane objects with the aim of shedding light on socioeconomic disparities, thereby acknowledging where our intellectual and cultural developments thrive. My pots examine the arena of the commonplace by leaning into the familiar. Iconographic drawing on pottery is nothing new. Most folks might argue that pots have an inherent need for ornamentation. Drawings have the ability to both fill this role as well as transcend ornamentation all together. This is a lot to ask of any drawing or pot for that matter, but I am increasingly interested in this departure. My drawings, often allusions from North American pop culture, are meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. The pantry references in my portfolio allude to growth, family, and valuing the meals and objects we live with and work for. These pieces offer a recollection on a common narrative. One that speaks to a culture of "getting by." These drawings dress up modestly glazed stoneware and terracotta tableware. In turn the pots become placeholders for commemorative china in a lower to middle class cabinet.

Artist Biography

Jeremiah Ibarra is a multidisciplinary artist native to San Angelo Texas, a city built on a bed of caliche along the Concho River. In 2014, He earned an MFA from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where he studied under Louis Katz and Amber Scoon. Jeremiah has been invited to participate in a number of artist residencies, which include the Chautauqua School of Art, New Harmony Clay Project, 100 West Corsicana, and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. Exhibitions include: The 20th San Angelo National Ceramics Competition at SAMFA, Clay National XVII - The Autobiography of the Object at Carbondale Clay Center, and the 31st Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National in Lancaster, PA.

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Textured Oil Can

Dehmie Demlow

Midrange ceramics, red clay, glazes, stained terra sigillata, washes, rubber, and wire stoppers.

13 in H x 7 in x 2 in

Dehmie Dehmlow's Textured Oil Can is a functional work of art guaranteed to turn your next dinner party into an exhibition. With its generous handle and dramatically elongated spout, even a simple pour of olive oil becomes a moment of performance.

Both playful and beautifully tactile, Textured Oil Can transforms an everyday ritual into something memorable-an object made to be admired, handled, used, and shared.

Artist Statement

My work is empowered by intuition and imagination and is based in storytelling. I build sculptures and pottery using a strong compositional and formal sensibility as my guide. My practice as an interdisciplinary artist making modular sculpture engages in thought processes that deploy forms of reclamation. My assemblages act as declarations of value as the discarded and salvaged materials, and objects I collect, are used to create and construct an imagined, collaborative, whole composed of desperate parts. Similarly, I make my pots as wholistic compositions that playfully navigate and push the parameters of existing as vessels or pottery. At each layer in the process I give a piece what I feel it needs, and that series of decisions accumulate into a composition, telling that pot's story. With a focus on slab building and layered surfaces, I create depth in my work through texture and color. My work becomes animated and joyful through the compilation of saturated and muted colors, abstraction, crisp and hazy lines, and exaggerations like an extra loopy handle that seems unnecessary while so vital. Excess becomes just right, quietly there becomes vast, and silly becomes beautiful.

Artist Biography

Dehmie Dehmlow grew up in Denver, Colorado. While primarily making pottery, she maintains a versatile practice in ceramics, sculpture, textiles and other mixed medias, telling stories using layers of texture, color and text. She has been teaching ceramics and sculpture since 2019. In addition to ceramics, Dehmie's background is in caregiving for elderly and adults with disabilities. She earned her BA in Ceramics and Pre-Medical Sciences from Colorado State University. Dehmie was a ceramics intern at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado before she was selected as the 2019 Salad Days Artist in Residence at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Maine. Dehmie then completed a Post-Baccalaureate program at Louisiana State University. She received her MFA from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022 and then completed a ceramics residency at Pratt Munson in Utica, New York. After Utica, Dehmie was the Ceramic Artist in Residence at Lawrence Arts Center in Kansas for a year. Dehmie moved to Philadelphia, PA in the summer of 2025 where she is a resident and teaches ceramics classes at The Clay Studio. Dehmie enjoys being outside with her dog, Hadlee, and observing the world and people around her. Her work is shown and sold in galleries

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Superalimento del Futuro

Adrian Gomez

Earthenware

Dimensions Vary

Superalimento del Futuro-Super Food of the Future-is Adrian Gomez's sculptural meditation on nature, culture, resilience, and identity.

In this work, an animal-faced vessel is juxtaposed with a nopal, or cactus pad-a plant valued for its nutritional properties and extraordinary ability to thrive in harsh desert environments. Gomez uses the nopal as both subject and symbol, inviting connections between the plant's resilience and the perseverance of Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Beautiful yet layered with meaning, Superalimento del Futuro asks viewers to consider ideas of survival, adaptation, cultural continuity, and hope. Adding this powerful sculpture to your collection brings not only a compelling work of contemporary ceramic art, but an important and enduring conversation.

Artist Statement

Distance from family, home, and community has prompted a further study into the histories determining my identity. From the perspective of a first-generation Mexican-Guatemalan maker, my work describes what it means to preserve and mourn customs obscured by borders. The use of specific culturally significant motifs, replicated but often altered, portrays archival memory of personal and recorded Latino history. In honoring the moments fundamental to my cultural identity, I can process the limited access to the traditions practiced by my family for generations. The intent to make is sustained by my urgency to represent and understand the cyclical nature life follows when obscured by borders.

Researching pre-Colombian histories, I realized these deeply personal relationships were universal and that I could, in fact, have an audience. Connecting with the long tradition of ceramics in the Americas I began using red clay to maintain that historical throughline. Making work that embodies the notion of being stuck between culture and place is essential because it gives a point of entry to many with similar lived experiences. In these challenging political times, I realized encountering one of my works can be the representation and connection people need. Recently, I've been diving into how new cultural practices were introduced to the Indigenous cultures of the Americas. My sculptures now appear as snapshots of perceived realities arising from meshing information together.

Artist Biography

Adrian Gomez is an interdisciplinary artist who examines the intricacies of being a first-generation American. He received his BFA at the University of Washington (2018) in Ceramics through the 3D4M program. He continued his education at Tyler School of Art (2019) in their post-bacc program and participated in a two-year residency at Pottery Northwest (2022) in Seattle. He has shown work throughout the country, most notably at NCECA, The Clay Studio, and the Mexican Consulate in Seattle. He has participated in various museum shows across the United States. Recently finishing his MFA at the University of South Florida, he is working towards expanding his practice through the combination of clay and the use of new processes in metals, sound, and video.

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Bibendum Tile, 2026

Micah Lewis-van Sweezie

Wood-fired stoneware.

10 in x 5.5 in x 2 in

Makers Stamp

The Michelin Man tile is a marker of the importance of material research and social activism embraced by Sweezie and many other ceramic artists today and over the last 150 years. The wall hanging tile with the Michelin Man in relief has a subtle green speckle glaze.

Micah Lewis-van Sweezie has done extensive research on the history of Michelin in Vietnam in relation to her Vietnamese cultural heritage. She travelled to Vietnam for a ceramic art residency, where she expanded her practice and learned from the talented artists and craftspeople she worked with there. In her artistic practice Sweezie examines the Michelin Man, one of the oldest and most famous brand mascots in the world. The smiling, puffy figure exudes a non-threatening charm that masks the damage done in Vietnam by the corporation and the French colonization that allowed it to do so.

Artist Biography

Micah Lewis-Văn Sweezie is a ceramic artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is shaped and influenced by dichotomous elements of culture and craft from her upbringing in both Vietnam and America. She earned her BFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2022 focused in ceramics and sculpture. Micah self-conducted a study abroad to Vietnam in 2023 to research ancient and contemporary forms of Vietnamese ceramic production - this research trip was supported in part by the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship. Micah's work has been exhibited in group and solo shows nationally including Eutectic Gallery, Baltimore Clayworks, and the NCECA Annual Exhibition. She's also received various grants and fellowships including the NCECA Multicultural fellowship and the Artaxis x Haystack fellowship. Micah is also recognized as a 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellow and dually, a 2025 Northern Indiana Clay Alliance Emerging Artist.

Artist Statement

Sweezie produces ceramic and sculptural works to investigate themes of labor, memory, globalization, and material history. Her practice is heavily informed by historical research and is often inspired by revolutionary events and personal ancestral histories. Correlations between human intervention and industrial production are the crux of her work. These correlations broaden realities of understanding around our physical world, product origins, and our relationship to industrialized material. Sweezie's forms are posed as recognizable and minimal to reflect the origins of the forms while simultaneously contrasting themselves through alternative mediums and processes. Sweezie utilizes molded and cast forms frequently to question values tied to reproduction and authorship within industry. Material value is also central to her practice. Sweezie employs an assortment of mediums such as porcelain, latex, bronze, rubber, rice paper, cast plastic, and gold gilding. Through these materials, she aspires to reposition suppressed relational histories within global and institutional perceptions.

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Daily Affirmations, 2026

Stepanka Summer

(formerly Stepanka Horalkova)

Porcelain

3.5 in H x 4.5 in x 3 in each

Fill your days with positive reminders delivered to you in beautiful ceramic works. This collection of Mugs by Stepanka Summer has a motivating collection of daily affirmations with sayings like "Hope Anyway" and "You're Stardust".

These cups are made in Summer's usual artist style with thin porcelain that has engraved details, often words, which allows for light to travel through. They also have the fun detail of being made with Summer's most recent font exploration and subtle glaze details which add pops of color around the form.

Artist Biography

Stepanka Summer was born in the Czech republic and moved to New York City in 1995. She is a self-taught ceramic artist, focusing her attention on working with porcelain. Her work is all handbuildt, mainly using slabs, and arrange from standing vessels, standing abstract forms, wall pillows forms, wall sculptures and spheres. She employs earthy oxides, stains, glazes and wood ash to compliment the natural forms, shapes and textures to the clay. Stepanka manages the Ceramic Studio at Columbia University Teacher's College.

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Dream Fossil, Sculpture of the Rescue Angel, 2012

Gilda Oliver

Ceramic

24 in H x 24 in x 24 in

This charming early work by Glinda Oliver offers a rare glimpse into the beginnings of her artistic career, when she first explored clay as a creative medium before becoming internationally recognized for her paintings and mosaic installations. Even in this early ceramic piece, viewers can recognize the hallmarks of her celebrated style: a soft pastel palette, references to the natural world, and a captivating interplay of representational and abstract forms.

Both historically significant and visually engaging, this work provides collectors with a unique opportunity to own an early expression of an artist whose distinctive voice would go on to shape a remarkable career.

Artist Statement

My personal work also tries to connect to this spiritual beauty. I am influenced by the religious art of the Renaissance and other traditions of spiritual art, particularly depictions of angels and saints. My personal work and community artwork tries to connect people to an interior beauty which often goes unrecognized and unappreciated.

Artist Biography

Gilda Oliver is a contemporary American artist working in large community installations, murals, tiled wall mosaics, acrylic on canvas, and ceramics.

She creates pop art-style animal portraits using outlines, free from patterns, superstructures, soft edges, and often pastel colour motifs. Gilda uses full backgrounds to place the art's subject-typically an animal-into it's own universe of design and colour.

For 25 years, Gilda's fine art has been a lasting vehicle of social connection, healing and the interconnection between humanity and nature. Throughout her artist career, she has worked with communities to design art pieces for permanent display in places such as children's museums, hospitals and public spaces in addition to fine art gallery exhibitions. This has garnered her considerable attention from international art investment firms who have valued her pieces at over $1 million and see her work as aligning with corporate social responsibility and sustainable luxury.

Oliver is an internationally recognized artist and cultural animator whose projects integrate children and adults for community building. Her recent solo show "The Path" at Nina Torres in Miami continues her journey in art - drawing inspiration from Kandinsky and Mondrian. Abstraction recapitulates multiculturalism. The Nina Torres gallery promotes cultural exchange through contemporary art exhibitions. For Gilda Oliver's review in July/August 2014 issue -International Alternatives Investor's Review Magazine follow link . Fine Arts Magazine - 2014 issue

Gilda Oliver is represented by Nina Torres Gallery -Miami, Loveed Fine Arts- New York & 25Kadr gallery-Moscow & other galleries.

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On The Move, 1982

William (Bill) Stewart (1941-2020)

Earthenware

24.5 in H x 5 in x 6 in

Bursting with color, movement, and imagination, this exuberant sculpture by William Stewart is a joyful celebration of creativity.

Layer upon layer of intricate forms, playful figures, and unexpected details come together in a dynamic vertical composition that rewards closer inspection from every angle.

Stewart's inventive approach transforms clay into a lively visual narrative, balancing whimsy with extraordinary craftsmanship. Bright glazes and richly textured surfaces create a sense of energy and discovery, inviting viewers to uncover new characters and stories with each glance. Whether displayed as the centerpiece of a contemporary collection or admired as a conversation-starting work of art, this captivating sculpture embodies the playful spirit and technical mastery that define William Stewart's distinctive artistic vision.

Artist Biography

Bill Stewart was born in Plattsburgh, NY. His work is held in public collections including the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery. He taught at SUNY Brockport for many years, and was a vibrant member of the art community in New York State.

Bill Stewart's sculpture explores diverse concepts, such as non-linear chronology, body decoration and costumes, folk and native art. He combined components in his work, to produce "an eccentric energy," creating edgy, "off-center, weird, absurd, and irreverent" works of art--as he stated. Stewart's sculpture draws from both popular and ancient cultures. They also reflect the artist's immersion in some of the most interesting, if lesser known, art historical movements of the twentieth-century. The brilliant palettes and expressive, distorted forms of Karel Appel and the CoBrA group come to mind. And, certainly, they share a common interest in folk art, children's art and ancient art, as well as the "Funk Art" movement of the 1960s-humorous, pop-oriented and irreverent in spirit.

This piece was donated by the Grainer Family.

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Pair of Pitchers, c. 2000

Suze Lindsay

Ceramic

5 in H x 1.5 in x 5.25 in

This elegant set of handcrafted ceramic vessels and tray brings a quiet, organic beauty to the rituals of everyday life. Perfect for serving oil and vinegar at your next dinner party, the set transforms a simple table essential into an artful experience.

Soft, neutral tones celebrate the natural character of clay, while the thoughtfully balanced forms make the set equally beautiful in use or on display. Beyond the dining table, the vessels can be enjoyed as sculptural objects on a bookshelf or desk, inviting you to find your own purpose for them.

Both sculptural and practical, this versatile set is a refined example of contemporary ceramics that seamlessly blends art, function, and daily life.

Artist Statement

I focus on creating altered pottery forms that are good companions for daily use. An integral part of my work includes surface decoration to enhance pottery form by patterning and painting slips and glazes for salt firing. I make things to entice the user to take pleasure in everyday activities, inviting participation, promoting hospitality.

When I make pots, I subtly suggest figure and character by manipulating forms after they are thrown. I roll out clay slabs and use them to hand build elements that are then assembled with thrown parts to create pieces that have a personality of their own. I like to experiment and play with form and proportion on functional ware by altering and stacking parts. When I decorate the surfaces with slips and glazes, I am very interested in making the marks and designs enhance the volume of each pot. I am inspired when I see historical pots from many cultures, including Japan, Crete, Chile, China, and native North American. The pots I respond to may be a quirky Pre-Columbian animal ewer, or the sophisticated designs of a Mimbres bowl.

Artist Biography

Suze Lindsay is a studio potter living and working in the western NC Mountains. Her ceramic studies include a two-year fellowship from 1987-89 at Penland School of Crafts as a "core student", followed by earning an MFA from Louisiana State University. She also holds two educational degrees, one in special education and the other in Montessori teaching theory. In 1996, after completing three years as an artist in residence at Penland, Suze and her husband, potter Kent McLaughlin, set up and began potting in their studio in Bakersville, NC under the name Fork Mountain Pottery.

Suze has taught at numerous art centers and universities and has been a presenter at various ceramic conferences across the United States.Her work is in the permanent collections of George E Ohr Museum in Biloxi MS; Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei, Taiwan; San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX; Islip Art Museum, NY; Kennedy Museum of American Art, Athens OH; Greenwich House Pottery, NY; Lancaster Museum of Art, East Petersburg, PA; Rocky Mount Arts Center, Raleigh, NC, and the North Carolina Potter Center, Seagrove, NC.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Grove Collection, 2026

Pandemic Design Studios

porcelain, glaze

the size varies as piece is composed of vases which can be arranged in many ways

The Grove Collection provides you with a new architectural vocabulary for building with flowers, branches, and foliage. Rather than selecting individual decorative objects, you are able to construct immersive botanical environments that become part of your space itself.

Whether composed from a single sculptural form or hundreds of proportional forms, the Grove Collection feels complete at every scale, rather than simply larger, and allows botanical expression to be considered with the same intentionality as the space that surrounds it. The result is not simply a floral arrangement, but a landscape that becomes a focal point and a part of the identity of the space itself.

Studio History

Pandemic Design Studio, established in 2017 by former architect, David Rozek is a multidisciplinary design and production studio specializing in ultra modern ceramic forms, industrial inspired lighting sculptures, and organic modern furniture. In ceramics, David's design vision has focused on explorations in modular modern forms, inspired and derived from nature, that together create living installations on both vertical and horizontal surfaces.

Pandemic Design Studio is an award winning, published, and patent holding independent studio based outside of Philadelphia and is proud to serve a domestic and international clientele.

Donated by David Rozek and Pandemic Design Studio.

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Split Floral Plates, 2020

Brenda Quinn

Porcelain

1.5 in H x 10.5 in x 10.5 in

Please note one plate has a small knick on the back of one of the two plates.

Elegant symmetry and a beautifully curated color palette make this handcrafted dish set a stunning addition to any table. Created by Quinn, each slab-built form is enhanced by intricate surface patterns achieved through layered glazing techniques, adding remarkable depth and visual richness.

Perfect for spring entertaining or everyday use, these functional works of art bring together refined craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Enjoy these wonderful plates with fine dining material donated by CORK, giving you a "Taste of France". Included in this giftbox is:

• Domaine de la Patience Merlot
• Anne Pichon Sauvage Viognier
• Meurisse Chocolate Milk Chocolate & Pretzel Bar
• Edmund Fallot Dijon Mustard Pail
• Conserverie Ferrigno Ratatouille Sardines
• MMaison Marc Extra Fine Cornichons
• Small Gold Spreader
• Small Gold Fork

Whether serving a special meal or displayed on their own, this striking set is sure to elevate any gathering with its timeless beauty.

Artist Statement

My work is inspired by and is a nod to the broad history of decorative arts. Developing forms that have a utilitarian function and a dynamic design is like trying to solve an evolving equation with an elusive answer. For me, this equation becomes more complicated with the addition of an ever-expanding range of functions, techniques, and glazes to my working vocabulary. The chase for a solution is engaging; so much so that I'm often interjecting more variables into my process in order to keep the chase going.

Artist Biography

Brenda Quinn was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Her interest in ceramics started during her sophomore year of college, however her fondness for functional and domestic objects goes back to her childhood.

She attended Tyler School of Art, Temple University, where she received a BFA in ceramics. Quinn then went on to receive her MFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She currently lives, works, and teaches in New York. She maintains a studio in her home where she lives with her husband, two daughters, three cats and two guinea pigs.

Quinn works with porcelain, combining hand-building and wheel-throwing to create objects that strike a balance between utility and aesthetics. Most of her pots are functional and intended to be used. Each pot is unique, and she is constantly exploring new forms and glazes.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Tea for One, (1996-97)

Susan Beiner

Glazed Ceramic

Cup & Dish: 4 in H x 7 in x 8 in
Teapot: 12.5 in H x 9 in x 8 in

Bring the tranquility of the coast to your tea table with this enchanting pairing by Susan Beiner. Featuring Memory Box Teapot (1996) and Winged Memory (1997), these two works were not originally created as a set, yet together they evoke a nostalgic underwater world filled with subtle references to shells, sea life, and treasured coastal memories.

Rendered in a cool palette and richly textured surfaces, these early works of Beiner blend functional form with sculptural beauty. Whether displayed as works of art or enjoyed during a quiet afternoon tea, this harmonious duo offers a timeless celebration of nature, memory, and imagination.

Artist Statement

Nature is a persistent wonder which constantly shifts its gaze.

I am inspired by multiplicity in plants; their repeating patterns, variations, shapes, sizes and growth cycles. My plant forms are protruded elements combined with fragmentation, layering, and juxtaposition that define the multiples and create density. I envision how the smallest elements in nature interconnect, creating an ecosystem.

I raise concern about the effects on the fragile ecosystem of humans, animals and plants. My objective is to create an ecological balance between our connection to nature and culture through the materiality of modern craft, as we design an interior landscape from our surroundings.

I utilize assemblage to create sculptural forms that layer upon each other designing modular units to form installation. Through this investigation, I discover new form associations to mount more complex sculptures. I reassemble shapes, attributes, qualities and quantities suggesting an essential connection to our physical space. My interest is fueled by chaos. Intense brilliant color reveals an obviously artificial man-made reality. I appropriate shapes in landscape, merging what is real to what has become artificial. So as a viewer we are challenged by our own perceptions of what is authentic and what is not.

Artist Biography

A Resident Artist at The Clay Studio from 2005 to 2006, Susan Beiner is a ceramic artist and professor in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. Her sculptural installations expose concern about the effects on the fragile ecosystem of humans, animals, and plants. Her objective is to create an ecological balance between the conflict that has arisen between nature and culture.

Beiner has exhibited nationally and internationally, has received numerous awards and residencies and her work is included in diverse and prestigious collections such as The Yixing Ceramics Museum, China, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA, Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Korea, Princessehof Keramiek Museum, Netherlands, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan, and the Long Beach Museum of Art, CA to name a few.

She was named Joan R. Lincoln Endowed Professor in Ceramics in 2017. This professorship was created by the Lincoln family in honor of Joan Lincoln's lifelong passion for making, collecting, and supporting ceramic arts.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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When Toads Fly

Frank Fleming (1940-2018)

Porcelain

18.5 in x 8 in x 7 in

Step into a world of imagination with this whimsical sculpture by Frank Fleming. Renowned for his enchanting creations that blend folklore, fantasy, and the animal kingdom, Fleming invites viewers to rediscover the wonder of childhood through his playful ceramic forms.

Featuring a friendly flying toad as its unlikely hero, this delightful work is full of personality, movement, and charm. Whether displayed indoors or nestled in a garden, it brings a touch of magic, storytelling, and joy to any space-an irresistible piece for collectors and dreamers alike.

Artist Biography

Frank Fleming graduated from Florence State College in 1962 and would go on to earn his Master of Arts (1969) and Master of Fine Arts (1973) from the University of Alabama. Unable to find a teaching job, Fleming put aside his teaching ambitions and moved to Birmingham where he began making functional and decorative pottery, continuing his sculptural work on the side.

Fleming preferred to work in porcelain, particularly Tennessee porcelain, but also tried bronze casting-like his work surrounding the Till Fountain. His ceramic pieces were entirely hand-built, and he rarely created conceptual sketches of his works before he began, preferring to watch his compositions evolve as he worked. During his time at Florence State College, Fleming used paints and colored glazes but switched to clear glaze over plain white porcelain when he began to produce pottery professionally. Eventually, he came to leave the surfaces of his works unglazed to make surface textures more palpable and immediate to the viewer.

Fleming's sculptures are notable for their extreme veracity of detail which makes them highly realistic. The disjunction between the careful detailing and colorless surfaces of his works, however, lends a bizarre, and many times surreal, atmosphere to his pieces. Most of Fleming's works center around anthropomorphized animals, human-animal hybrids, and other organic hybrids. Humor is a common undercurrent in many of his works which is sometimes ironic, sometimes whimsical, and sometimes directed at Southern culture.

In addition to being an outstanding and creative talent in our state, Frank Fleming was a good friend to the Museum. He consistently supported the Museum's Art Auction fundraisers, and he was generous with his time in working with our educators and docents. In addition to the Till Fountain, the Museum holds four other works by Fleming, including two porcelain sculptures that demonstrate his amazing facility in the use of clay.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Black Landscape Vessel, 2022

Ani Dagmar Kasten

Stoneware

4.5 in H x 9 in D

Blending contemporary design with a touch of Philadelphia nostalgia, this multifunctional vessel by Ani Kasten pays tribute to the city's iconic tire planters through the expressive use of clay. Celebrating both the material's natural beauty and the ingenuity of everyday urban landscapes, Kasten transforms a familiar form into an elegant work of art.

Equally at home holding fresh flowers, seasonal fruit, or standing alone as a sculptural centerpiece, this versatile vessel brings creativity, craftsmanship, and a distinctly Philadelphia spirit to any space.

Artist Statement

I am influenced by natural and geological imagery, and my forms and compositions explore the meeting point of phenomena occurring in nature and objects wrought by the human hand. My pieces highlight unadulterated clay in conversation with crafted attention to form and surface detail. My intent is to investigate relationships, and the nature of change-our actions as human beings as we form relationships, make, build, and construct the world around us, in harmony or disharmony with the natural processes of eroding, cracking, shifting, and changing shape. My pieces possess a 'hereditary memory' in their obscured reference to utilitarian vessels and other artifacts that once had a purpose now eroded by time. My practice is about creating positivity from the surrounding landscape of unavoidable brokenness. In my process I seek the refined within the rough, the beauty in ugliness-forms imbued with extreme fragility, yet exhibiting inner strength, manifesting the contradictions and opposing forces we find in ourselves throughout the human experience.

Artist Biography

Kasten began her career in ceramics in 2000, apprenticing with British ceramist Rupert Spira. After a year in England gaining a foundation in functional studio pottery, Kasten traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, where she spent four years as head of a project for developing a stoneware ceramic facility for artisan potters in the village of Thimi, Nepal. Kasten greatly benefitted from sharing techniques and materials with artisans from various cultures, building a unique artistic vocabulary that informs her own ceramic work.

In 2005, Kasten established her studio in Oakland, CA, where she shifted from making functional studio ceramics to also creating sculptural ceramics. In 2007 Kasten became an Artist in Residence at Red Dirt Studio in Mt. Rainier, MD, where she worked closely with artist Margaret Boozer. Here, she further developed her distinct combination of sculpture and vessel work, showing her ceramics nationally at galleries and fine craft shows. Kasten's storefront studio and gallery, Artbar, was a draw for visitors and collectors, and became one of the neighborhood's creative hotspots. In 2016, Kasten moved to the St. Croix River Valley, northeast of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she is currently a host potter for the historic St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. Kasten lives in Shafer, Minnesota, on a small farm with a house and barn where her studio and showroom are located. She continues to exhibit her work nationally and internationally in galleries and fine craft exhibitions.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Defence - Brass Knuckle, 2005

Harin Lee

Porcelain

12.5 in H x 4 in x 5.75 in

Delicate, contemplative, and exquisitely crafted, this porcelain sculpture by Harin Lee captures a quiet moment of reflection. With an expressive gaze and graceful pose, the figure draws viewers into an intimate narrative, while Lee's remarkable attention to detail brings warmth and humanity to the work.

The pristine porcelain contrasts beautifully with the richly textured, metallic base, creating a compelling dialogue between softness and strength, refinement and resilience. Every carefully sculpted detail-from the subtle facial expression to the intricate textures below-demonstrates Lee's extraordinary technical skill and poetic approach to figurative ceramics.

Both elegant and emotionally resonant, this captivating sculpture is a timeless work of contemporary ceramic art that invites contemplation and rewards close viewing.

Artist Statement

Lee Harin explains that his work attempts to explore the subversive nature of desire particularly among those people who assume an ambiguous gender identity. It is not immediately apparent if the figures are male or female, Asian or Western. This blurring of distinctions is a purposeful commentary on the roles people assume in their interpersonal relationships. He also feels that his own ambiguity as an artist who has split his time between two cultures and split his creative efforts between different media has allowed him more sympathy with people who choose unorthodox paths.

Artist Biography

Following the correct path has always been hard for Lee Harin. Although he grew up in the sympathetic environment of a family of artists, he struggled with the restrictive art teaching in the Korean school system. His struggles culminated with his failure in the rigid art school entrance examination leaving him with a bruised ego and a determination to succeed by another path. He found this successful pathway at the State University of New York at New Paltz where he first encountered clay. Switching from his previous interest in painting he applied himself to mastering the techniques of throwing and hand building. Although he feels that his pottery is still subpar, he has obviously gained a mastery of the subtleties of expressing himself in sculpture. After spending two years at Alfred University and getting his MFA he returned to Korea to do his compulsory military service which he said was much easier than the intense period of work at Alfred.

His transPacific journeys resumed when he went to Philadelphia where he spent two years working at the Clay Studio. The body of work which resulted from his stay in Philadelphia was a distillation of his thoughts regarding the transgressive roles that people assume in their relations with others.

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Whiskey Pup Sips, 2026

Ilona Romule

Porcelain

3.25 in x 2.5 in x 2.5 in

Rye donated by Lock Stock & Barrel Rye Whiskey

This lot cannot be shipped.

It's difficult to say which is the star of this lot: a delightful pair of cups by ceramic artist Ilona Romule or an exceptional bottle of Lock Stock & Barrel Rye Whiskey.

Romule's beautifully crafted cups feature a pair of charming Dalmatian pups rendered in exquisite detail, bringing personality and playfulness to every sip. Paired with them is an elegant bottle of aged rye from Lock Stock & Barrel, recognized as Best of Class Rye Whiskey at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Artful, spirited, and just a little unexpected, this pairing has everything you need to elevate your next pour. Add the rye, raise a Dalmatian, and enjoy art exactly as it was meant to be experienced.

Lock Stock & Barrel Rye Whiskey:

A Straight Rye Whiskey aged 21 years in new charred American Oak barrels. This is a 100% rye grain, distilled and barrelled in May 1999. Nose: Warm spiced date cake, treacle toffee, orange peel, baking spicesPalate: Full bodied with luxurious viscosity, treacle, caramel, coconut, cocoa, cinnamon, and anise

Artist Statement

"All my artworks are figurative and the figure is at times close to Desire itself. The figure-matrix, like the unconscious as described by Freud, acts like a language of Desire. Desire as a primary mode for communication expands the possibilities of figurative art with a bold, expressionistic style. Love, lust, and desire - both spiritual and physical - are among the dominant themes in the thematic of Desire in my female, male sculptures, and mythological creatures.

One provocative aspect of these works is not their imagery, per se, but the manner by which many of them take intimate experiences and translate them into public expression. Desire is a complex human emotion, direct emotion, raw feeling… But Art is not a mirror…"

Artist Biography

Graduated from Latvian Art Academy in 1985 (MFA in Ceramics). Member of IAC since 2001. Freelance artist, working with high temperature porcelain. Ilona has held 20 solo shows, over 50 International Juried Competitions, over 30 group exhibitions, winning 8 awards, including: "Mino'95" Competition in Japan; 6th Taiwan Golden Ceramics Awards in 2000; Icheon World Ceramic Biennale in 2001, 2003; "6th international Small teapot Competition", Grand Prize, Pomona Ceramics Museum, CA, USA in 2014.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

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Brave

Nancy Jurs

stoneware, glazed with a copper patina.

23.75 in x 10 in x 10

Inscribed Signature

Blending the organic beauty of nature with the strength of architectural form, this sculptural work transforms the familiar column into an elegant abstract composition. Its graceful bends, crisp edges, and flowing curves create a dynamic sense of movement while maintaining a powerful feeling of stability and balance.

At once structural and expressive, this striking sculpture invites viewers to explore the relationship between the built and natural worlds. Whether displayed as a standalone statement piece or incorporated into a larger collection, it offers a refined balance of strength, form, and artistry.

Artist Biography

Trained in traditional pottery at Rochester, NY's School for American Craftsmen, Nancy Jurs spent the first fifteen years of her artistic career creating functional raku works. In 1980, however, she began to expand the parameters of her ceramics, creating functional wall shelves, or "wall pouches," that suggested butterflies or female forms. These pieces were soon replaced by "blouses" that Jurs considered emblematic of women's bodies and spirit.

The relationship of the clothing-inspired pieces to Greek and Roman draped sculpture led Jurs to experiment with larger-than-life-size sculptural forms that suggest goddesses, women, and animals. The emotionally expressive clay shapes are hand-built or wheel-thrown and are glazed, painted with acrylics, or finished with any combination of techniques that appeals to the artist. "Where all my work was once a many-faceted female expression," Jurs has said, "it now appears to be much more about women in emergence-a growing out, rising above, or hatching from other forms and constraints."

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Paper Clay Vessel

Jacquelyn "Jackie" Rice

29 in x 23 in x 3 in

Written Signature

This distinctive paper clay vessel invites closer inspection with its rich interplay of texture, color, and form. Intricately woven-like surfaces emerge and disappear beneath softly flowing layers of variegated glazes, creating a captivating visual rhythm that rewards every glance.

Balancing delicacy with sculptural presence, the piece celebrates the expressive possibilities of paper clay while offering a harmonious blend of tactile detail and painterly color. Whether displayed as a sculptural centerpiece or admired as part of a collection, it brings warmth, movement, and contemporary elegance to any space.

Artist Biography

Jacquelyn "Jackie" Rice was born in 1941 in Orange, CA. She received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Washington, Seattle, studying under Howard Kottler. Rice was a longtime faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she first taught ceramics and later became head of the Ceramics department and dean of Fine Arts. Her work is held in the collection of the American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Desserted

David Regan

Porcelain

10 in H x 12 in x 5 in

Inscribed Signature

Mysterious and captivating, this handcrafted teapot by David Regan transforms a functional vessel into a dreamlike work of art.

A striking sgraffito design-carefully carved through a rich black glaze to reveal the luminous porcelain beneath-creates a dramatic contrast that draws the viewer into an imagined world.

The surface tells a fantastical story: a solitary figure bathed in moonlight, watched over by two birds and framed by flowing forms that evoke waves, sand, or an otherworldly landscape. Rich in symbolism and open to interpretation, the composition invites viewers to create their own narrative with every glance. Both sculptural and functional, this remarkable teapot brings a sense of wonder to the ritual of tea, making it an unforgettable addition to any collection.

Artist Statement

To put it another way, I don't look to the external world to find subject matter. There are no "things" that I observe and then abstract from. My subject matter is the moment-to-moment engagement between myself, and the marks I make on the canvas-painting as an activity of being present.

Artist Biography

Montana-based ceramist David Regan (b. 1964) began working professionally in 1991 and has quickly become well recognized for his distinctive vessels. Regan's porcelain animal forms, covered in intricate sgraffito drawings, invite close observation. Although they appear to be decorative and sculptural, many of them are actually entirely functional and this is part of their complexity. Addressing themes of human and animal consumption and the natural cycles of life and death through his illustrations, Regan links these ideas to the function of traditional serving containers like soup tureens and casseroles.

This piece was donated by the Family of Marge and Phil Kalodner.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Already thinking about how to stay warm when winter arrives? This spirited pairing from Philadelphia Distilling and Michael Biello has you covered.

Enjoy a selection of acclaimed Bluecoat Gins, handcrafted in Philadelphia and featuring everything from earthy juniper notes to hints of caramel. The package also includes a sampling of additional spirits, mixers, and Philadelphia Distilling swag-everything you need to elevate your home bar.

Of course, a great cocktail deserves an equally memorable glass. Two whimsical sipping cups by Michael Biello, created in his distinctive and timeless style, make every pour a little more artful.

Great spirits, great art, and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. This is one winter warm-up you'll look forward to.

Artist Statement

Through art we heal.

Art has always been my path to finding center in a sometimes-unsettling-ever-changing world. Art is my sanctuary, where I can feel safe in the midst of the madness.

The creative process leads me home.

Artist Biography

Michael Biello is an interdisciplinary artist who draws inspiration from his Italian American roots, his passion for theatre, and his longtime commitment to LGBTQ+ cultural activism.

Biello is one of the artisan/makers who helped create the revivals of Old City Philadelphia in the 1970's and Noho New York in the 1990's. Biello's work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous private collections including many in the entertainment industry. In addition to his work in visual art, Biello has a long history as a performance artist and lyricist in collaboration with his life-partner, composer Dan Martin.

Biello is grateful for the inspiration and encouragement he has received from many teachers and mentors including ceramicist William Daley, art historian Helen Drutt, composer/lyricist Maury Yeston, and pleasure activist Annie Sprinkle.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

A Week Away in Traverse City, Michigan!

In the summer of 2027, enjoy six days in this welcoming condominium that faces Grand Traverse Bay in downtown Traverse City! Guests (up to 4) can rest and relax in this 2-bed, 2.5 bath condominium with dedicated parking.

Sip your favorite beverage on the private balconies as you wake up with the sun and watch boats pass by in the Bay. Just a few minutes away from breweries, wineries, beach, golf, biking and running paths - this is a wonderful escape to the best little city that exists in Michigan!

Traverse City is the best little city in Michigan!

Beyond access to nature there are lots of things to do and see in the city and immediate surroundings including:

• Dennos Art Center features a significant Inuit Art Collection.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts features ongoing public performances of music, dance, and theater
• Sleeping Bear Dunes - Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450' above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake.
• Mission Peninsula is a day-trip or more. you can visit the Mission Point lighthouse, wineries, and the Brys Estate Secret Garden.
• Leeland - Fishtown - Leland is a picturesque, coastal small town surrounded by incredible natural beauty, excellent amenities and charm!
• Sutton's Bay - features wine country tours, nature ride trails and a historic shopping district.
• Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor - Michigan is known for its cherry orchards. If looking for something related to this state fruit, Cherry Republic is a must stop.
• Music House Museum - Step back in time and experience a rare collection of antique automated musical instruments.

Front Street in Traverse City features boutiques, restaurants, and more! Be sure to try -

• Little Fleet food trucks
• Murdicks Fudge - chocolate cherry is the best!
• Sleder's - oldest continuously operating restaurant in Michigan
• Moomers Ice Cream - because all vacations should include great ice cream.

These are a few examples of things to do in Traverse City and beyond. Win this item to create your own adventure.

Dates will be agreed upon by winner and condominium owners.

Here's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for book lovers and aspiring literary legends! The winning bidder will have a character in an upcoming novel named in their honor by Mary V. Slinkard, author of Her Final Gamble. Whether it's your own name, the name of a loved one, or someone you wish to celebrate, you'll become a permanent part of a published work of fiction.

Mary will work with the winning bidder to incorporate the chosen name into a character in a future book (subject to the creative needs of the story). It's a unique literary keepsake and an unforgettable experience that will live on in print for years to come.

Mary's book, Her Final Gamble, is presently optioned by a major Hollywood studio for TV or Film production. Also included is a signed copy of Her Final Gamble.

Please note: Character role, personality, and storyline are at the sole discretion of the author. The winning bidder may provide a name, but the author retains full creative control over the work.

Don't miss your chance to have a book character named after yourself or a loved one! See yourself in the excitement of the plot or surprise your favorite book lover with this once in a lifetime chance to have a character named after them!

Also included for your reading pleasure:

• An autographed copy of Mary's first book,
• A beautiful mug for your favorite beverage,
• A cup warmer so your drink stays the perfect temp while reading,
• A book light to keep reading way past your bedtime,
• A comfy blanket to keep you warm,
• A book mark for when you finally do fall asleep, and,
• Bookstore scented candle to keep the mood right.

About the Author

Mary Vassallo Slinkard, Esq's journey from the courtroom to the literary world is as compelling as the mysteries she writes. With over two decades as a successful commercial litigator, Mary honed her analytical skills and deep understanding of human nature - the perfect ingredients for crafting edge-of-your-seat suspense novels. Her debut, Her Final Gamble, is a masterful tale of death and deception, unraveling the hidden secrets of a high-society family in the Philadelphia suburbs. Spanning three decades of lies, betrayal, and intrigue, this riveting story keeps readers guessing until the very last page. But the story doesn't end there. Fans won't have to wait long for the sequel, as Mary's captivating protagonist, Jacqueline Stone, returns for another thrilling adventure that promises even more danger, drama, and intrigue. Mary Vassallo Slinkard is a fresh and fearless voice in the mystery genre, delivering stories that linger long after the final chapter.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Explore Philadelphia's performance art scene with tickets to three world-class organizations around the city.

Experience the best of Philadelphia's performing arts with an unforgettable season of live entertainment. This package includes tickets to exceptional performances at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Arden Theatre Company, The Philadelphia Ballet Company, and Brian Sanders, JUNK.

• TWO Tickets to URBAN SCUBA on October 7 or 8, 2026 at 7:00 pm at 300 Jefferson Street, Building 10- Unit B, Camden NJ, 08104.
• Two Tickets to a Philadelphia Orchestra Concert. The winner will choose from a selection of concerts. Valid for the 2026-27 Concert Season.
• Two tickets to any production at the Arden Theatre Company during their upcoming 2026/27 Fall & Winter Season.
• Four tickets to the Philadelphia Ballet's The Nutcracker, valid for any performance from December 4-31, 2026.

This is the perfect package for theater lovers, music enthusiasts, and families looking to celebrate the holiday season.

Roberto Lugo Studio Tour

Step inside the creative world of renowned artist Roberto Lugo-potter, social activist, spoken-word poet, and educator-with an exclusive private tour of his home and studio for up to four guests. Now working from the historic home and studio of celebrated ceramic artists Robert and Paula Winokur, Roberto will share insights into his artistic practice, inspirations, and current work in this intimate behind-the-scenes experience.

The winning bidder will coordinate the visit through The Clay Studio. The tour must be scheduled within three months of the auction.

Artist Statement

As an artist-a potter, painter, and performance artist-my work is a reflection of the diversity of my life experiences," says Roberto Lugo, who teaches ceramics. Roberto's life as an artist began in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he grew up painting graffiti on abandoned buildings, and has taken him as far as painting porcelain china in Hungary. He still calls himself a "ghetto potter," reflecting on his inner-city origins, but he equates ghetto with the word "resourceful." "I juxtapose porcelain with graffiti in the hopes that we can start to see how different cultural histories can work together."

Artist Biography

Roberto Lugo attended Kansas City Art Institute, earning his BA in 2012, and went on to the Penn State University School of Visual Arts to earn his MFA in 2014. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Art Education from Penn State, and is now a tenure track professor of ceramics at Marlboro College in Vermont. He was honored as an Emerging Artist by NCECA in 2015.

About Paula and Robert Winokur

Paula and Robert Winokur were two internationally acclaimed artists and educators, who contributed in shaping contemporary ceramics in Philadelphia. The pair met as students at Temple University learning under another renowned ceramist, Ruduolf Staffle, and spent decades working together as an artist pair. The two grew as giants within the ceramic community with Paula's phenomenal series of works documenting life cycles of icebergs under the harsh hand of climate change, and Robert's exploration of architectural forms with unique surface finishes.

Over the years they guided hundreds of students and artists over the years, working as professors at Temple University and Arcadia University. Each at the respective locations for over three decades while maintaining active solo careers.

The couple worked side by side in their shared studio in Horsham, Pennsylvania, famously divided down the middle by a partition wall. Lugo will be taking guest through this monumental space which he is currently working out of, allowing for an extraordinary moment of standing in a space of historical and contemporary ceramic excellence.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Clay Studio Private Party for Twelve!

Win a private party at The Clay Studio for up to 12 people! Our three-hour private event workshops offer either Intro to Wheel Throwing or Intro to Handbuilding. We provide an instructor to work with your group and supplies. Additionally, we will provide light refreshments - including beer and wine if appropriate - as part of this prize.

Have you ever wanted to try ceramics? Doesn't throwing on the wheel look like magic? Maybe you have a latent ceramic artist inside you and you need a chance to get back into the studio. Come to The Clay Studio with your friends and family for an unforgettable experience tapping into your creativity and giving them a chance to do the same! What a generous and fun opportunity to share this with 11 of your closest pals. Your teacher will meet you and your friends where they are and provide support and the skills to make something you're proud of.

Each participant keeps 1-2 pieces that they decorate with underglazes, and then we clear glaze and fire them after the workshop. We will package the work for pick up by the party host 2-4 weeks post-event.

Donated by The Clay Studio

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.

Forget popcorn and a soda-this is movie night, Fitler Club style! Gather up to 12 friends for a private screening in The Fitler Club of Philadelphia's screening room, complete with food and beverages that take movie snacks to the next level.

Choose your favorite film, settle in, and enjoy a night of great food, drinks, and even better company. Whether it's a cult classic, blockbuster, or guilty pleasure, this is one movie night worthy of the big screen.

Experience includes: Private screening room for up to 12 guests, food, and beverages.

Master Class with Teresa Chang

Enjoy a two-hour private throwing session with Teresa Chang, a longtime studio potter known for her hand-thrown, simple, and elegant dinnerware. Bring your questions and curiosity. Or bring a friend!

This personalized session is a rare opportunity to explore throwing, design and form, dimensional reproduction, or studio practice in general.

What Teresa says about her work:

As a practical ceramist who loves food, my passion for everyday tableware is natural. I credit many influences for my design sensibilities: early Korean and Japanese pottery, my architectural studies, and an appreciation for simplicity instilled by my mother. For me, there is something inherently beautiful about forms pared down to their structural essence. Thus, in my work there is no applied decoration, no excess in shape, mass, or profile. All work is made of porcelaneous clay thrown on the potter's wheel.

Donated by Teresa Chang

Enjoy delivered items from 12th Street Catering!

Wondering how we keep the food and drinks at Mud Ball perfectly matched for the evening? Find out yourself with a gift card generously donated by our caterer, 12th Street Catering, that can be used for items from the delivered meal menu for up to 10 guests. Good for your next party or to make the holidays a little easier! 12th Street can turn any gathering into an unforgettable celebration!

Bon Appetit!

About 12th Street

Exceptional catering might feel like magic, but's really just what happens when experience, care, and heart come together. From running a small stand in Reading Terminal Market 40 years ago to becoming Philadelphia's caterer, our story at 12th Street Catering isn't just about food. It's a story about how combining exceptional cuisine, setting, and service can turn moments into memories. We've served the Philadelphia region with pride and joy in equal measure over the past 4 decades, watching menus become meals and clients become friends. None of that is possible without you, the reason why we go above and beyond every day. We cook with kindness, plate with passion, and execute with expertise. So, from all of us at 12th Street - thank you. As long as there are occasions worth gathering for, we'll stand ready to serve. Whether it's for a big event or your Big Day, reach out to us when you want to set the table for something extraordinary-we'll have a seat ready for you.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
• Items can be picked up at The Clay Studio for no additional cost.
• Items with alcohol CANNOT be shipped.