My passion for clay has been a constant since I first sat at a potter’s wheel in my high school ceramics class. After the first week I naively/proudly declared that I would become an artist. This decision led me to Appalachian State University for a BFA in painting/ceramics and then on to a MFA in ceramics at the University of Florida. The ceramic departments at these schools armed me with the intellectual tools to problem solve everything from aesthetics to glaze chemistry.
Over the years I have been fortunate to be a resident artist at the Canton Clay Works, The Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. These communities provided me the support I needed to push my work in new and unexpected directions. Along with my time as a production potter at Black Mountain Studios these residencies gave me a safety net to learn the ups and downs of the business of making pottery. In 2004 I opened Carter Pottery and have since been producing work for exhibitions across the United States.
In 2010 I moved to Shanghai, China to be the educational director of the Pottery Workshop Shanghai. Living in a country with a storied ceramic tradition opened my eyes to age-old techniques and cultural practices. The combination of my frequent trips to China’s many ceramic museums, my dedicated group of students in Shanghai, and my interactions with Chinese coworkers taught me new ways of thinking and making on a daily basis.
I have recently moved to Santa Cruz, CA to set up a studio. As I work I am still digesting my time overseas. Traveling has given me a new perspective on visual and material culture. I am slowly coming to understand the impact these experiences have had on me as an artist. I look forward to what the future holds for me as a teacher and a maker.
Click here to read an article about my studio in China that appeared in Ceramics Monthly.
Click here to read an article about my hand building process that appeared in Pottery Making Illustrated.
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