Anne Steacy

Artist statement :

I have always been intrigued by the process of creating things; the complexity of the physical process is what I find fascinating. Growing up in a family of craftspeople, including boat builders and stonemasons, has made me comfortable with the process of creating. After years of wheel throwing, I have moved more in the direction of hand-building and have begun to combine the beauty of the wheel with the freedom of the hand. 

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Website: anne.steacy.org

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Mary Aldrich

Artist statement:

Mary Aldrich began working in ceramics at the Glassell School in 2010. She is currently a member of Nosami Studio in the Houston Heights. While her interest has previously been in sculptural work the coronavirus and, the resulting reduction in shared studio time, saw a shift to small hand built functional work. While her work has always been more about the form and not about the color, these small pieces have provided a reason to explore color with underglazes.

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   Website:  www.maryaldrich.com

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Pilar Arango

Artist statement:

I immigrated to the United States from Colombia by way of New Orleans and then Houston. In Bogota I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from La Universidad de Los Andes and specialized in printmaking. In New Orleans I began taking ceramics coursesat Tulane University and fell in love with pottery and its possibilities. I have been working in ceramics for over 20 years, and look forward to continuing working, learning and creating through this wonderful medium.

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Lilly Lerner

Artist statement:

Lilly Lerner Reilley resides in Houston, Texas.  After a career in the computer industry, she became a clay artist.  Lilly has studied ceramics at the Glassell School.  Currently, she is part of the Nosami Studio in the Heights, where she works and shows her art.

The body of Lilly’s work is composed of depictions of the elements of daily living mostly women's purses that tell stories about their human  journey.  

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   Website:  www.LillyLerner.com

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Maria Raquel Morales

Artist statement :

Clay gives me the opportunity to express myself . Time and experience have helped me be more spontaneous with form and surface. I enjoy the process of creating, surrounded by a supportive community.

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Vivian Pastor

Artist statement:

Her work revolves around nature, the story of life and death alongside the delicate fragments of memory. She hand builds all of her work from a bag of clay, coil or slab.

Every time she molds clay it is a deep reminder of her Mexican American heritage. Her work cultivates a passionate extension of her father Joseph Vasquez who was a humble tortilla maker; one of her fondest memories is helping him knead dough to make ends meet. Looking back into her childhood she believes her work’s whimsical aesthetic is tied to her very limited time with her mother who was always in the garden. This culture now lives within her as she went from kneading dough to molding clay, and the honor and gratefulness she feel when she creates something from nothing.

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   Website:  Vivianpastor.com

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Mara Cavalcanti Reid

Artist statement:

Working with clay is  joyful but yet full of challenges. Over the years it has taught me to be inspired by other more talented artists and to never give up.

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Jill Whitten

Artist statement:

I have been taking and making ceramics since 2012 when I began classes at the Glassell School. I was inspired by ceramics from the 1960’s initially when I could use the crusty glazes of Cone 10. In recent years I am inspired by the Mexican folk art that my father collected on our many trips to the Mexico border in my youth. The whimsy and looseness and humanity of Mexican folk art continually delights me and I like to think I have added my own personal expression in the forms I love. I make trees of life, candelabra, cactus and birds for the most part. All hand built.  

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