Meet the IPA members

cardinal mug blue bird plate gray bird vase all on trees

two bumblebee vases with white dots one larger than the other

bumblebee mug

cardinal mug blue bird plate gray bird vase all on trees

1/7

Courtney Eppel

Courtney Eppel is a functional potter based in Cazenovia and Syracuse, NY. She works in both cone 6 porcelain (electric fired) and cone 10 stoneware (wood fired), with surface decoration being her primary focus. Courtney's motifs are nature-inspired, and often employ a combination of decorative techniques to create tactile and visual interest.

teapot with person

two vases similar size one with green one with blue

small vase in green blue and red orange

teapot with person

1/5

Jen Gandee

The images derive from my original photographs, which I manipulate in photoshop and illustrator and print onto special decal paper using my laser printer. The toner from the printer has enough iron oxide in it so that when I apply these decals to my work and re-fire them, the iron permanently melts into the glaze. All of the work is food, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

texture vase in blue gray purple and pink

blue green bowl with subtle design

gray green bulb vase with lines

texture vase in blue gray purple and pink

1/7

Liz Goldenberg

Fun, adventure, curiosity and a willingness to try new things are the foundational structure of my work. When I can stay curious and open, amazing things unfold. It took about 55 years for me to find my passion. And once I found clay, I knew I had arrived.

fish bowl and two fish mugs in bright colors

three jars with jackrabbit, large cat and beetle

Dia Haffar working on a mug

fish bowl and two fish mugs in bright colors

1/5

Dia Haffar

Dia is a full time potter, working with her mom in their shared studio in Lafayette NY. Function and fun is important to her work and each piece is influenced by a love of nature. Before pottering Dia traveled widely as a peace corps volunteer and English teacher.

mushroom jar

jar with sea otters on them waving

fish mug and vase

mushroom jar

1/7

Ellen Haffar

Having spent most of my adult life as a painter and a high school Art Teacher I am so happy to Work with my daughter Dia as a full time potter. Working together as Smokepail Studios, you can find us in local shops and on the road at Art markets and festivals throughout the northeast.

Dodo bird on horse piece called dodo gone is gone

jar with feet giving and handles to give appearance of it standing to look at the viewer

whimsical teapot with feet

Dodo bird on horse piece called dodo gone is gone

1/7

Mary Halsey-Claps

Through hand-building with clay, I connect with the earth, shaping forms that come alive with a sense of whimsy. Creating these objects brings me joy, which i hope to share with others.

wood fired vase

raku vase with crackle

bulbous blue vase with flowers and vines

wood fired vase

1/5

Sarah Hatch

I am a potter making functional, wheel-thrown work. In recent years I have explored a variety of firing and decorative processes, leading to two distinct but related bodies of work. Many of my pieces are either wood-fired or highly decorated (often floral) cone 6 porcelain.

mug with flat circular handle and colors horizontal

plate with multiple colors mostly white in the middle

mug and cup in chartreuse and green one with x

mug with flat circular handle and colors horizontal

1/7

Josh Hawley

My work centers on functional ceramics, where effective form and thoughtful surface detail support both use and presence. Drawn to clay and glaze as earth-derived materials, I'm continually inspired by the material's seemingly boundless capacity for exploration, blending art, design, physics, and material science. I create functional, sculptural pieces meant for everyday use that offer moments of curiosity and quiet contemplation through carved line work and expressive glaze application.

sculpture of frog and mushrooms

1/1

Tami Haynes

More about Tami's work will be available at a later date.

oil jug with three handles in earth tones

oil jug with three handles mostly white with gravel look

oil jug with one large handle from lip to shoulder

oil jug with three handles in earth tones

1/6

Lowell Hutcheson

Lowell Hutcheson is a ceramic artist, educator and arts administrator whose work reflects a deep connection to nature, commitment to sustainability, and the quiet power of handmade objects. Through the use of slip and texture, she explores the intersection of tradition and experimentation, drawing on natural materials and techniques to create work that feels contemporary and timeless. Every aspect of her practice—from the raw materials she uses to the way she lives—is shaped by a conscious effort to reduce her carbon footprint and reconnect with the natural world.

two green cups with gingko design

round vase with gingko design

jar with several shoots and gingko design

two green cups with gingko design

1/3

Sara Koblentz

Currently my work in clay is mostly with cone 6 porcelain fired in an electric kiln although I sometimes have access to the color warmth of a high fired wood kiln. My recent work is carved, sprigged, and most recently includes a modified Mishima technique with underglazes. My images of ginkgo leaves are meant to symbolize longevity and the very long life of my amazing mother.

matte gold bowl

cream colored bowl with wavy rim and slipped trailed design

red vase with vines and long handle

matte gold bowl

1/6

Tom Krahe

I got hooked on pottery in collage and have never stopped loving the process.

three different size mugs with red flowers

narrow white vase with holes near top and wavy rim

six Christmas tree mugs

three different size mugs with red flowers

1/7

Christine Salerno McLaughlin

I have been interested in Artistic expression from an early age and currently find myself drawn to the combination of Ceramic surface design and whimsical, colorful expression. The freedom of exploring a wide range of surface drawing, painting, and addition of textural changes through slip trailing, water etching and sgraffito, provides me with an endless assortment of possibilities and new and ever evolving and challenging planes. I am motivated by creating surfaces that provide a whimsical, light hearted and enjoyable lift away from the chaos of everyday life.

three gray black and white cups

jar with handle and whimsical design

black bowl with white splotch design

three gray black and white cups

1/5

Mary Ellen McQuaid

My goal is to explore the addictive application of layered, twisted pigmented stain or underglaze when color becomes part of clay's inner space. My delight and motivation is to see the three-dimensional behavior of opacity vs. transparency. In transparent porcelain, the clay behaves like suspended light and opaque clay will emphasize movement perhaps "frozen in motion"

planter with squiggles

three vases one with flowers

four bowls with squiggles

planter with squiggles

1/3

Olivia Melinski

I first started working with clay when doing a local "sip and turn" with a few friends on a whim in 2019. I loved it so much that I have continued on, creating my work for all to see and love. I like to describe my work as putting the "fun" in "functional". In my work there are a lot of nature elements, agateware work that makes the clay interact to have intricate designs and some simple work to give contrast to the agateware.

one jar and one vase both with orange to blue gradient

mug with raw clay at the bottom with design

Tina posing with two mugs

one jar and one vase both with orange to blue gradient

1/4

Tina Parker

For my work, I enjoy throwing on the wheel as a springboard to creating forms. My hand built pieces can range from functional to simply decorative. Most are fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln, although I occasionally work in a community setting to experiment with salt firing.

light colored bowl with circular designs throughout

intricate mug that looks to be folded cloth with blue pink and black stripes

bowl cup and vase combo with green interior and birds on exterior

light colored bowl with circular designs throughout

1/5

Margery Rose

I’ve always loved making useful objects that people can integrate into their daily lives. My work as a ceramic craftsperson has been influenced by my previous career as a jeweler. Creating hand-dyed and inlaid jewelry probably drew me to the unusual colors of agate-ware pottery. I bring a jeweler’s sensibility to finishing ceramic surfaces and creating small-patterned designs. Moving to ceramics provided the hands-on contact which was never present when making jewelry, where tools always come between the maker and the material.

robot cup with skull on table

multiple steampunk bowls stacked rim to rim and foot to foot

four bright colored stained cups

robot cup with skull on table

1/4

Tim See

My work has been in a continuous process of evolution and exploration. Beginning in 2009 I pursued a line of work inspired by early 20th century industrialization held together in my imagination by a storyline of a resourceful man trapped in a collapsed factory who creates what he needs from metal scraps.

In 2013 my imagination took off to a future timeframe in an industrial setting populated by robots, or, as I call them, Bucketheads. These steam-powered Bucketheads were designed to maintain themselves after humans became extinct. The Bucketheads are artifacts of human civilization, and, as such, reflect their creators and their culture.

plate with blue rim and brown interior

mug with waves like glaze two different blues merging into brown

fairy house

plate with blue rim and brown interior

1/7

Doug Selover

I've been working with clay for 8 years both wheel and hand building. I also like to incorporate natural materials such as wood and bone for handles and decorative touches.

mug with several autumn leaves

two mugs that look like wood in between the green glaze

sculpture of tree bark and rocks with a beetle

mug with several autumn leaves

1/3

Karen Jean Smith

My concern for the environment as well as appreciation for the beauty of nature are the primary themes in my work. Most of my functional work is wood/forest themed, while my sculptural work is often whimsical.

mug vase pitcher and two jars all with light background glaze and blue and green leaves throughout

square plate and cup with blue green wisps throughout

dinnerware set featuring two large plates three bowls one small plate and cup with light white wisps

mug vase pitcher and two jars all with light background glaze and blue and green leaves throughout

1/7

Nina Spano

I strive to create forms that have a sense of elegance and function for everyday use. I design and apply the surface decoration to work with the form and compliment the function of the piece. It brings me joy to imagine family, friends, or customers, making memories at meals or throughout their home with my pottery present and contributing to the beauty of those memories.

three cups with blue on bottom and brown on top with slip trailed design

tilted vase with dark clay with sodium silicate and white raku crackle

Millie throwing a bowl

three cups with blue on bottom and brown on top with slip trailed design

1/3

Millie St. John-Schmidt

I love clay because it allows me to speak with many voices. I use terra cotta for garden lanterns and planters and stoneware for everyday mugs and bowls. Porcelain is wonderful to carve. I make dragons for woodfire because of the fire and I enjoy raku because it is fast and unpredictable.

bowl with many holes glaze is brown at the rim then green to brown at the bottom

small yellow jar with cardinal at the top

blue bowl with several holes towards top of piece

bowl with many holes glaze is brown at the rim then green to brown at the bottom

1/7

Peter Valenti

My current work centers on wheel thrown forms that gravitate toward functional as well as sculptural in nature rooted in classical and modern forms. Across all of my work I intend to create touch and achieve connection to the viewer in their everyday lives.

teacup set with teapot and six carved cups surrounding teapot

white jar with circular topper

two hemisphere vases dark clay with white design

teacup set with teapot and six carved cups surrounding teapot

1/5

Catherine Walsh

Catherine has been working in clay since 2009. She has worked as an art educator in schools, museums, and art studios. She is new to Syracuse and currently works at the Everson Museum.

two intricate fish sculptures

intricate pitcher with four cups

intricate pitcher with pictures at three different angles

two intricate fish sculptures

1/8

Michele Walters

Over the past 20 years, I have slowly grown as a potter, creating both thrown and hand built functional and purely decorative pieces. Using different types of cone 6 stoneware clay, fired in an electric kiln, achieving a variety of effects along with use of carving, personal stamps, rollers and or sodium silicate to create depth, dimension and patterns in the work. The pieces are completed by using a combination of mineral washes, under-glazes, matte and glossy food safe glazes.