Our Incredible Teaching Staff!!!!!!!!!
Kirsten Bassion
Kirsten Bassion, owner and teacher, received her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York in 2004. She did her undergraduate studies at Skidmore College where she majored in studio art and graduated in 1997. She uses beautifully bright colors, unusual glazes with hand carved textures and layers of underglazes to create unique and useful pottery. Her work is both in porcelain and dark brown stoneware.
Kirsten's work has been shown in galleries throughout the country. You can find her work in galleries around the country.
She is an energetic, experienced, and knowledgable teacher. You can see more of Kirsten's work at www.kirstenbassion.com Kirsten lives in Marblehead with her husband and two daughters.
Kirsten's work has been shown in galleries throughout the country. You can find her work in galleries around the country.
She is an energetic, experienced, and knowledgable teacher. You can see more of Kirsten's work at www.kirstenbassion.com Kirsten lives in Marblehead with her husband and two daughters.
Erica Hood
Erica Hood, teacher, graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2014 with a BFA in ceramics. She studied under professionals Kathy King, Kate Doody, Ben Ryterband, Janna Longacre, and Janice Jakielski.
Erica utilizes wheel throwing, hand building, and mold making/casting techniques to create functional and sculptural ceramic artwork.Erica works out of her personal studio space in Southern Maine, and teaches ceramics throughout the New England area. She is currently interested in painting and transferring her illustrations onto functional pieces. Her surface design is inspired by animals, wallpaper, and ink wash paintings.
Erica utilizes wheel throwing, hand building, and mold making/casting techniques to create functional and sculptural ceramic artwork.Erica works out of her personal studio space in Southern Maine, and teaches ceramics throughout the New England area. She is currently interested in painting and transferring her illustrations onto functional pieces. Her surface design is inspired by animals, wallpaper, and ink wash paintings.
Elizabeth Bocknick
Elizabeth Bocknick, Teacher and Studio Tech Extraordinaire, has been working in clay for over 15 years. She has been working with us since the beginning of The Clay School. She does an amazing job in our glaze kitchen mixing and testing new and old glazes. Along with Kirsten, Lanse, and Alice, Elizabeth does the loading and unloading of our different kiln firings and processes all the recycled clay. She is an important part of the smooth running of The Clay School.
Elizabeth has done the SOWA show in South Boston as well as other local craft shows. You can see and purchase Elizabeth's work at our annual Open Studios the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year. .
Elizabeth has done the SOWA show in South Boston as well as other local craft shows. You can see and purchase Elizabeth's work at our annual Open Studios the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year. .
Stuart Gair
Stuart Gair, teacher, received his Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 2013. He is currently the artist in residence at Harvard University for the 2017-18 academic year.
"The ceramic forms I create function as both utilitarian vessels when in use as well as objects of beauty and intrigue when displayed. It is important that each piece is approachable and highly functional to establish trust with the viewer and invite closer examination. As a student of history, I examine a wide range of wares that have endured through time. I am drawn to the ways in which form follows function. Formal elements such as silhouette, balance, buoyancy, volume, and the way in which an object sits on a surface are of the utmost importance. Each object I create is intended to be able to stand alone as an individual and have a quiet energy." www.stuartgair.com
"The ceramic forms I create function as both utilitarian vessels when in use as well as objects of beauty and intrigue when displayed. It is important that each piece is approachable and highly functional to establish trust with the viewer and invite closer examination. As a student of history, I examine a wide range of wares that have endured through time. I am drawn to the ways in which form follows function. Formal elements such as silhouette, balance, buoyancy, volume, and the way in which an object sits on a surface are of the utmost importance. Each object I create is intended to be able to stand alone as an individual and have a quiet energy." www.stuartgair.com
Colby Charpentier
Colby Charpentier, teacher, is an Artist in Residence at Harvard University and formerally at the Morean Center for Clay in St. Petersburg, Florida. He grew up in Smithfield, RI where he began building and firing wood kilns at the studio of Bruce Lenore. He went on to study ceramics and glass at Alfred University, where he graduated with a BFA in 2013. He then worked as a studio assistant to Chris Gustin and Daniel Clayman for three years, while engaged in an artist residency at Dew Claw Studios. He most recently completed a 6 month residency at Sonoma Ceramics in Sonoma, CA.
I am intrigued by ceramics as a peripheral material. It’s a material that we contact daily through tableware, sparkplugs, microchips, and architecture. By association with the vessel, clay is part of nearly every creation story across the world. The ubiquitous, shared experience of clay is democratizing, but contributes to its peripheral role. The project of my work is a both a challenge and celebration of ceramic materials and their associated vessel context. www.colbycharpentier.com/
I am intrigued by ceramics as a peripheral material. It’s a material that we contact daily through tableware, sparkplugs, microchips, and architecture. By association with the vessel, clay is part of nearly every creation story across the world. The ubiquitous, shared experience of clay is democratizing, but contributes to its peripheral role. The project of my work is a both a challenge and celebration of ceramic materials and their associated vessel context. www.colbycharpentier.com/