The Slip Trail Blog

By Darla Graff Thompson (ceramic sculptor and member of NMPCA since 2010)

With photos by Leonard Baca (ceramic artist and member of NMPCA since 2011)

Part Two

The exquisite (funerary?) urn of Mary Sharp Davis was inspired by a visit to a Japanese Buddhist compound.  Janeen Maas’ “Home is a Bowl” dazzles us with large, life-like octopus reclining in a bowl with its tentacles looped every which way.  Form, color, texture and realism--- people surround it, taking it in and talking about it, and this piece seems to be a group favorite (as well as mine).  Nearby, in Hebe Garcia’s “Sisters of the Earth,” three elongated women in wide skirts walk in tight formation front-to-back (or the same woman walking in freeze-frame time?) and each in sequence turns her head further to the side--- the piece evolves and is spectacular to view as you walk around it, see it from all perspectives.  

"Going Home" by Mary Sharp-Davis.        

 "Bateau" by Jim Romberg. "Triplex" by Susan Mach. "Sisters of the Earth" by Hebé Garcia. "Home is a Bowl." by Janeen Maas.

On the wall, Alex Kurtz’ “Celestial Home” portrays swallows in and around their porcelain “mud” nests and demands a close-up viewing to appreciate the perfection of the birds against the harsh-graveled texture surrounding the nests.  Mounted in its wooden frame, really a loving portrait of nature.  Ellen Mancini’s “Nesting” is similar in topic, the nest as home, but with a simple beauty, more abstract and austere.  Nearby, another wall-hanging, “Shadowlands” by Mary Simmons, made me immediately think of a distilled representation of the colorful cliffs found around northern New Mexico and southern Utah, and I smiled when I read that Mary is formally trained as a geologist.  We can see that connection.  Really nice.

"Song: ABQ Main Canal" by Cirrelda SniderB. "Shadowlands" by Mary Simmons. "Celestial Home" by Alex Kurtz.                

 Several pieces of the show uniquely capture aspects of plant life, including the flowering “Claret Cups Cactus” of Jorge Luis Bernal, and the rusted, iron-spiked needles of Patty Martin’s large “Desert Home” cactus.  Greta Ruiz’ “Terra Star” presents us with an antique-looking, intricately-textured five-armed “juicy flower and weathered seed pod.”  In Cheryl Hoagland’s “Sheltered Home,” we can almost see the water currents swaying the branches of the sea anemone that provides home to a small fish.            

"Arden" by Doug Hein. "Can I Give You A Squeeze" by Andrea Pichaida. "Desert Home" by Patty Martin. "Claret Cup Cactus" by Jorge Luis Bernal. 

  "Terra Star" by Greta Ruiz.

"Sheltered Home" by Cheryl Hoagland.

 Next, I enjoy the discovery of Timothy Knight’s two pieces, “Basket” and “Slabcube” that are not displayed in the same vicinity--- because they are so different!  The former piece is exquisitely hand-crafted, organic, its textured recesses softly producing light and shadows alongside the shine of the glazed tiger-eye rim.  In contrast, his “Slabcube” is a harsh white box, an abandoned building, desolate and lonely with black windows for eyes, begging to be explored. 

"Slabcube" by Tim Knight. 

"Basket" by Tim Knight. Photo by the artist.

The originality of “Fisheye” by Harmony Martinez is refreshing, a porcelain eyeball of a great blue heron with a fish skeleton reflected in its pupil.  The piece feels deeply philosophical and one can only guess at the exact nature of the “despair” conveyed on behalf of this majestic bird.  Elizabeth Hunt’s large, fuzzy-textured “Harry Virus” tells us the COVID pandemic is far enough in our past that we can (mostly) safely smile about it, with just a hint of a shiver.   The shimmering and frosty-blue arms of a Dr. Seuss creature (or maybe the primordial sporangia of a slime mold’s reproductive cycle?) in Lindsay Iliff’s “Dire Beauty” are captivating, whatever they are--- tendrils growing, defying the gravity of some other world.  

   

"Fisheye" by Harmony Martinez. Photo by the artist.

"Harry Virus" by Elizabeth "Liz"Hunt. Photo by the artist.

"Dire Beauty" by Lindsay Iliff. Photo by the artist. 

         I love the petroglyphic fowl that adorn JB Bryan’s plate titled “birds amongst themselves” that was made of locally dug clay (Placitas) and slip (Galisteo).  Also, Steve Blakely’s “Tempest” impresses me with its industrial and forged structural elements smothered in an intricately-speckled contrast of intense cobalt and white glazing.  “Blushing Dawn” by Sheryl Zacharia is a large abstract study of architecture, geometry and color, impeccable in design and fabrication.  Sheena Cameron’s “Home of the Celtic Fairies” combines raku, glass and sculpted elements to create an otherworldly feel.  Charlotte Ownby’s sister pieces “Footprints in the Snow” and “Colors of my Dad’s Dream Car” convey a playful, cheerful element of childhood memory that I really enjoy.  The delicate and exquisite crystals of Christiane Couvert’s “Echoes in Blue and Ochre” are layered in a myriad of subtle and dreamlike textures with fields of fog and sea and sand.  These are the kinds of pieces I can look at for hours, admiring every nuance from the whole to the localized details.

  

"birds amongst themselves" by JB Bryan. Photo by the artist. 

 

 "Tempest" by Steve Blakely. Photo by the artist. 

 "Blushing Dawn"by Sheryl Zacharia. Photo by the artist. 

"Home of the Celtic Fairies" by Sheena Cameron.

"Footprints in the Snow" and "My Dad's Dream Car" by Charlotte Ownby. 

"Echoes in Blue and Ochre" by Christiane Couvert. Photo by the artist. 

In short, the exhibit is fantastic and not to be missed!  There are many more exciting and inspiring pieces than what I have had space to mention here.  The exhibit will run until 08 April 2026, and according to the SFCC website, gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Closed for Spring Break March 30-April 3. 

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Ceramic sculptor and writer Darla Graff-Thompson entered her piece, "incompatibility" this year. 

Photographer, ceramic artist, graphic designer, webmaster for NMPCA, Leonard Baca entered his duo, "Mountains Shout for Joy" in this year's show. 

By Darla Graff Thompson (ceramic sculptor and member of NMPCA since 2010) 

With photos by Leonard Baca (ceramic artist and member of NMPCA since 2011)

Part One

The opening reception for the New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists’ annual Celebration of Clay show was held Thursday, 05 March, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, at the Visual Arts Gallery at the Santa Fe Community College.  The event was very well attended and you could hear the joyful buzz of the crowd as you approached from the hallway.  I have been participating in Celebration of Clay exhibits for well over a decade, and in my opinion, the 80 pieces of this show are among the best I have seen.  Almost every piece is singularly captivating and begs to be explored and enjoyed in person--- such talent and diversity of expression, taken collectively, the show is a real joy to experience.  From the comments I overheard, many attendees felt this way.  The show is a real honor to the contributors and organizers. 

"Haven" by Lois Olcott Price. "Untitled I" by Kathy Bartlett. "El Camino Interior 1" by Diane MacInnes. "birch vessel" by Lindsay Iliff. "Body as Border" by Monica Devine. "Sad Oh My Country" by Lin Johnson. "Birth from the Sipapu" by Debi Smith. "Scent of Decay" by Lois Olcott Price.  "Cocoon" by Joey Serim. "Chemical Explosion" by Sue Halpern. "La Vida en un Tronco" by Melissa Alexander. "Climbing to Soar" by Jennifer Lowell.  "Untitled II" by Kathy Bartlett.  "Where Am I Going, Where Have I Been, Home is Where the Heart Is" by Nicole Merkens.

This year’s theme is “Clay Speaks of Home” --- not a requirement, but definitely evident in many of the ceramic pieces and titles.  The gallery space is beautiful--- large, open and welcoming, with pools of light directed down onto the scattered pedestals and showcases from the ceiling, inviting the viewer to traverse the room and focus individually on each piece or grouping of pieces.  In the entryway, a large display case holds a variety of pieces and wall hangings and gives a first glimpse of the variety and quality of artwork waiting in the main gallery.  The first piece in this case to catch my eye (and also one of my favorites of the entire show) is Nicole Merkens’ thoughtful and colorful sculptural portrait of a woman revealing her boxed heart and wearing a bright floral crown, titled “Where Am I Going, Where Have I Been? Home is Where the Heart Is.”  For me, this piece set the stage for all to come.  I like the conception of home in Debi Smith’s “Birth from the Sipapu,” where she brilliantly uses a saggar-fired vessel to convey an ancient stone kiva, complete with a wooden ladder leading down inside.  Lin Johnson won an award of merit with her wall-hanging caricature of a man titled “Sad…oh, my country,” which was made “in response to our current political and cultural climate,” and I couldn’t help but note the contrast with Karin Bloom’s similarly political-motivated piece in the main gallery, titled “US Democracy 2025.”  Lin’s sad and whimsical man and Karin’s unglazed ironstone monstrosity (which may be a nightmarish hint of a human head?) are two approaches to a thought-provoking and timely consideration of our national home and identity.

 

"US Democracy 2025" by Karin Bloom. 

 

"Arden" by Doug Hein. "Can I Give You A Squeeze" by Andrea Pichaida. 

Still in the display case, I find Sue Halpern’s “Chemical Explosion” fascinating, where an outer layer of the pot has apparently shattered and detached in large fragments, revealing a complex mesh of internal colors and textures.  It is reminiscent of a seed pod, something captivating you might come across in nature, and in this sense similar to Kathy Bartlett’s nearby raku-fired pieces “Untitled I and II.”  In the main gallery, Jenna Ritter’s “Sanctum,” a mysterious pit-fired shape of locally-dug clay, gives me a similar feeling of finding some strange and intriguing artifact of nature.  Andrea Pichaida’s “Can I Give You A Squeeze” strikes me as abstractly organic and seed-like but whimsical in color and texture, the intimate halves producing a curious little tear in the internal fabric of the hole.  The imperfection seems meaningful.

"Footprints in the Snow" and "My Dad's Dream Car" by Charlotte Ownby. "Sanctum" by Jenna Ritter.

Background clockwise to foreground: "Jestersaurus" and "Spiked Turtledon" by Stacy Pope Hein. "Nesting" by Ellen Mancini. "New Mexico Home" by Aurelia Gomez. "Gaia Calls in the Universe for Support" by Amy Burnham. "Teapot" by Lin Johnson. "Egypt" by Barbara Campbell. "rocksteady" by Jenna Ritter. "Terra Star" by Greta Ruiz. 

In the main gallery, several enclosures house some of the smaller or more delicate entries such as Stacy Pope Hein’s playful and imaginative bone-and-clay constructs titled “Jestersaurus” and “Spiked Turtledon,” as well as Amy Burnham’s intricate “Gaia Calls in the Universe For Support” with its outstretched tree-like branches and roots.

Doug Hein’s “Arden” is an impeccably-constructed vessel in which I envision a man’s torso dressed in a button-up silk shirt for a night on the town.  Jennifer Dunn’s “Bogue Sound Oyster” somehow combines an essence of sea and desert, frozen sand that has been rippled by waves and holds a few scattered barnacles.  Nearby, Judy Nelson-Moore’s large seashell construct titled “The Long Road Home” reminds me of a queen conch-shell with a hardened outer layer protecting a delicate and tender internal foot that hints of soft, internally-layered depths.  This sculpture is made of paper clay, and Judy tells me the remarkable texture of the rough outer shell is a direct imprint she made of the asphalt driveway that leads to her home.  Made me have to look at it all over again!  

"Bogue Sound Oyster" by Jennifer Dunn.

"The Long Road Home" by Judy Nelson-Moore. 

Luisa Baldinger’s saggar-fired “Bowl” was made all the more interesting to me by her existential statement about a life-long fascination with vessels “as a metaphor for peace, plenty, a sense of well-being, but also emptiness, hollowness and expectation.”  This piece could be displayed on a mirror so that the textures/colors on the undersurface could be fully appreciated alongside those on the top!  Other saggar-fired pieces with their intricate color/texture included Baldinger’s “Jar” (winning Best of Show) and Leonard Baca’s “Mountains Shout for Joy”--- the latter of which made me think of pointed-tip Moorish minarets or Russian onion domes, solemnly directed heavenwards.   

 

"Bowl" by Luisa Baldinger. "The Long Road Home" by Judy Nelson-Moore. "Ben" by Adam Emery.            

"Jar" by Luisa Baldinger.

"To Be Stone II" by Madeline Hwang. "To Be Stone I" by Madeline Hwang.  "Fisheye"by Harmony Martinez.  "Restless Headspace" by Jasper Eyrich-Bingham. "Emperor Penguin Jar" by Lisa McEneaney. "Rooster Plate 2" by Judith Richey.  "Mountains Shout For Joy" by Leonard Baca.

--- Part Two will continue this review. 

In short, the exhibit is fantastic and not to be missed!  There are many more exciting and inspiring pieces than what I have had space to mention here.  The exhibit will run until 08 April 2026, and according to the SFCC website, gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Closed for Spring Break March 30-April 3.

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Writer & Clay Sculptor Darla Graff-Thompson entered her piece, "incompatibility" this year, shown here:

By Nicole Merkens

I slipped in early to see Celebration of Clay 2026 Clay Speaks of Home at Santa Fe Community College. The opening reception was set for March 5 from 4 to 6 pm at the Visual Arts Gallery, 6401 Richards Avenue in Santa Fe. I wanted the quiet before the crowd. I wanted to hear the work breathe.

The Visual Arts Gallery at the Santa Fe Community College, with the show, Clay Speaks of Home. Photo by Nicole Merkens. 

This year the show was blind juried by Elizabeth Hunt, Santa Fe, Serit deLopaz Kotowski, Taos, and Mary Sharp Davis, Albuquerque.  Seventy-six artists as well as the jurors stepped forward to wrestle with the notion “Clay Speaks of Home.”

That topic is not simple. It is loaded. It carries dust, memory, grief, safety and longing.

The gallery was full. Pieces lined the space in every shape and size. There were more than I could count. A display case greeted you at the entrance, like a small prologue before the main story unfolded.

The "Black Box" display. Photo by Nicole Merkens.

What struck me first was how personal and how vast the idea of home really is. Artists came from every corner of the Land of Enchantment. Their work did not whisper. It held its ground.

This kind of show asks something of you. It asks you to slow down. To stand in front of a piece longer than feels normal. To consider the hands that shaped it and the life behind those hands.

Pieces shown: Judy Nelson-Moore's "Long Road Home," Jennifer Dunn's "Bogue Sound Oyster." Photo by Nicole Merkens. 

There is a thick book of artist statements in the gallery. Do not skip it. Inside, you find the pulse behind the clay.

Jasper Eyrich Bingham writes, “This is my clay that speaks of a rugged home, a dark home, an authentic home. It is my place of retreat, where I go when there is nowhere else to go. The best place, or worst, is that it’s never far away.”

That line stayed with me. “Never far away”.

This is why we make art. Not to decorate a room, but to give form to the things we cannot say out loud. To purge what sits heavy in the chest. To build a place of retreat out of mud and fire.

Opening night carried its own charge. Artists stood near their pieces. Students moved in clusters. Collectors leaned in close. The room felt alive.

Pieces shown: Christiane Couvert's "Echoes in Blue and Ochre," Dorothy Bassett's "Vase 2," Lindsay Iliff's "Dire Beauty," Elaine Kidd's "Incense Burner," Michele English's "Pig in a Poke," and Steve Blakely's "Tempest" in foreground. Photo by Nicole Merkens. 

Congratulations to the winners of the night; Best in show: Luisa Baldinger. Coyote Color in Clay Award: Adam Emery. Arita Porcelain Award: Kathryne Cyman. Merit Award: Jasper Eyrich-Bingham. Merit Award: Greta Ruiz. Merit Award: Lin Johnson.

From vessels to animals, figures to creatures, from function to abstraction, the show stretches wide. It refuses to define home in one way.

I left thinking about my own.

Where am I going.
Where have I been.

The clay keeps asking.

Best of Show: Luisa Baldinger, "Jar." Photo by Leonard Baca. 

Coyote Color in Clay Award: Adam Emery, "Bem." Photo by Leonard Baca. 

Arita Porcelain Award for Quality, Beauty, Functionality:  Kathryne Cyman, "Life Force." Photo by Kathryne Cyman. 

Award of Merit: Jasper Eyrich-Bingham, "Restless Headspace." Photo by Leonard Baca. 

Award of Merit:  Lin Johnson, "Sad ... Oh My Country." Photo by Leonard Baca. 

Award of Merit: Greta Ruiz, "Terra Star." Photo by Leonard Baca. 

"Terra Star." By Greta Ruiz. Photo by Leonard Baca. 

Editor's note:

Nicole Merkens, NMPCA member, entered piece entitled, “Where Am I Going Where Have I Been Home Is Where The Heart Is," shown below. She describes her interests as “making clay relationships, and workshops.”

With the 2026 Annual Meeting less than two weeks away, here's a big reason to attend - vote for and welcome Jessica Archibeque and Rachel Palley. Already advocates in the clay community, members now can thank them for stepping up for our statewide organization. 

Looking forward to seeing you Saturday, February 21 at 11:30 at South Valley Multipurpose Senior Center. Please register here so we can make you a name tag. Directions a map will also be found at registration page.

Without further ado, let's hear from our two new candidates!

NMPCA Board Candidate Jessica Archibeque

What do you think you would like to contribute as a member of the board of NMPCA? I would love to help with events, workshops, philanthropy, and building the community.

What in your background makes you interested in NMPCA? My interest is in being part of the clay community and the devotion to add and enrich by sharing this interest.

What would you hope to gain personally by being a part of NMPCA board? I hope to gain the experience of working on a board and collaborating with other artists. 

Jessica Archibeque is a sculptural ceramic artist and potter from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She studied ceramics and sculpture at the University of New Mexico, where she built a strong foundation in both handbuilding and wheel thrown work. Her practice is rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship, and curiosity about the natural world, often drawing inspiration from botanicals, insects, and organic forms. Jessica is also the owner of Cerámica, a community-centered pottery studio in Albuquerque, created as a welcoming space for creativity, connection, and continued learning. 

NMPCA Board Candidate Rachel Palley 

What do you think you would like to contribute as a member of the board of NMPCA? I would like to contribute my recruiting abilities to find more members. I have 10 years of recruiting experience across multiple industries.

What in your background makes you interested in NMPCA? I recently became the owner of New Mexico Clay and I think by joining the Board I can be an asset by connecting with other potters on a daily basis. 

What would you hope to gain personally by being a part of NMPCA board? I would like to meet more members and build lasting relationships with potters in New Mexico. I would also like New Mexico Clay to become a place where members can meet or host workshops.

I grew up quite literally surrounded by clay. New Mexico Clay has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and is where I learned how to listen, how to problem-solve, and how creativity and hard work live side by side. It shaped not only my understanding of pottery, but my values as a person. Now that my dad is retired and I stepped into his role, it is not lost on me how important it is that New Mexico Clay not only continues on, but thrives, so that it can serve the community of artists that have supported the store all these years.

Prior to working at New Mexico Clay, I obtained my associates degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with a concentration in Cartography. It allowed my love for maps to blend with art, as mapmaking is a creative outlet not known to many. I also spent over a decade recruiting for multiple industries which allowed me to create meaningful relationships with people. I intend on using the skills I’ve perfected throughout my life to encourage more creatives to join the NMPCA. 

I am where I’m meant to be, at New Mexico Clay, to continue making clay for everyone who is inspired to create.

 A new feature of our Annual Member Show, Celebration of Clay, begins this year. From now on, each year at Celebration of Clay we will be honoring a contemporary ceramic artist whose contributions to the New Mexico clay community are exceptional. We begin this year with ceramic artist, teacher and program director, Kathryne Cyman. In addition to her being a Professor of Practice in Arita Porcelain method at UNM, she also has been an active member of NMPCA and has served as both president and vp on the board. 

Lin Johnson on the Celebration of Clay committee this year came up with the idea, and has penned this article about Kathy. It will be framed to hang in the show, next to a bowl Kathy selected to especially represent her vision. 

Kathryne Cyman bowl: "natilus"

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The New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists would like to honor Kathryne Cyman for her outstanding achievements in contemporary ceramics in New Mexico. Kathryne has devoted herself to practicing and teaching the art of Arita porcelain vessels, a 400 year Japanese pottery tradition, since 1991. She began her advocation studying at the University of New Mexico with Dr. James Srubek and Japanese National Treasure, Sensei Manji Inoue in 1987. In 1997 she received an Artist-in-Residence award to study for three months in Takeo on the Island of Kyushu, Japan. When Dr. Srubek retired, she was selected by Sensei Inoue and Dr. Srubek to continue the art of Arita Porcelain Vessels at UNM where she teaches today. Kathy has traveled to Japan six times often accompanied by her students to share in the rare, cultural experience of Japan and and art of Arita porcelain. Many New Mexico potters have benefited from studying with Kathy and give back to the community as a result.

As an expert in her field she has given numerous public lectures including “A Shared Journey of International Influence” 2016 Hakome, Japan and with the UNM International Task Force Art & Culture Group of Dr. Brian Foster, 2004. Kathy was a USA sponsor of selected Pueblo and Navajo children’s ceramic artwork for “The World’s Children’s Festival” in Takeo Japan, 1997.

Kathy has received recognition for her own exquisite work. In 2003 she was recognized by Congresswoman Heather Wilson during Women’s History Month and as a Local Treasure by the AABA 2008. Her work has been exhibited in local Albuquerque galleries, the Weyrich Gallery, the Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts 2000, and in Takeo, Japan at the International Invited Artists Exhibition l & II. She currently exhibits her work online and at the annual NMPCA "Celebration of Clay.”

We are proud and honored to count Kathryne Cyman as part of our clay community and today we honor her significant contributions.

“I find Sensei’s philosophy of ‘art is a way not a thing’ at the center of my creative process. There is a mystical element that connects me to the past and present at the same time within the practice of this art. I hope that essence is felt in my works when they are used.”  K. Cyman

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Submitted by Lin Johnson, January 2026.

Kathy's bowl also appears on the logo for the show. 

If you have experienced the wonderful Silver City CLAY Festival in the past two years, perhaps you have met our member of the month. Susan Mach's ceramic oeuvres may also have been visible in a storefront window, too. It's great to hear from another Silver City clay artist. 

How did you first get interested in clay? 

As an art student at UC Santa Barbara, my emphasis was in printmaking, specifically screen printing, but I also admired work coming out of the ceramics studio. I was curious about how the two media might overlap. I took one semester of ceramics while at UCSB, caught the bug and studied more after graduation through junior colleges and workshops since I knew I wanted to add ceramics to my high school teaching repertoire.  A stint in the Peace Corps (Kenya) working with women’s income generating projects, one of which was a group working in clay, also gave me experience in local clay gathering, building and firing methods.   

 

"Squash Blossom" wall piece.  By Susan Mach, photo by the artist. 

Describe your studio.  

My retirement gift to myself, after 30 years of teaching, was to have a studio built next to my home in Silver City. It’s a very simple, rectangular space that’s filled with all my curiosities for working in clay: bits of textured this-n-that’s, forms collected for hand building, decorating tools and colorants, resource books, sketchbooks filled with ideas from recent days to years gone by. It’s a very eclectic mix of precious goods that inspire me and help me create the diverse work I do, which is also on display in the studio. 

 

"Wren Dish." By Susan Mach. Photo from the artist. 

Describe your “work”.   

My work is very diverse. People often walk into my studio, look around and ask if this is all MY work. I display pieces that I created as examples while teaching along with my current work. Many of the older works show examples of various building and decorating techniques and I find I still love that diversity. I wanted my students, especially advanced students in both Art and Ceramics, to be introduced to as much as they could absorb. Along the way I realized how much I was teaching myself as I searched for what I wanted to offer them. The mixing of ideas from other media often shows up in my clay work.

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I’ve been organizing the Silver City CLAY Festival market for the past two years and will continue in 2026. It’s been a great way to meet ceramic artists from around the Southwest and share in their experiences. (Shameless promo: Don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re interested in vending this year!)

The clay community in Silver City is small enough that we all know each other and can be in touch as a group very quickly. That group was very generous when asked last year to donate towards a silent auction to benefit CLAY Festival’s market. 

Being represented by Diana Ingalls Leyba Gallery in Silver City has also introduced me to the Youth Mural Project that Diana has run for years. I’ve only been in her gallery for a year, but look forward to being introduced to more “community” through her work.

"Tack Ware Vase. Yucca Platter. Herring Vase." By Susan Mach. Photo from the artist. 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy?

When not in my studio, I enjoy walking the open land around my home, cycling (tame trails!), reading, visiting with local friends/artists, foreign travel and just relaxing at home with my partner and pets.

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

I often work without music playing in my studio. One door is usually open to listen for birds, deer and other visitors, and to keep an eye on my dog, Nelson, who often supervises me. I do, however, have a good friend living in Washington who, monthly, sends me CD’s of any and every type of music imaginable. It’s always educating to listen to what he sends!

What other pottery do you have in your home?

My pottery collection includes mostly functional pieces from workshop instructors, NCECA trips, foreign travel and local ceramic artists. I’m also the savior of old family dish collections!

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved. 

I joined NMPCA after meeting Jenna Ritter, who was a vendor in the CLAY Festival market two years ago and also took part in the annual festival exhibition. She’s a great promoter and a kind, interesting person. This is my second year as a member and was excited to participate in last year’s Celebration of Clay exhibit at Light Art Space in Silver City. I look forward to participating in more NMPCA events.

Working in studio, Blankets at Night. Photo from the artist, Susan Mach. 

With great pleasure we announce our jurors for Celebration of Clay 2026: Liz Hunt of Santa Fe,  Serít deLopaz Kotowski of Taos, Mary Sharp Davis of Albuquerque. 

Elizabeth Hunt

A rolling stone might gather no moss but I think it gathers a much more interesting patina. I have lived in many places in my life from London, England to Kingston, Jamaica to Detroit, Michigan to Long Beach, California to Chicago, Illinois and now Santa Fe, New Mexico. This restless nature directly affects my work and I can move from one series to the next in the blink of an eye. This might not be comfortable for people to figure out what my work is about but it has kept me interested in clay for about 30 years. Clay has the potential to become anything and it is that potential which is at once both daunting and electrifying.

Liz is the Head of Ceramics at Santa Fe Community College where this year's exhibit will be held. 

Liz Hunt. 

Serít Inez deLopaz Kotowski 

Born: In a vacuum

Named: Sherrie Inez Kotowski

Re-Named: Serít Inez deLopaz Kotowski

Serit del Bosque Studio

Currently: Still breathing. Still curious, still outspoken and unbearably shy in a bold way; in other words, unpredictable and many times contrarily fickle.

Past lives: Cat X 9 including a scaredy cat.  Student, teacher, caretaker, gardener, dabbler, dancer, lover, nurse, mother, maker, sailor, voyeur, child, adult, rebel, fool, creator, destroyer, loner, hermit, daredevil, heartbreaker, earth shaker, firebrand, warrior, idiot, chicken shit… to name a few in no particular order.

Intention: Live life to the fullest and ultimately leave only beauty in my wake.

The Thread: Artist and Participant.

For decades now I have taken many chances, challenges and dares that have been offered up. My experience lies in the things I leave behind.

Serít deLopaz Kotowski.

Mary Sharp Davis  

Some history:

After moving from Las Vegas in 1971 I returned to Albuquerque Where I had previously earned a BFA in painting and drawing from UNM. Being a new mother at the time and working as a sign printer I wanted to get back into the arts and when I first experienced someone throw a tall vase from a lump of clay I was enchanted. I had no wheel or kiln but took a community college class through UNM where I learned to handbuild. A couple of years later I joined a wheel throwing class and learned the basics about throwing and glazing and made friends with women who owned a studio and allowed me to fire there. Except for a few Ghost Ranch (when I could afford them) workshops with the newly formed NMPCA, I created my own studio workspace in the South Valley of Albuquerque. I loved the fact that clay offered such 3-dimensional versatility and was so tactile. It is truly an alchemical experience!  At first, I used a pit fire and sand blasted method to give my pots a sense of age and wear. that the dessert inspires. My new husband and I built our first kiln from bricks salvaged at an old brick yard that when fired, bellowed fire from every crack and cranny.  That was a disaster waiting to happen!  Several months later we built our first soft brick kiln with help from someone that knew what they were doing and it was a cone 10 dream come true. Years later I transitioned to an electric kiln and cone 6 firings. At age 80 I broke down my studio as I could no longer deal with the heaviness and work involved. I am now focused on painting once again but am still a lover of all that is clay!

Mary Sharp Davis.

Taos artist Serit deLopaz Kotowski shares with us this month. Long associated with NMPCA in many capacities, she is an active participant in the vibrant ceramic community where she lives. 

How did you first get interested in clay?

Let me think, I grew up in the Mojave Desert so there wasn't much mud but I definitely loved sand and dirt. And the way the wind could fill the sky with it.

 

"Home." Serit's piece that won Best of Show at the 2025 Celebration of Clay: Of Mind and Matter in Silver City at the Light Art Space. 

Describe your studio. 

I have two studios. One in home I call “my studio”. It literally occupies about 1/3 of my residence including the gallery. The work space is very cluttered with things covering all the horizontal surfaces. I clear out portions to make work. I have lots of clay; wet and waiting to be recycled. I have a friend, Jaques du Potier, who is a Pug Meister. The clay part of the studio is a general wreck.

The other is the Taos UNM studio. I love being around other people who are interested in learning. Lee Akins has been fantastic as a professor and an inspiration in helping me to make sense of how 1 + 1 can equal 4. It's hard to describe in words; kind of like the quantum physics of clay working.

 

Photo of the artist and kiln. Provided by the artist. 

 Soda Goddess. By Serit.  

Describe your “work.”

My work is a reference to spurious antiquities. Earth forms are a great reference as well as entropy. Robert Smithson continues be a great inspiration as well as the “earth workers” of the 70's and 80's. Also, I traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and how people manipulated new materials  to look very old. I have brought that into the clay work. My work looks as if it has been weathered by the elements and formed by forces of nature. I build large sculptural vessels and name many of them after cross cultural Goddesses. 

"Cocoon." Serit's piece that she entered in the 2025 Sunport Ceramic Showcase at the Albuquerque Sunport.

"Ashera." By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I don't know so much about the “clay community” promotion but I have focused many works on “globalization of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons” in New Mexico and the overwhelming negative effects on all living beings.

 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy?

My friends and Flamenco. I also have a job; I am not retired.

 

"Full Moon Over Mora 2022."  By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to?

No music for me, I listen to podcasts. Trevor Noah because he is young and from the continent of Africa. Through Lines because young people connect the past with the present. This is Love because “love” is such a basic instinct and comes in so many ways. Nuclear Hotseat because it is the pulse of nuclear activism and Time Zero because it is artists and activism on the edge.  All of them keep me informed.

What other pottery do you have in your home?

I collect. I buy and trade and I have been for years.

"Ma'at."  By Serit deLopaz Kotowski. 

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved.

I wanted to be more involved with other people who saw clay as an inspiration and a home coming. I have been on the board off and on and have been a part of many projects including Celebration of Clay in Taos, the Sunport Show three times, and as chair of the Bill Armstrong Grant; giving away money is great!

Photo of the artist, supplied by the artist. 

New to NMPCA, but not new to New Mexico, Monica Devine comes from Alaska, and is now a member of the Abiquiu community, too. Monica gave a lot of her energy and construction savvy at the latest Volunteer Camp at Ghost Ranch.

How did you first get interested in clay? 

Quite a few years ago I began periodically visiting Santa Fe for a couple months at a time, in self-directed writing retreats. One day I heard two women on the bus talking about Ghost Ranch, and I was intrigued. I was stunned by the landscape, and after that started taking classes at Santa Fe Clay. The way adobe homes seem to rise up out of the earth was fascinating. At the same time, I was drawn to the work of Debra Fritts, Adrian Arleo and Jane Flint. Thus began my study of figurative ceramics. It took a number of years to get a studio up and running at my home in Eagle River, Alaska, where I’ve lived for 40 years. We recently built a house in Abiquiu, and I’m setting up a studio there so I can work in both places. 

"Owl's Cry" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

"Drum" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe your studio

My studio in Alaska is a couple hundred square feet of space I share with my husband, who works in glass. The light is flat during the winter months, my most productive time, and is completely different than the vibrant sunshine experienced in Abiquiu. I’m drawn to both landscapes; both are wild and raw and inspirational in their own ways.

"Ukraine" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe your work 

As a visual artist, I exercise an eclectic approach in creating clay sculptures of women. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by a story or quote that leads to a psychological insight, a memory, or the marking of a specific occasion. Then I’ll make a sketch to parse out a theme. 

I enjoy trying new cold treatments on my sculptures, including slip trailing, image transfers, mixed media, and encaustic elements. Women and animals are often juxtaposed and I usually work within a limited palette.  My ceramic work has been on display at the Anchorage Museum, the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Enso Circle Invitational Artist Residency and others. 

"Rock Hunter's Wife" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Describe any work you do that promotes clay community

I am volunteering at Ghost Ranch to help rebuilt Pot Hollow after the 2015 flood. I am eager to meet other clay artists in northern New Mexico. The clay community is very small in Alaska, the ground not conducive to harvesting clay, and most are production potters. 

"Ravenna" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

Climbing mountains, skiing, and writing. I have published 5 children’s books and my most recent adult non-fiction book, Water Mask, was completed at Ghost Ranch, which proved to be a very quiet, productive place. I’m currently working on a novel titled The Memory of Geese.

"Becoming" by Monica Devine. Photo from the artist. 

Do you play music in your studio?

I’m an old hippie so I cling to 70’s music, Americana, and blues. I listen to Joni Mitchell a lot, and enjoy her modern-day geniuses Brandi Carlisle and Taylor Swift.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

I have, or used to have, a collection of pitchers and vessels that were destroyed in the 2016 earthquake. I’ve museum-puttied other pieces since then!

What caused you to join NMPCA? 

The desire to meet other northern New Mexico artists. I’m pretty new at this endeavor and am excited to learn from others.

Jim Romberg moved to New Mexico in 2024, but has contributed to the clay community here over many years. Read on to learn more.

How did you first get interested in clay? 

I had several encounters with clay as an undergraduate student of ancient history. A friend was taking a ceramics class and invited me to give it a try. Later my sister did the same and it was intriguing to throw a pot.

Describe your studio. 

A converted two car garage with spaces for the wheel, glazing, slab construction and painting.

Title:  Sunset Dreams. Photo by the artist.

Describe your “work.”

Although I started at Pottery Northwest in Seattle with stoneware and salt glazed work, an introduction to Raku at a summer workshop there with Paul Soldner captured my imagination. I have been doing Raku work ever since. Inspired by the history of Raku, its effect on culture, the immediacy of directly handling the work at every step and the interaction with glaze, fire and smoke is continually inspiring. My work is abstract vessels and sculpture presenting pieces that will hopefully provoke questions and contemplation about human nature and our place in the world. 

Title:  Tracings of a Dream. Photo by the artist.

Describe any work you do that promotes “clay community."

I have directed two conferences, “Raku: Origins, Impact, Contemporary Expression,” and “Critical Santa Fe, promoting criticism in contemporary ceramics.”  Recently I have been working with MAKE SANTA FE to promote classes and the practice of Raku for the community .

When you are not working in your studio, what do you enjoy? 

Certainly, the art and culture of Santa Fe and a little fly fishing on the side.

Do you play music in your studio? If yes, what do you listen to? 

 Yes, I do play music in the studio. Combinations of jazz and classical.

What other pottery do you have in your home? 

Native American vessels, tea bowls of Toshio Ohi, other work of Fabienne Giorgia, Aline Favre, Tim Andrews, Paul Soldner, Tom Coleman, Terry Shepherd, Patrick Crabb, and various contemporary Japanese Potters.

What caused you to join NMPCA? Describe involvement with NMPCA, and how many years you have been involved?

I first worked with NMPCA at the Ghost Ranch with Jenny Lind and Jim Kempes.  I have participated in shows and events with NMPCA, including the Celebration at the Taos Ceramics Center and the recent celebration in Albuquerque as a panel member discussing the future of contemporary ceramics. 

I joined NMPCA to interact with fellow artists involved with clay about issues important to the field. 

Portrait of  the artist.