With a plethora of continuously evolving tools and technology, contemporary potters enjoy unlimited pathways in forming, altering, decorating, and firing to express themselves through ceramics. The boundaries of the past are gone. Not only are we encouraged to break all the rules, but we are also inspired to imagine what’s never been tried, then try it. It’s why this is truly the best job, because I get to spend my days looking at everyone’s wild ideas.
Many of you know (since you avidly read this letter) that my first attempts at throwing pots didn’t go so smoothly, and when I finally threw a 12-inch cylinder, I wouldn’t touch it. It got glazed and fired just like that. In fact, I’m surprised I even put it in the kiln. But, like many ceramic artists, once I became more confident in my skills and understood the material’s behavior (along with the power of recycling clay), I soon stepped out and started darting, piercing, squishing, folding, and stretching in every way I could. It was a freeing way to build, and I still crave how clay allows for that treatment without too much pushback, which is why, when it was suggested that we run our annual contest with an alterations theme, Altered States, I was all in.
This year’s entries were remarkably imaginative, and we loved how small additions (Chance Taylor 1), bold cuts (Ana Shioshita 2, Kaitlyn Cushing 3), unexpected folds (Scott Jones 4), rearranged walls (Rupa Palasamudram 5), and dramatic relief work (Huey Lee 6) completely transformed pieces. Check out the alteration processes of this year’s six winning artists.
In addition to the contest, we are also showcasing Michigan artists in honor of the 2026 National Conference on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) in Detroit. Charlotte Grenier stamps a repeated pattern on a thrown dome to decorate a butter dish. Susan McHenry builds candelabras using handmade clay slump molds and covers them with painterly floral decorations. Lesley Bevan shepherds us through the process of throwing a large plate, slip-trailing a surface design, and prepping it for a soda kiln. Sarah Gelsanliter throws tall, closed forms, then alters them to hang snugly on the wall. Brian Westrick deftly throws a jar form, gives it a mirrored lid, then textures the surface with a serrated plastic knife. Finally, Alex Pratt dives into minimalist forms with complex, sgraffito surface patterns. Each of these artists shows how strong the clay community is in Michigan.
If you’re headed to NCECA in March, stop by the Pottery Making Illustrated booth and say hello. Better yet, stop by and tell me how you alter your pots. I can’t wait to hear all the great ideas! Cheers!
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With a plethora of continuously evolving tools and technology, contemporary potters enjoy unlimited pathways in forming, altering, decorating, and firing to express themselves through ceramics. The boundaries of the past are gone. Not only are we encouraged to break all the rules, but we are also inspired to imagine what’s never been tried, then try it. It’s why this is truly the best job, because I get to spend my days looking at everyone’s wild ideas.
Many of you know (since you avidly read this letter) that my first attempts at throwing pots didn’t go so smoothly, and when I finally threw a 12-inch cylinder, I wouldn’t touch it. It got glazed and fired just like that. In fact, I’m surprised I even put it in the kiln. But, like many ceramic artists, once I became more confident in my skills and understood the material’s behavior (along with the power of recycling clay), I soon stepped out and started darting, piercing, squishing, folding, and stretching in every way I could. It was a freeing way to build, and I still crave how clay allows for that treatment without too much pushback, which is why, when it was suggested that we run our annual contest with an alterations theme, Altered States, I was all in.
This year’s entries were remarkably imaginative, and we loved how small additions (Chance Taylor 1), bold cuts (Ana Shioshita 2, Kaitlyn Cushing 3), unexpected folds (Scott Jones 4), rearranged walls (Rupa Palasamudram 5), and dramatic relief work (Huey Lee 6) completely transformed pieces. Check out the alteration processes of this year’s six winning artists.
In addition to the contest, we are also showcasing Michigan artists in honor of the 2026 National Conference on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) in Detroit. Charlotte Grenier stamps a repeated pattern on a thrown dome to decorate a butter dish. Susan McHenry builds candelabras using handmade clay slump molds and covers them with painterly floral decorations. Lesley Bevan shepherds us through the process of throwing a large plate, slip-trailing a surface design, and prepping it for a soda kiln. Sarah Gelsanliter throws tall, closed forms, then alters them to hang snugly on the wall. Brian Westrick deftly throws a jar form, gives it a mirrored lid, then textures the surface with a serrated plastic knife. Finally, Alex Pratt dives into minimalist forms with complex, sgraffito surface patterns. Each of these artists shows how strong the clay community is in Michigan.
If you’re headed to NCECA in March, stop by the Pottery Making Illustrated booth and say hello. Better yet, stop by and tell me how you alter your pots. I can’t wait to hear all the great ideas! Cheers!
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