Check out our awesome 2024 teachers

Jessica Putnam-Phillips is a ceramic artist, USAF veteran, and educator. She received her MFA from Lesley University College of Art and Design and her BA from UNC-Wilmington. Jessica actively promotes ceramic art and education and is the founder of ClayShare.com, an online school for ceramic learning. Her work has been in national and international exhibitions, most notably at the Museum of Craft and Design, the Craft and Folk-Art Museum, the American Museum of Ceramic Art and the Veterans’ Art Museum. She is a past winner of the Zanesville Prize and was named a potter to watch by C-File. Jessica has been a presenter at NCECA, ClayCon West, and the Veteran’s Triennale and Art Summit. When not traveling for workshops, presentations, and residencies she can be found in her Vermont studio developing and filming classes for ClayShare and creating new ceramic work. 

 Bob Moreni is a 30-year tenured employee with Mayco Colors. In his role as Designer, he has specialized in low fire ceramics and non-fired mediums. During his 58 years in the hobby ceramic field, Bob has done it all from teaching to owning his own ceramic studio in Philadelphia, PA, to creating finished samples for several mold companies. Bob enjoys all aspects of Ceramic Arts, including dabbling with stoneware and high fire projects. Above all else, Bob enjoys teaching and sharing his knowledge with teachers, students, hobbyists, and even other professionals through domestic and international workshops and shows throughout his many years of experience 

Hi, you can call me Alex! Alexandria Pottery Co. offers a unique collection of pottery tools for the budding artist to the seasoned potter. From forms to function, we know you will find the tools to make the things you love! My husband and I are blessed to have our children spend time in studio and helping with tools, which makes us a true family business. I personally love making a wide range of work on the wheel and by slab. You’ll find texture and inspirations from nature in my own work. Our family loves to serve the pottery community and we truly hope our tools inspire you to make something amazing! 

Debi DelaCruz is the owner and creator of De La Design Pottery tools. Debi’s background is in Stainless Steel Design Engineering. The company she worked for formed vessels from sheets of steel in much the same way that vessels can be made from slabs of clay. Debi has since combined her 3D design experience with her love for slab-built pottery. De La Design is located in Springfield, MO and is run by Debi and her husband Jeff. The company also employs Debi’s daughter Corie, son Grant and Grant’s wife McKenzie. 

Melanie Kaffl joined the ceramics industry in 2002 when she opened a contemporary ceramics studio called Glazed to Perfection. In 2007, she joined the staff of Chesapeake Ceramics as a technical representative and new-studio trainer, serving both contemporary and traditional studio customers until 2019. After a short venture into other industries, Melanie returned to her favorite community in 2021 with the launch of her custom overglaze decal business, CeramiPics. When she’s not educating customers on how to enhance their work with decal embellishments, she can be found experimenting with new decorating techniques at her home in suburban Maryland with her husband, Scott, and their two corgis, Peanut and Sophie. 

Michael Harbridge got started in the ceramic industry when they completed a ceramic project as a Cub Scout. He's owned studios, worked for a publishing company, brush manufacturer, and is the creator of clay puzzling methods and former owner of LearnFiredArts.com and Forma-Leaf. He's currently the Education Director for Mayco Colors and the owner of Fired Arts Expo. He has a strong background in education and teaches workshops around the world and in his studio in central Wisconsin with his wife Jeannine. 

Paula McCoy is the owner of Colors for Earth and has over 35 years of experience in fired arts.  Paula has a unique and recognizable style to her work as she designs and creates projects for fused glass and ceramics.  She is recognized nationwide for her contributions to education in fired arts.  She has taught for many fired arts brands before her purchase of the company in 2006 which was a fired ceramic color company.  In 2007 Paula added fused glass products to the Colors for Earth product line and it has evolved to what it is today with enamels, non-enamels, and specialty products that can be used on fused glass.  Paula shows you different ways to use her products so that you get the most out of them.

Paula takes artistic license with realism in a bright, fresh, and picturesque manner. Woven through each one of her designs is the stamp of her creativity. She ventures from dazzling to elegant in the subjects she chooses to re-create in fired art.  Paula has traveled extensively doing trade shows and teaching others her style of decorating. She is based in the Dallas–Fort Worth Region of the U.S. 

Traveling and teaching across the country allows Paula to pass along the excitement and enthusiasm for ceramic and fused glass art to my students covering general ceramics through advanced techniques including, firing, casting, brush strokes, hand building, piping techniques, glazing, carving, overglazes, fused glass painting, multi-layered pieces, piping, and specialty products.  Paula's objectives are to make sure the students enjoy the learning experience in a comfortable atmosphere.

Paula has free videos and techniques on her website and YouTube channel.  She also does Facebook and YouTube live broadcasts to continue to bring new projects and techniques to artists.

Paula has free videos and techniques on her website and YouTube channel.  She also does Facebook and YouTube live broadcasts to continue to bring new projects and techniques to artists.

 Hello, my name is Lorrie Wickman and I have been passionate about ceramics since high school, and I opened my first studio in 1990, The Potter's Wheel. As life goes, I was busy raising my family and working full-time as a Social Worker, and my shop had to be put on hold. A few years ago, I started working in my studio again and have since been able to switch from working full-time for someone else, to working full-time doing what I love! So this is how we've arrived at The Potter's Wheel Too. I have been especially intrigued with the Raku process, and I have now been specializing in the Raku firing technique for more than 15 years. For those who aren't familiar with Raku firings, Raku firing is an ancient Japanese ceramics technique that has been used for centuries to create a very unique finish to wares. The Raku technique dates back to the 16th century. The Raku technique is essentially when glazed ceramics are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and are then placed in a material that would be able to catch fire, such as sawdust or newspaper. This technique is used to starve the piece of oxygen, which creates a myriad of colors within the glaze 

Kathy Skaggs earned her M.A.E. in Education from the Rhode Island School of Design and her M.F.A. in Ceramics from the University of Florida.  She was published in Studio Potter and received an NAE grant to construct her first kiln and equip a studio after graduate school.  Kathy has worked at the Cleveland Art Institute and Penland School of Crafts as a studio assistant. She has been an adjunct at the University of North Florida and University for Florida where she taught classes in the Education and Ceramics Department.  She owned Atlantic Pottery Supply and taught Ceramics for over 30 years in Florida public schools.  Currently she works as a Ceramic Education Consultant & Teacher for AMACO teaching teachers how to use clay in their classrooms.

Jeff Rottman is the founder and owner of GR Pottery Forms. The company was started in 2014 after Jeff had used the Forms in classes at his studio and for production work that he sold at Fine Art Fairs across the Midwest. The studio he built was called TheGrandRapidsPottery and had 40 members when he sold it to the membership to focus on GR Pottery Forms. Currently Jeff travels all over the globe demoing the Forms and chasing after his family. The company fluctuates between 2-6 employees and has distributors all over the globe. Jeff and his wife Gretchen have 3 kids (18, 15, 11) Jeff enjoys fishing, golfing and of course travelling.