Course Listing - by Instructor
| Name | Biography |
|---|---|
| Melanie Atherton | From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be an artist. However, it wasn’t until recently I knew what that meant for me. Born and raised on the south coast of Massachusetts, I received my BFA in Jewelry & Metals (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) after bouncing around for quite a bit. In the years prior to receiving my BFA, I dabbled in many mediums from industrial design to painting. I also received my MFA in Visual Arts. (Vermont College of Fine Arts) If you would have told me ten years ago that I would become a professional metalsmith, I may have laughed. Both of my parents were metalsmiths having originally met while in school together. Unfortunately, neither are practicing. That’s why it is sort of bizarre that I have landed here. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way. My education as well as my personal experiences have undoubtedly led me to where I am today, and I can’t wait to see where this journey will take me. I look forward to meeting you and helping you on your creative journey as well! |
| John Barrett | Learn more about John and his work here: Bladeandwheel.com |
| Rachel Benson | |
| Alondra Biberos | |
| Clay Studio Faculty | |
| Gina Cranford | |
| Tiffany DeFreitas | |
| Rachel Dubicki | |
| Paul Dumanoski | Paul Dumanoski studied photography at the Worcester Center for Crafts under Peter Faulkner. The subject for his work is the environment, both natural and man-made. He has exhibited his photographs in juried shows throughout the region and recently won an award in Preservation Worcester's Architectural Images VI. |
| Louis Garcia | |
| Jon Glabus | |
| Peter Grigg | Peter Grigg Education Past work Artist Statement |
| Polly Marie Hansel | www.pollyachiart.com |
| Nicholas Hesson | Nicholas Hesson is an art educator, jeweler, enamelist, and CAD designer. His work utilizes a combination of digital and hand fabrication processes inspired by the human form and iconography associated with memento mori, beauty, and the human body. After receiving his Associate in Fine Arts from Bucks County Community College he worked there as a 3D Arts Lab Technician maintaining the day-to-day operations of the studio. He simultaneously pursued his Bachelors in Fine Arts as he commuted to Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University where he assisted instructors as a teaching assistant as well as took classes. He received his BFA in Metals/Jewelry/CAD/CAM from Tyler in 2020. In the Spring of 2023, he graduated with his MFA in Metal Design from East Carolina University where he worked as a graduate teaching assistant. He now resides in the New England area where he works as a Silversmith for Tiffany & Co. |
| Casey Hickey | |
| Patti Kelly | |
| Jeanne Kowal | |
| Holly Lauer | |
| Lori Mader | Lori Mader Education Achievements Artist Statement Exhibitions Online Work Website |
| Caterina Maina | |
| Carly Manfre | |
| Tom O'Malley |
Tom O'Malley began studying ceramics in high school and received his BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1985. He received his MFA, with honors, from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1994. O'Malley has exhibited nationally and internationally, winning numerous awards. He received an LCC Grant in 1998 and his pottery was the recipient of the People's Choice Award at the 2002 Strictly Functional Pottery National. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including Lark Books 500 Tiles, and is slated to appear in the forthcoming publication 21st Century Ceramics. He has taught at RISD, Rhode Island College, Becker College, Worcester State University and the Worcester Center for Crafts, and has presented a variety of workshops and lectures throughout New England. He has been a board member of The Studio Potter since 2005 and currently is the Studio Liaison and Program Director of the Worcester Center for Crafts. View Tom's Latest Work and Profile: Tom O'Malley Ceramics |
| Dahlia Popovits | Dahlia Popovits has been weaving creative cloth for 40 years. She designs and hand-weaves all the garments and accessories in her collection. The tactile aspect of the work also draws her in, as she encourages a visitor to feel the softness of a bamboo jacket. Bamboo has become a popular material for environmentally-conscious clothing designers because of its sustainability. “It’s an incredibly comfortable fiber that wicks away moisture and is comfortable year round.” Inspired by fashion, color, texture and nature, her clothing is comfortable, stylish and distinctive, with fans who know it when they see it on other women. “When somebody wears a Dahlia garment to a meeting or function and another woman says, ‘Oh, you’re wearing a Dahlia,’ it’s recognized, and that to me feels great.” |
| Jamie Rhode | |
| Rick Rocha | |
| Lois Rossiter | |
| Tomo Sakai |
Tomo graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan, with a specialization in glass, and went on study glass engraving and coldworking in the Czech Republic. She was an artist-in-residence at Worcester Center for Crafts from 2012-2014, and now has her own studio in Worcester. She teaches regularly at the Worcester Center for Crafts, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the Corning Museum of Glass. Website: www.cruzesakai.com
Instagram: @cruzesakai
Education Artist Statement "My journey as an artist has been informed by my experience growing up in Japan - the nexus of a profound, traditional past in co-existence and interaction with an energetic, hyper-modern future. My choice of glass as a medium reflects my experience: it is both rooted in traditional techniques while at the same time projecting a modern materiality. I want to capture this reality in my work, balancing the old and the new, honoring tradition and innovation, exploring past and future." Exhibitions |
| Claudia Sarver | |
| Jana Silver | |
| Maya Stern | |
| Joshua Swalec | Education and Experience Awards and Achievements Artist Statement I strive to make art which is functional, and which leaves people wondering how it was made. As a blacksmith, I integrate ancient and modern technologies to produce effective and beautiful tools and products. Website Blog Facebook Page |
| Jennifer Swan | Jen Swan is a teaching artist and mural painter who shares her love of art with the diverse community of Worcester and its surrounding cities and towns. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she currently teaches classes for the Worcester Art Museum, Listening Wellness Center, The Overlook, LACI Homeschoolers and in many public and private schools as a Cultural Partner. Making connections between art and nature has also inspired collaborations with the Audubon and EcoTarium. Her recent paintings explore art and ecology as she portrays the web of interrelationships in our environment. Through plein air landscapes, botanical and wildlife studies, she wishes to creatively propose new possibilities for coexistence, sustainability and healing. |
| Victoria Taft | |
| Ava Travers | |
| Rachel Tufts | |
| Beth Woodruff |