Matthew Krousey - Host Potter
I use stoneware to create pots decorated with abstract landscapes, flora, and fauna of Minnesota. The pieces are fired in a salt kiln resulting in durable objects, imbued with great variation and depth. The finished pottery is natural and mysterious like the landscape they are inspired by.
Conceptually, I look to the regionalist artists of the early 20th century who documented the rural landscapes of America. I see myself as a modern day Regionalist working with clay. Aesthetically, I am constantly looking to the folk pottery from around the world and aim for a minimalist approach to convey meaning when decorating. Fewer lines give my compositions power and movement.
My hope is that the daily use of my pots will be a gentle reminder to the public of the vanishing natural world around us.
2785 Stark Rd, Harris, MN 55032
Showroom is always open
www.mkrouseyceramics.com
Visit Matthew's webshop
Instagram: @mkrouseyceramics
Dan Finnegan, Fredericksburg, VA
My work stands at the intersection of traditional and contemporary pottery. I have a particular interest in medieval European salt glaze and 17th century English slipware but my earliest work in clay was sculptural and those very disparate bodies of work continue to inform the pots that I make today.
I enjoy the aesthetic challenges of making pots as well as the physical labor that being a potter and firing with wood entails. It is important to me that my work be finely crafted and made to a very high standard. I love the architectural qualities of clay, the permanence of stoneware, and the sweet magic that occurs when good pots, good food and good people come together!
danfinneganpottery.com
Visit Dan's webshop
Instagram: @dan_finnegan_pottery
Adam Gruetzmacher, Harris, MN
I make utilitarian pottery for everyday use. I am most influenced by craft objects that reflect the routines, values, and character of the makers and cultures in which they were made. I try to reference forms that are distilled and visually objective, aspiring to place the work closer to its root as a functional tool. I embellish the surface of my work minimally with the goal of emphasizing the object’s architecture, facilitating an unobtrusive relationship with the space around it. This work represents my personal concepts and questions having to do with utility, our cultural values and our relationships to the things we choose to surround ourselves with every day.
www.adamgruetzmacher.com
Visit Adam's webshop
Instagram: @adamgruetzmacher
Suze Lindsay, Bakersville, NC
I make pots that speak to domestic settings: for the table, for food prep and cooking, for serving, for celebrating and sharing. Some forms are simple, others more complex, as I throw, alter, assemble and construct with hand-built components. Function is a primary concern, yet I am equally interested in taking the pots out of the round, suggesting anthropomorphic/zoomorphic characteristics. I respond the these forms with brushstrokes, using slip decorating techniques, embellishing the surface with pattern and decoration. I like to think that I am creating a mood that entices interaction with the user. Finishing them in my salt kiln, then adds to an idea about warm and friendly pots. I like to ruminate thoughts that making pottery is the giving and receiving of thanks.
www.forkmountainpottery.com
Instagram: @suzepots57
Matthew Metz, Alfred Station, NY
I make functional porcelain pottery, that is salt glazed. The pots are decorated with images that, hopefully, enliven the forms and the user’s experience.
I am inspired by the history of pottery. The best work, to me, builds on this recognizable history, but in an individual voice. Both the recognition of what you know (old pots), and what you don’t (an individual’s new approach) can combine to provide a deep and rewarding experience.
Catie Miller, West Fargo, ND
Catie Miller is a potter and muralist based in Fargo, ND. Known for her brightly illustrated ceramics, she is especially recognized for her surface transfer technique—screen printing her drawings onto newsprint, painting them with colored slips, and pressing the imagery onto clay forms. The process leaves spontaneous marks, from paper wrinkles to weathered spots where the slip resists, adding texture and character. With dual degrees in Art Education and Ceramics from Minnesota State University Moorhead, her work has been featured in Pottery Making Illustrated, Ceramics Monthly, and other publications. Her playful designs--inspired by her boys’ knack for turning the outdoors into a treasure hunt, family pheasant hunting trips, gardening, and birdwatching--celebrate small moments, nostalgia, and shared human experiences, infusing everyday objects with vibrancy and connection.
www.catie-miller.com
Instagram: @catiemillerceramics
Hironobu "Nishi" Nishitateno, Loves Park, IL
My passion for making pottery springs from a desire to bring beauty and nature into daily life. I find inspiration everywhere I go, traveling with notebook in hand, sketching designs and shapes that can be incorporated into new works. My style is based on the simplicity and functionality of Japanese pottery, using natural materials and colors typical in nature. It is my belief that pottery should not be the center of attention on the dinner table; it should be simple and attractive, while discreetly adding to the delicious appearance of the food. I strive to create pottery that resonates with me and brings out my inner peace. It is my hope that the natural simplicity of my pottery can bring the same peace to others.
The entire process of creating a work of art excites me. My favorite tools are my hands. I love feeling the subtleties of the clay, in which slight changes bring out the wonders and beauty of the material and make a great impact on the final piece. I strive to incorporate the characteristics of the clay, such as flecks of iron, so that they are not hidden but honored. The potter’s wheel inspires me to add textures like spirals where glaze can naturally pool during firing. The kiln brings about a surprise ending, as the fire is variant by nature and can lend unexpected character to the final piece. My most exciting challenge in pottery is the precision required at every step to achieve an aura in the finished piece. I feel satisfaction when the character of the clay bursts forth with momentum while expressing my intention for the work, conveying a powerful emotion to collectors.
www.nantenpottery.com
Visit Nishi's webshop
Instagram: @NantenPottery
Kip O' Krongly, Northfield, MN
My ceramic work transforms everyday earthenware forms into intimate encounters with the natural world. Whether depicting penguins caught in an unexpected rain or capturing the fleeting beauty of garden blooms, I populate functional pots with characters that invite daily contemplation. These aren't just decorative elements - they're witnesses. Some bear testimony to larger environmental stories, while others celebrate the quiet resilience found in a backyard flower bed. Through a combination of vibrant surfaces and carefully crafted pieces, I aim to create tiny daily altars to paying close attention. It is my hope that these objects hold space for concern, curiosity and wonder, and help to remind us that our most meaningful relationships with nature happen in the small, repeated moments of daily life.
www.kipokrongly.com
Visit Kip's webshop
Instagram: @kipokrongly
Adama Sow, Hopkins, MN
I'm a ceramist originally from Senegal in West Africa. After graduating from high school I went to the Fine Art School of Dakar (Senegal) where I obtained my diploma in ceramics in 1987.
As a rookie in the art world I astonished everyone by the quality of my first exhibition at the Historic Museum of Goree in Dakar (Senegal) in 1989. During the next five years I worked in Soumbedioune Ceramics and in my workshop in the capital city of Senegal where also I offered classes to both adults and children.
www.ceramicsow.com
Instagram: @SowCeramic
David Swenson, Clearwater, MN
My work is about nostalgia and play. I'm inspired by motifs and patterns from folk and historical decorative arts as well as street art with outsider tendencies.
Pieces are meant to evoke feelings of times past, while incorporating inspired imagery from places i’ve visited, researched, and lived. These objects are meant to embellish the home, as well as to provide their services and entertainment.
linktr.ee/swenwares
Visit Swen’s webshop
Instagram: @swenwares