Well-crafted, delightfully ambiguous pottery.
Sometimes, artful.
Scroll to learn about the handmade, functional art I exhibit and sell.
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Some Recent Images
Click here to shop the web Store
Boulanger Pottery can be found at the Mojo Coffee Gallery in Northeast, Minneapolis, as well as the Grand Hand Gallery in Saint Paul, MN.
Boulanger Pottery hosts backyard sales in the fall and spring. Like Boulanger Pottery on Facebook to be the first to know the dates or send us your email to be added to the email list.
Artist’s Statement
I am an educator, a potter, an artist.
My passions for clay and second language education initially began as separate strands of life and have become interwoven. As a Spanish teacher I use methods that rely on and trust in the human brain’s unique power and ability to acquire language naturally. If the environment is optimized for language acquisition, the brain absorbs complex rules without effort. Subconsciously. I strive to create the optimized environment that allows the brain to do its job.
As a potter I strive to optimize forms for the wood-fired kiln. My pots acquire character naturally, absorbing the complex flames without effort. Subconsciously. Like the brain, fire alone is empowered to deliver – in ways we cannot fully anticipate – natural, rich and complex surfaces that only such a force of nature can create.
I choose to make functional forms as a nod of appreciation to the Minnesota clay tradition that inspires and influences me. I alter my pots, creating delightfully ambiguous forms as a reminder that life is too precious to squander through the deteriorating bottom of a cardboard cup. I aim for imperfectly beautiful pieces that engage the senses and spark curiosity.
My work creates the opportunity to slow the pace of life; teapots for celebrating the unexpected visit of a friend; tea bowls that give pause, if only for a moment, as one decides from which side to take the next sip; fingers that trace the marks of the fire and contemplate its story as they glide over the surface of a platter.
Ceramics CV
Recent Exhibitions:
2022
Landmark Summer Art Popup – Invitational – Landmark Center, St. Paul, MN Bowls
2015
Empty Bowls Invitational Exhibit – Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, TX – Juror: Dan Hammett
2014
Empty Bowls Invitational Exhibit – Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, TX – Juror: Patsy Cox
“Tabeltop” – An international juried exhibit of functional tabletop ceramics – The Art League, Alexandria, Virginia – Juror: Tony Clennell
2013
Empty Bowls Invitational Exhibit – Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, TX
“Tea Bowl National 2013” Kansas City Clay Guild – Juror: Doug Jeppesen
“The CAMEO 6th International Texas Teapot Tournament” 18 Hands Gallery, Houston TX – Juror: Piero Fenci
2012
“Tea Bowl National 2012” Kansas City Clay Guild – Juror: Bede Clarke
“Dining In V: An Artful Experience” 18 Hands Gallery, Houston, TX
Publications:
500 Teapots, Volume 2. Juror: Jim Lawton. Lark Publishing. Published Summer, 2013