Meet the ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Rachel recently completed a 3-month residency at Truro Center for the Arts, Truro, MA. Referencing her work, Rachel states, “As a maker I am invested in the materiality of clay and the objects I create. Functional pottery is tangible by nature, but I strive to attain that aspect through the surface of my pots. Using slip to create texture and dimension allows one to navigate the form beyond its visual and functional features; It archives the movement of the maker and the material. It provides a history of the piece for the viewer to learn from, and myself to build off of. I see making is a constant exploration, in both material and potential. Handmade pottery has the power to make an impression on its beholders; it continues to have a life beyond its maker. My intention as a potter is to create work that documents my ever-growing knowledge of material.”

I am Alondra Biberos, a Mexican-American ceramic artist From the rural Pacific-Northwest Focusing on the interplay of clay and language. In September 2023, I completed a year as an artist in residence at Core Clay, a large commercial studio in Norwood, Ohio. I was hired full-time at Core Clay to teach hand-building and to run the social media. In February 2024, I opened my first solo exhibition, “Neighborhood Watch,” at Core Clay’s Mason Gallery in Norwood.

My first show was a gateway into storytelling figurative work. Now I want to build more pieces such as my “Double Dutch,” with suspensions that suggest motion. I want to explore tiles and beads as backgrounds for these larger pieces to better set the stage. I also want to reward a viewer for looking closely, so I’m pursuing the application of details such as carving and under glazing vessel interiors and bottoms.

My goal at the Worcester Center for Crafts is to grow as a teacher and an artist, to build upon what I have now so that I can give it to others.

Jana is a clay artist and educator residing in Western Massachusetts. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz. With over 30 years of experience as both an artist and educator, her ceramic work has been exhibited and sold internationally.  Jana is currently an artist in residence at the Worcester Center for Crafts, where she continues to explore and expand her artistic practice.