I am attempting to raise money to assist me in building a make-space for my ceramics. The ceramic arts have been a passion of mine for well over a decade. While I was introduced to clay at a very young age it didn't take hold of me until the end of my time as an undergraduate at the University of North Texas. From that point on it became my favorite obsession which has motivated me to lift myself out of a destructive lifestyle. I fell in love with the tactically of the medium and the idea of making, sharing, and teaching functional art. Through the last twenty years of exploring ceramics I have never found a dead end or an avenue that was not worth exploring. 


My current studio space occupies the garage in our home. Because of this I have to share my space with household maintenance items and other storage. My kilns must be moved frequently to accommodate other needs, which damages them more rapidly.  The space is lit by a single fluorescent fixture in the middle of the room and there is little space to lay out work that is in progress. This means a break in my making cycle and repeatedly moving kilns and work tables around to accommodate vehicles or other household demands. During the summer months firing kilns in the garage heats the space to over 120 degrees fahrenheit making it challenging to continue making for the duration of the firing and cooling.  


But as much as I love creating art, I equally love teaching others ceramics. Due to Covid, finding studio arts teaching positions is difficult; even my previous teaching position was dissolved. Aside from this space being a personal studio, it would allow me to more effectively and efficiently teach online workshops or Zoom classes (and hopefully eventually in person lessons) to continue to share my passion for this art form. 


Having a new purpose built studio space will provide a stable making space that is an ergonomic, healthy space which will allow me to continue making my work without interruption. This new studio will replace a worn out shed already on the property and will have appropriate lighting, windows, purpose built shelving and tables. I am currently budgeting $7000 for the initial build of the studio with another $2000 for the wiring and other finishing expenses and another $1000 for other expenses that might arise. I am planning on building the studio myself with the help of a few friends to help keep costs lower. The electrical will have to be installed by a professional so I am anticipating higher expenses with that. I would like to start breaking ground on this project in December or as soon as possible. 


The ceramic arts have been my passion for more than a decade now. I have been an active artist since before I completed my graduate school in 2011 and have exhibited around the country and in a few international shows. I have been fortunate enough to have been a resident artist at many different craft centers around the country which have aided in my artistic development and growth. But with the current pandemic, teaching work has all but dissolved so I made the decision to put down roots and start focusing on being a studio artist instead of an educator. In making this choice I left behind various teaching positions and communities that have supported me not only financially but also through providing workspaces and equipment access. 


 I have spent the last six months looking for rentable spaces that could become a studio space and eventually a community teaching space but none of them have worked out. This has led me to the desire to build my own studio space. While I have some funds set aside for this build, I do not have enough to complete it. Establishing a personal studio space in Denton will hopefully be the first step in allowing me to support myself primarily with my art. 

In doing this, I hope to be able to eventually establish a ceramic teaching center in 5-10 years where I can help provide arts education to the non-university portion of the community.


Being able to establish this studio space would help me start putting down the foundation to have a more functional business and educational space by being able to consistently manufacture my wares and offer online classes. This would mean that I could dedicate myself more completely to my art and be able to support myself more efficiently. This would ideally mean that I wouldn't have to continue the second and third jobs I have to make ends meet. This would be a dream situation for me and I would appreciate any assistance and support in making this dream a reality. Thank y’all so much for your time and consideration,