State of the Studio 2020
/It’s been quite a year of upheaval. There was a dramatic change in the energy at Rat City Studios as Covid-19 closed down studio activities completely. This was immediately followed by a major pivot to online teaching and online sales. Inequities brought to the center of attention by the Black Lives Matter Movement have shifted our conversations and caused us to educate ourselves and set new goals. (read about this more on the About Page). A slow re-opening has brought back assistants and members. Limitations on gatherings and scheduling visits allow us to physically distance in a safe manner. There is a waitlist for membership currently. Group activities like classes and Sip N Spin’s are on long term hold. Evaluation, of where we are, where we have been, and new goal setting, is a major part of this season.
The “Get a Leg UP” Alumni Award will be given for the second time in February 2021. Stay Tuned for more details.
As Covid-19 banishes planning and the future, the “NOW” or our present moment comes to the forefront more than ever. We are trying our best to embrace this as a gift.
Anika was invited, and decided to stay on a third year! Krista is entering her second year. and we welcome Brooke who brings a bright new energy to our days. We are knitting together our community by supporting each other, sharing energy, commiserating, and fostering this creative space together. Read on about the Studio Assistants at Rat City Studios Below…
Artist Statement - https://www.kristacorteseceramics.com/
My functional pottery explores form and color. I am continually learning from my studio practice and exploring the nuances of shape and design and how small changes can affect the function and aesthetic of a piece. I am constantly reworking forms so they feel balanced in your hands and are pleasurable to drink from, eat off of and even clean. This meditative process feeds my curiosity and grounds me through physical movements and tactile sensations. Pottery is a tool to give form to my thoughts, an act of self expression and examination. Most of the forms I work with are ones I use most frequently around home and when I’m cooking and sharing meals with friends and family. I strive to bring people together through the functionality and artistry of clay. My forms are both candid and precious, minimalist and elegant. They celebrate the rituals of everyday life in all of their beauty and simplicity. I make pots for people to use, to share with friends and family at the dinner table or over morning coffee. Art is for everybody and through my pots I hope we can all learn to treasure the marks we make on this world.
Artist Bio
I was born and raised in Washington and then later, North Dakota. I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in Sculpture. In 2016, I got involved with the Continuing Education program at North Seattle College and was able to jump back into a ceramics studio. In 2018 I started my own ceramic studio. In July 2019, I began an assistantship to Deborah Schwartzkopf at Rat City Studios in Seattle. I currently work full time as a studio potter and ceramic educator in Seattle, Washington. I make functional pottery to use everyday; from rinsing berries to pouring a cocktail, it's for everyone. Some of my favorite hobbies, cooking and photography, give life to my pots and are a constant source of inspiration. My mission is to bring you unique and thoughtful pots to inspire people to treasure the small-scale and the artistry behind function. My pottery sales hope to bring awareness to the social and political inequities that surround our communities and nation at large. As an artist, I plan to give back to the community that supports me. Currently, 15% of sales are donated to Black-led organizations in Seattle and the surrounding areas.
Artist Statement - https://www.instagram.com/felix_ceramics/
My pottery explores the relationship between culture and human interaction. Influence from my heritage, I find myself drawing patterns and designs which are both traditional and modern. Incorporating these designs, I use a variety of methods like sgraffito or engraving. Besides the technique the true importance lies in the stages of clay, I develop my design with the drying process working towards a unity between the form and design. My work is meant to be a comfort with functionality. Durable, unique and with intentional weight, pieces are meant to be held standing up or however one feels comfortable. The multi-purpose of my functional pots is to place themselves in daily life.
Artist Bio
Born in Southern California now a current resident in Washington State. In 2018 I began my journey with clay by taking a pottery class at Green River Community College. Following after classes I volunteered at Green River until 2020. In 2019 I had worked at an overnight camp in Becket, Massachusetts teaching ages 7 to 16 ceramics and crafts. As of July 2020, I am one of three assistants for Deborah Schwartzkopf at Rat City Studios in West Seattle
Artist Statement - https://www.anikamajor.com/
Using clay as a canvas, I mold the soft and playful aspects of my femininity into comforting objects designed for everyday use. My functional forms are hand built using slab and coiling construction methods, each piece being unique and reminiscent of the body in that no two are alike. Ideas of human tenderness and sexuality, interpersonal relationships, and domesticity are embedded into the surface of my forms through their figurative and narrative focus. The softness of the form and plump shape of the pot is designed to bring the user a sense of comfort.
I build up thin, painterly layers of underglaze to imitate oil painting, and scratch through them with sgrafitto tools. I use linear elements of loops and scribbly lines that are playful and kinetic to emphasizes my love of texture in the human body, particularly hair in its different forms. I enjoy seeing people in their comforts, bodies in their everyday existence, and to share them through my own eyes. To know someone is a gift, and to share a meal with them is a special form of intimacy that I enjoy facilitating through my work. I’m grateful that my pottery is part of the larger narrative that is a person’s life, that they can share a meal over my plates or pick the mug with the character they relate the most with. The central figures on my pots are heroes of their own story, and with a personality that takes the shape of the vessel.
Artist Bio
I am a Texas-born artist living and working in Seattle, WA. I’m currently a studio assistant to Deborah Schwartzkopf and have taught classes at Rat City Studios and Moshier Community Art Center. I received my BFA in 2018 from the University of North Texas in Ceramics and Painting. My functional handbuilt forms and painterly surface designs are figurative in focus and emphasize soft, intimate, and domestic subject matter. I am currently investigating larger serving forms and diversifying my glaze color palette.
