Theresa Bockenstedt
www.tbockdesigns.com
I love the feeling of a hand made piece and wanted to take that feeling even farther with texture.  I grew up in a house with lots of fabric and quilts.  I loved the prints, and now I feel like I can bring them to life and make my own prints with my stamps! I hand carve stamps from clay that I use in most of my pieces. However I have have used linoleum, plastic, wood and whatever I can get my hands on to make texture on pots.  I love having functional pieces that can be used and enjoyed everyday.

Linda Folden
www.lindafolden.com
I was born in Macau and raised in Hong Kong and have lived in the United States for many years.  Drawing inspiration from my life experiences all of my pieces represent a piece of who I've been, who I am, and most importantly who I am becoming.  From functional pieces with hand carved motifs to figures with emotions that many people have experienced; each piece reflects my thoughts, feelings, reflections and emotions.  Using pinch pot, coil, slab built, carving and cutting techniques, I hand create each piece while employing various glazes, stains, oxides to enhance each timeless work of art.

Linda Hardie
www.hardieclay.com​
I completed a BFA from Alfred University, NY in 1990. After graduation, I moved to Pittsburgh, PA and worked for the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild as a "Artist in Education" for several years. During this time, I continued to develop my own work and participated in gallery shows in the Pittsburgh area.

In 1994, I decided to pursue a career in Computer Science. I completed a Master's of Science at Indiana University and then moved to Virginia where I worked at a university managing servers and teaching computer science courses. After twenty years working in the IT field, I finally returned to the studio on a part-time basis. Last July, I moved to Iowa and I made the decision to open my own studio as a full-time potter.

My work is primarily functional.  I start with classic forms which are then altered with textures.  These changes are sometimes slow and methodical and sometimes sudden and violent.  After each alteration, the piece is reshaped from the inside to regain its volume while retaining the texture.  My goal is to show how outside forces do change the shape but these changes can add to the strength and beauty of the piece.​

Sheri Heiland
Sheri Heiland studied ceramics at Iowa State University and Central State University in Edmond, OK.  She was honored to apprentice with Karl Christianson of Wilton, Iowa before he retired.  She has been a potter for over 30 years and has been the resident potter in the Cultural Center at the Iowa State Fair for the past 16 years.  Her work is mostly functional with a few bits of whimsy thrown in.  Until she moved 4 years ago, Sheri worked with high fire stoneware. She is currently exploring a new pallet of glazes while firing in an electric kiln at lower temperatures.

Greg Lamont
www.lamontpottery.com​
My work references Korean and Japanese folk pottery traditions and their influence on western potterymaking over the last century. I make vessels that relate primarily to the preparation and serving of food and drink, and the beautification of one’s surroundings. I believe a substantial part of the beauty of handmade pottery lies in its use, and the pottery I create is intended to take an active part in one’s daily life. I strive to create pottery that is fresh and alive in its form, color and surface, and performs its intended function well.
 
I also am a founding member and current clay and facilities manager at Creative Artists’ Studios of Ames, located in Ames, Iowa, where I maintain my studio. I teach potterymaking at my studio and at the Workspace on the Iowa State University campus.
 
My wish is that you will incorporate my pottery as a part of your daily life and that you will sense the excitement and pleasure that I have enjoyed in making it.

Emily MacFarland
www.emilymacfarlandceramics.com
I am a potter living in Des Moines, Iowa. I make elegant functional porcelain pottery that is hand painted and hand carved with bright lively designs.  I am a mother to three teen aged children. I studied ceramics at the Art Institute of Kansas City, The University of Wisconsin - River Falls, and Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids. I currently work at the Des Moines Art Center in the ceramics department as an open studio instructor.

Marion Nehmer
www.marionnehmerpottery.com
Growing up, Marion was surrounded with art collected by her mother during her travels across Europe and Japan. Her home was filled with gorgeous silks, ceramics and beautifully hand carved objects that made an impression on her and still influence her in her creative process. She studied art in college, making ceramics her area of interest.

Marion creates functional fine craft ceramic art that is wheel thrown and altered. She looks for inspiration in the human figure and in nature. Human gestures and curves are subtly reflected in her shapes; the curve of a waist, the bend of an arm. An intimate gesture completes the piece; the hand that picks up a cup, pulls it to the lips and drinks. 
Marion has been honored to have work published in "500 Plates and Chargers," by Lark Books and currently works in a studio in Des Moines, where she lives.
Following form and function, timeless stoneware and porcelain pieces are created with the intent to be used every day.​

Eric Peterson

Housed in a new shop downtown on 2nd Street in Perry, Eric Peterson is known for his functional kitchenware as well as wood fired pottery and local material glazes. The barn houses both a gallery and working studio.

Dan Sorensen
Dan attended Luther College where he studied Art with a concentration in Ceramics under Dean Schwarz.  Following graduation and with Dean's recomendation enrolled at Pond Farm Pottery in Guerneville CA where he studied under the master Potter, Marguerite Wildenhain.  

In the fall of 1968 Dan began a career as Art Instructor in the Swea City, IA School.  Dan met his wife Judy, a kindergarten teacher.  They made their home in Swea City where they raised their family.  It was in this home with a stone foundation that Stone Cellar Pottery was born and for 35 years Dan balanced a career as teacher and studio potter.  Dan retired from teaching in 2003 and now devotes his time to making pottery. 
Dan has exhibited in many shows.  Most notably the 2002 "Ripples Exhibit" which was shown in three venues in the United States, "The Legacy of Marguerite Wildenhain in Sabastapol CA.  His work is in th collection of the Mcnider Museum in Mason City, IA, The Pond Farm Collection at Luther College, the Nobles County Arty Center in Worthington, MN, The Stinson Prairie Arts council in Algona, IA and many private collections. 
Dan's work is wheel thrown, functional and the surfaces are often carved and decorated.  ​

Ruben Ruiz
My fascination with nature is a major influence in my work. My aim is to create pieces that inspire a smile.
My work is made with porcelain or stoneware clay. I wheel throw most of my pieces and then either alter them, add texture, and/or create sculptural details.

Each piece is individually glazed and then fired in a reduction atmosphere at a temperature above 2100 degrees.
It was in 2005 that a became in contact with clay for the first time, at the Irvine Fine Arts Center in California where I learned wheel throwing. The hand building part of my work is a self-taught process.

Lisa Jontz
http://backyardpottery.webs.com
Inspired by the beauty of nature in her own backyard, potter Lisa Jontz founded Backyard Pottery in 2001.   After moving to a Baxter, Iowa farm in 2006, she found herself creatively stimulated by the gorgeousness of God's country - the bountiful Midwest plains.
Lisa designs highly functional yet artistic pieces so people can incorporate art into their daily lives.  Her one-of-a-kind pieces are guaranteed to encourage enjoyment of life's everyday moments.
Alongside Lisa in her studio you may find her husband, son or extended family.  She considers their practical and aesthetic advice a treasured component of her creative process.

Alex Wilson
My aim is to offer aesthetically pleasing and useful ware for everyday use, and to commemorate special events.

I use the cow-horn and goose-quill to decorate my pots in the country pottery tradition of Britain and early America.
My ware is safe in the dishwasher, can be used in the oven and microwave; and harbours no lead in its body, slips or glazes.