Creating Community with Clay
At Northwest Pottery Collective, we endeavor to make the ceramic arts accessible and enjoyable for students of all ages and abilities. We hope to support artists at all stages of their ceramic journeys, whether they have worked with clay for years or are just starting out. Our goal is to share our knowledge and love for the ceramic arts in a fun, welcoming, and community-oriented way. We hope that you will let us be a part of your journey!
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a welcoming and encouraging space for ceramic artists of all ages and abilities to engage with the ceramic arts and the community.
The Northwest Pottery Collective Team
Beth Fitzpatrick
Founder
Beth Fitzpatrick (she/her) has been on her pottery journey for over 20 years and is excited to start this next chapter by founding Northwest Pottery Collective! As an Eastside native, Beth is excited to share her love of pottery with the community that she loves, as well as her belief that each piece of pottery tells a story that is as unique and beautiful as the artist who creates it. As a wife and a mother of three, pottery provides Beth with the ability to focus on something tangible, controllable, and centering in a world that is often not. Beth hopes that she is able to help others discover the joy and centeredness that pottery has brought her at Northwest Pottery Collective!
Lacie Warden
Lead Instructor/Curriculum Coordinator
Lacie Warden (they/she) has been working with clay since 2004 and has a BFA from Ohio University. Lacie started their own business (Queen Bee Ceramics) in 2015 and began teaching in 2017. Bringing to life whimsical creatures and tongue-in-cheek ideas, Lacie delights in sparking joy through creating and teaching. They are a determined ray of sunshine, ready to swoop in and save a wobbly pot or hand over a favorite tool that happens to be just right for what you need. It’s widely debated whether they are even of the mortal realm. Other interests include taking photographs of slugs, booping mushrooms, and yearning to be small enough to live within the lush moss growing on that tree over there.
Mikey Warden
Studio Manager
Mikey Warden (he/him) is a life-long lover of the arts and former Theater and Events Technician. In 2018, Mikey excitedly jumped into Ceramics feet first! With his eye for color and light, Mikey loves sharing his glazing knowledge with everyone, at every opportunity. He thrives "behind the scenes," from helping art spaces run smoothly to encouraging individual ideas to flow generously, this focus on community-building and knowledge-sharing makes him very excited to be part of the Northwest Pottery Collective team!
Florence Wong
Instructor/Studio Technician
Florence Wong (she/her) is a ceramic artist whose passion for clay began in high school with her first ceramics class. Since then, she has developed a distinctive style that blends precision with experimentation. Specializing in wheel-thrown forms, Florence often combines different shapes and clay bodies to create unique and expressive pieces. Her work is known for its attention to detail and her willingness to explore a variety of techniques and finishes. For the past three years, she has also worked as a studio technician, deepening her technical knowledge and supporting other artists in their creative processes.
Amy Robertson
Instructor/Studio Technician
Amy (she/her) is a ceramics artist, printmaker, and painter. She has been teaching ceramics and art classes locally for almost 25 years. She creates pieces in her home studio (Cozy Mountain Pottery) using a variety of techniques including wheel throwing, hand building, and slip casting. She specializes in ceramic pieces that explore representations of self, society, and norms, while questioning socio/political thoughts, ethics, everyday events, cultural identity, and observations within her environment. She is excited to be a part of an amazing team of ceramics professionals at Northwest Pottery Collective!
CJ Hawker
Instructor/Studio Technician
CJ Hawker (they/them) is a ceramicist who has been playing with clay since 2018. They studied at Western Oregon University and graduated with a BFA in art and design. They love anything crafty and explore every new medium that comes their way. They specialize in wheel thrown vessels, which are then carved into intricate patterns.
CJ has always loved helping people find their way with ceramics and is excited to start a new chapter as a Studio Tech and teaching at Northwest Pottery Collective!
Connor Kriha
Instructor/Studio Technician
Connor (they/he) is a 3D artist and professional creature builder who specializes in strange characters born from clay. At the age of 8 years old, their ceramics journey began when they realized that mud could become monsters — and that getting messy was a creative strategy.
After mentoring under ceramicist Heather Hug in Chicago and continuing their sculptural exploration in Wisconsin, Connor brought their odd little worlds to the Pacific Northwest.
As an instructor, Connor encourages students to embrace the weird, trust their hands, and build things that will perplex archaeologists centuries from now.
Kiyoko Van Wyck
Instructor/Studio Technician
Kiyoko Van Wyck (she/her) has been playing with mud since she could remember and has cemented her love for art with a degree from Western Washington University. While ceramics is her main medium, Kiyoko also loves drawing, stained glass and any medium she can get her hands on. She specializes in combining wheel forms and hand building to bring sculptures to life. For the past three years, she has worked as a studio technician and instructor, but has supported others in embracing their creative side for much longer and for many more years to come.
