Ceramics Faculty & Administrators within the Fine Arts 3D Department

A stoneware clay play painted black and white

Rylie Paull, '24 BFA, Ceramics Plate #5, Stoneware Clay, 2024

A red underglazed ceramic bowl with carved white illustrations on it.

Kylie Marden, '24 BFA, Ceramics Holding the Heaviness, porcelain, underglaze, glaze, 2023

Lily Schuerger, '25 BFA, Ceramics Viral, midfired stoneware, 2023

Abbey Catalano, '24 BFA, Ceramics Cornucopia, Stoneware Clay, 2023

Ceramicist & Alum Sam Kim Creates One-of-a-Kind Awards for MassArt’s 2024 Common Good Award Honorees

Sam Kim '18 BFA

Alumni

Photo courtesy of Sam Kim

On Saturday, December 7, 2024, community members gathered to honor individuals fostering positive change at the second annual MassArt Common Good Awards.

In keeping with the tradition of honoring each recipient with a unique award, this year’s honorees recieved custom-made, inscribed ceramic pieces by Korean-American artist and designer Sam Kim, a 2018 graduate of MassArt’s Industrial Design and Ceramics program. Kim’s innovative approach to slipcasting transforms a process traditionally used for mass production into one that creates distinctive, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Kim discovered his passion for ceramics while studying Industrial Design at MassArt, where he was drawn to clay’s malleable and moldable nature. His work seamlessly blends the precision of industrial design with the expressive possibilities of clay, resulting in pieces that are both functional and visually dynamic.

Slipcasting, a process involving liquid clay poured into molds, serves as the foundation of Kim’s practice. He challenges its conventional use by carefully layering and stacking molds to ensure each piece is unique. His aesthetic is defined by what he terms “offsets”—intentional slants and geometric contours that combine curves with sharp cuts. These features add movement and tension to his work, transforming a traditionally uniform process into a method for creating truly personal and distinctive objects.

In addition to his artistic practice, Kim co-founded Slow Hands Studio in Lowell with his studio partner, Leena Cho. Together, they have built a creative space dedicated to producing thoughtfully designed ceramics and exploring new possibilities in the medium. Outside the studio, Kim draws inspiration from his everyday rituals, whether brewing the perfect cup of coffee, cycling through the city, exploring new technologies, or playing video games.

Kim’s work has been featured in exhibitions such as Lines of Korea, Cultural Context, and the State of Clay Biennial. His custom-designed pieces for the MassArt Common Good Awards reflect his dedication to craftsmanship and his vision for pushing the boundaries of ceramic design.

Pushing Visual Boundaries as an Illustrator

Abby Ouellette '19 BFA

MassArt alumna Abby Ouellette ’19 explores girlhood, nostalgia, and editorial illustration as a bold, boundary-pushing freelance illustrator.

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A young woman with long hair gazes thoughtfully to the side, holding her hands near her face. She has white nail polish, rings, and wears bows on her fingers—an evocative illustration lit with purple and blue hues.

MassArt Alum Alex Small-Butera Wins Emmy for Animation

Alex Small-Butera '08 BFA

Alex Small-Butera sat down for an interview to explain about how he and Lindsay got from here to there, rising in their careers to receive this mark of achievement from Hollywood on their ability as animators, as artists.

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Lindsay and Alex Small-Butera dressed in formal clothing on the red carpet at the 2024 Emmy Awards.

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Ceramics

Studios & Kiln Room

Students in the Ceramics and Fine Arts 3D programs have access to facilities including our wheel throwing studio, glazing studio, and electric and gas kilns.

MassArt has one of the premier ceramic kiln rooms in New England. The 3,000 square-foot kiln room, located in the Collins building, is fully ventilated for indoor firing and includes custom-made ventilation for each kiln, including raku and sawdust/smoke firing.

We offer spacious facilities, resources and equipment necessary for exploring a variety of contemporary and traditional ceramics techniques. All Ceramics majors students learn to fire both gas (bisque and high fire reduction) and electric kilns, and to mix their own clays and glazes.

Ceramics Facilities

Kiln Room
Ceramics Classrooms
Glazing Room
Glaze Disposal Area
Glaze Lab
Clay Mixing Room
Mold-making facilities
Silk-screening facilities
Fully stocked Compounding Lab with ventilation
Personal studios for Junior/Senior Ceramics majors
Communal work space for Sophomore Ceramics majors
Access to MassArt’s community-wide Studios & Resources (digital fabrication labs, woodshop, installation room, etc.)

Launch Experience

In this vibrant pottery studio, where many hone their craft, one person carefully places a piece into the kiln as others expertly mold clay and handle tools. Shelves of ceramics and equipment fill the backdrop—a testament to the artistry often fostered in a BFA program.

MassArt’s Kiln Room is a 3,000 square-foot space in the Collins building.

A person with a BFA reaches for a small container on a table filled with pottery supplies. Various glazed and unglazed ceramic bowls are visible, along with a sponge and bottles for glaze. The background reveals the vibrant hustle of their ceramics workshop.

The Glaze Room is adjacent to the 3,000 square foot Kiln Room in the Collins building.

People are seated at pottery wheels in a workshop, skillfully shaping clay sculptures. The room, with its large windows and exposed brick walls, creates an inspiring atmosphere. In the background, shelves filled with pottery tools await the hands of both experienced and minor artisans.

A Wheelworking class in the Collins building.

Local Arts Organizations & Spaces

Students enjoy free access to area museums, including MAAM, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art.

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Ceramics

Featured Work

Rylie Paull, ’24 BFA, Ceramics Plate #5, Stoneware Clay, 2024

Kylie Marden, ’24 BFA, Ceramics Holding the Heaviness, porcelain, underglaze, glaze, 2023

Lily Schuerger, ’25 BFA, Ceramics Viral, midfired stoneware, 2023

Abbey Catalano, ’24 BFA, Ceramics Cornucopia, Stoneware Clay, 2023

A minimalist white ceramic sculpture with a modern design stands against a gray background. The sculpture features two holes: a circular one near the top with a green interior and another semicircular cutout near the bottom.

Sam Kim, ’18 BFA, Ceramics, Industrial Design Symmetry, Sculpture, 2019

Wooden sculpture of a small, stylized human figure kneeling with head bowed. It is placed on a rectangular wooden base against a dark background.

Kei Sasaki, ’18 BFA Ceramics, Ceramics Figure 5, Sculpture, 2017

A white ceramic mug with a textured, ridged exterior and handle, featuring subtle blue accents. The mug has an artistic, handcrafted look and is set against a soft gray background.

Michelle Grey, ’17 BFA Ceramics, Ceramics Mug, Clay, 2016

A handcrafted ceramic jar with a lid, featuring a textured surface and intricate patterns. The design includes shades of purple, green, and black, creating an artistic and elegant appearance. The jar is set against a neutral background.

Gustavo Barceloni, ’17 BFA Ceramics, Ceramics Jar, Clay, 2016

A beige ceramic cup with a subtle embossed floral design, featuring an ornately textured handle, is tilted on its side against a neutral gradient background.

Vanessa Norris, ’16 BFA Ceramics, Ceramics Cloud Mug, Clay, 2016

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Ceramics

Events

Explore ceramics and fine arts events, exhibitions, and other happenings on campus and in the community.

As a Ceramics student, you’re invited to participate in a range of events, both here on the MassArt campus and throughout Greater Boston. Grow your design knowledge and expand your network by attending talks, exhibitions, and career development opportunities alongside peers, faculty, and MassArt alumni.

People standing around painting pottery bowls with glaze.

CACP and Ceramics partner up each year to support the Haley House’s Souperbowl event.

A spacious art gallery with visitors viewing varied sculptures, pottery, and vibrant textiles hanging from the ceiling. The large windows flood the room with natural light, enhancing the mural on the right wall. This creative haven serves as a unique form of artistic aid and cultural inspiration.

Fine Arts 3D Exhibition in the DMC Atrium

A person with short hair, in a striped long-sleeve shirt, stands at a podium with two microphones and a laptop, looking upward. The background is a plain beige wall. The scene appears to be during a presentation or lecture.

Guest lecturer, Stephanie Cardon

Students and staff line up smiling behind a table of freshly glazed ceramic bowls.

Each year in February, MassArt collaborates with Haley House
on their Souper Bowl fundraiser. Pictured: MassArt’s CACP staff and Clay for Change. Photo: Amy Fink ’18 BFA Photograph

Haley House Souper Bowl / Clay for Change

Haley House, in collaboration with MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships, Clay for Change, and the Ceramics program, holds a fundraiser each year in February called the Souper Bowl. This fundraiser benefits Haley House’s programs, which include a soup kitchen, housing, education and training, and social enterprise. Attendees select a handcrafted ceramic bowl made at MassArt and sample a variety of delicious soups produced with locally sourced ingredients.

Fine Arts Lecture Series

Each semester, MassArt’s Fine Arts 2D/3D departments welcome a series of visiting artists and critics to campus. Fine Arts Lecture Series speakers present public lectures and conduct individual studio visits and critiques with graduate students. Lectures take place in person in the Design and Media Center Lecture Hall or the Tower Auditorium.

Annual Ceramics Department Exhibition

An exhibition of works created by students working in the Ceramics Department, including majors, minors, elective students, and first year students.

Events

2025 MFA THESIS EXHIBITION

Thursday, May 15, 2025 / 11:00am to 6:00pm
MassArt x SoWa

Exhibition
MassArt Off-Campus Event
public
Free

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Ceramics

Faculty

Geoff Booras

Visiting Lecturer, Fine Arts 3D

Josephine Burr

Assistant Professor, Fine Arts 3D

Jacqueline Cassely

Administrative Assistant II, Fine Arts 3D

Thomas Gothers

Studio Manager, Fine Arts 3D

Ashton Keen

Visiting Lecturer, Fine Arts 3D

Miguel Lastra

Visiting Assistant Professor, Fine Arts 3D

Janna Longacre

Program Area Chair, Ceramics

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Ceramics

Minor

Obtain a minor in Fine Arts 3D with a Ceramics concentration by completing 18 credits in this area of study.

The 3D Minor allows for concentrations in Ceramics, Fibers, Glass, Jewelry & Metalsmithing, or Sculpture through the completion of 6 courses/18 credits.

For more details on specific minor concentration requirements, please contact the Fine Arts 3D Department.

Fine Arts 3D Minor Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the 3D minor program are expected to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes.

Learning outcomes for the 3D minor, under the scope of the FA3D department mission, are as follows:

Develop skill and understanding of working with materials and processes in 3D studio classes.
Cross-disciplinary awareness, expanding to / from their primary area of study.
Working knowledge of art, craft, and design principles.
Introduction to contemporary topics, cross-cultural issues, and artists working in the field.
Implement healthy working habits, self-discipline, and best practices.
Cooperative classroom/studio experience, fostering collaboration among peers.

A Wheelworking class in the Collins building.

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