Rey Hope Hansen
Clay

Rey Hope Hansen (they/them) is a visual artist and teacher specializing in handmade functional ceramics. In 2016, two months of wheel throwing classes sent them off on their clay journey, and since 2018 they have worked under the moniker “Hold Space” as a member of Byrdie’s, a community pottery studio in the Marigny. They use their design training from Philadelphia University (grad. 2009) to create colorful dynamic surfaces, whether hand painted in underglaze or through experimental glaze application techniques. Their work as a poet also comes through in the use of occasional text, each piece unique and spontaneously written.

The greatest compliment is to hear that a buyer uses a piece on a daily basis; this work is meant to be held and cherished, brightening the ritual of a morning drink or the festivity of an evening meal. You are welcome to contact the artist for commissioned work.

Becky Thomas-Meziere
Fiber

Becky Thomas-Meziere is a traditional pine needle basket maker of Choctaw descent currently living in Natchitoches parish, LA. Becky is also an enrolled member of the Clifton Choctaw Tribe with family ties to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. As a young child Becky’s mother handed down the traditional Native American methods and techniques of gathering long leaf pine needles from the local forest and how to use raw material to make baskets. A renowned master basket weaver with over 30 years of experience, Becky has received numerous awards, the most recent The Diverse Heritage Award from The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP). Her baskets are in private and public collections throughout the world to include The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians  and The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. She has demonstrated her traditional art form in multiple juried art shows and festivals such as The New Orleans JazzFest Native American Village and the annual Tunica Biloxi Tribe Intertribal Basketry Summit demonstrating her pine needle basket making. She is currently active in promoting awareness to traditional pine needle basket making and the importance of passing down this rare art form to younger generations.

A renowned master basket weaver with over 30 years of experience

As a young child Becky’s mother handed down the traditional Native American methods and techniques of gathering long leaf pine needles in the forest and learning to make baskets.

Becky was taught by her mother the traditional Native American method of gathering long leaf pine needles from the local forest and then the art of weaving

Jamie Primeaux
Clay

As a native of New Orleans, I was raised amidst the swamps and marshes of the Mississippi River Delta and currently live on a small farm in Southwest Louisiana.  Being exposed to nature from an early age, I have always connected with the natural world and incorporated nature into my drawings and paintings from an early age.  I have always connected with the beauty and craftsmanship of handmade objects as well.

I found life as a potter mid-life but realized early in my clay journey that it was the medium I enjoy most working with.  Starting with a raw material, clay, and working to create an object from it that expresses who I am, and speaks to another person, gives me a sense of purpose.   As a potter, I use both wheel and slab building techniques.   I primarily create functional pieces for everyday use.  I want people to not only enjoy the beauty of my handmade pieces but to also use them.  Sculptural elements are often incorporated into my work, allowing me to explore other ways clay can be manipulated and used to create beauty.   Creating is primal and it allows me to slow down and connect with myself on a deeper level.

Mary Lailhengue
Clay

I am Mary Lailhengue, I became a full-time artist in 2022 creating hand-built clay pieces, such as colorful sunflowers, serene angels and award-winning whimsical Courir de Mardi Gras figures.

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Having grown up in the culturally rich area, it inspired my creative spirit at an early age. I relocated to Lafayette in 2010 when I married my Cajun Husband and found inspiration here. Following my 2022 retirement, I focused full time on my art. I get pleasure from hand building clay into delicate floral bowls and plaques, serene angels and whimsical Courir de Mardi Gras figurines and continue to be inspired to create whatever comes to me. My hopes are that my pieces bring joy to others, as they do to me.

At an early age I’ve always enjoyed creating things from jewelry to floral arrangements to whatever I could create with my own ideas in mind. I have been influenced by nature, bright colors, whimsical things and life and by things that are loved by Family and Friends.

I started off my love for hand-building while taking a few classes a couple of years ago at a Ceramic Shop and from there I wanted to make my own things, create my own ideas and put them into my Clay. I began with creating ideas I had for my own Family such as St. Louis Cathedral wind-chimes, things that brought sweet memories for others and I continue to create clay pieces that come into my mind, things that I think others will love, cherish and things that bring them joy and memories when they look at them.

I’ve recently showed my Art at several places in Lafayette and won Second Place for my Courir de Mardi Gras “Cajun Totem”, an award that was surprising and encourages me to keep creating. My background has nothing to do with the Art Community but since retirement I feel like I’ve had so much inspiration and support from the Community here in Lafayette and maybe missed my calling years ago. I truly love the Clay medium and hand-building and will continue to create whatever comes into my head and hope it brings joy to anyone who views it.

In closing, if you have any creativity, there’s a saying that I include on my cards that I really love and think everyone should keep in mind. “The World needs your unique gifts, don’t leave with them still inside you.”

Alexis Moyer
Clay, Sculpture

I think I have always been a potter at heart. Even after more than 30 years of working with clay, I still find it exciting to go into the studio every day, exploring and pushing the limits of what I can do and what the clay can be made to do. I love seeing what happens.

Growing up it never occurred to me that I could be an artist so I chose architecture as my career. It wasn’t until my fourth year majoring in architecture that I discovered my passion to be an artist. Now I had a soul-searching decision to make. Should I stay on my safe and chosen path towards a career in architecture or should I follow my heart into the unknown and become an artist? I took a deep breath and followed the excitement I felt in my heart about creating with clay.

Now that many years have passed I can see that the decision I made as a 22 year old set me onto a course that has turned into a wonderful art-filled life where each day holds a new creative adventure for me. I love that my new path led me to a place where I could add joy and meaning to people’s lives through what I create in my studio and I am honored each time I get to create a commission that holds special meaning for one of my collectors. I am so glad that I followed my heart!

Anna Bernard
Ceramics

As a native of South Louisiana Anna Bernard was influenced by the artistic styles and beautiful landscapes of the region; from the New Orleans galleries to the folk art of the surrounding areas. In 2007 she earned a BFA from Watkins College of Art at Belmont University.

While living in Tennessee she participated in numerous shows and participated in local artist groups; while still keeping close connections with the New Orleans art scene. In 2010 Anna returned home to New Orleans where she continues to experiment and create new work

She has sold to private collectors for several years and has recently branched out to local galleries. She practices at her home studio in New Orleans.

While painting is part of her artistic repertoire her primary passion is ceramics. “ I love to express the fluidity of nature in three dimensional form.” Movement and shapes occupy our lives constantly.

Karen Skipper Cruce
Clay

I was raised with a strong sense of family with a teacher for a mom and a journalist and cartoonist for a dad. After college since jobs were in short supply in my geology field in Seattle, I took what I thought would be a short gig in the finance field. For 23 years I was a financial advisor with a national firm but when I took a night pottery class, I was hooked. Five years later at the age of 45, I retired from my “first” life and became a full time clay artist.

Now with over 29 years of working in ceramics, I have grown to realize the importance of each piece being well-crafted. This, as a functional potter, became my main focus for years. Along the way, I discovered that the inspiration for my finished work came from the earth – it’s processes, textures and color. The earth provides endless inspiration. Look at canyon walls, swiftly moving waters, landscapes, the earth’s horizon at sunrise and dusk, geyser pools – the list never ends and is never boring. In fact it is short of miraculous. The earth also provides us with a fabulous pallet of color from which to work. Everyone has marveled at the red, purple & orange sunsets, mesmerized by the deep shades of blues in the ocean and even captivated by the whites of clouds. With these elements I developed distinct bodies of work each with glazing and designs which create a beautifully crafted piece that is finished in such a way to capture the viewers’ attention and stimulate a tactile response.

I realized early on how important it is to pass down the knowledge one has learned to future generations of clay artists. That is one reason I opened Potters Place, a community ceramics studio and why I decided to work with a great group of folks to form Clay Houston and for over 9 years a national ceramics gallery with 4 other women.

Bill Moore
Ceramics

My goal is to create beautiful, functional pottery for personal use. My desire is for my work to be functional for daily use as well as delighting the owner with its unique beauty. Most of my work is wheel thrown stoneware clay. I mix my own glazes and fire my pottery to Cone 6 in an electric kiln in my studio.

Education/Experience:
2016-2017: Studied with Craig Roth, owner of Craig Roth Pottery in Brevard, NC
2017-2019: Teaching assistant, Pottery, Camp Kahdahlea, Brevard, NC
9/30-10/5 2019: “Gestural Throwing with Steven Hill” The Bascom, Cashier’s, NC
2018-2022: In-person and remote pottery classes, The Village Potters, Asheville, NC
2022: Active member of Mid City Maker’s Market, Baton Rouge, LA
2022: Active member of Baton Rouge Arts Market

Carol Miller
Ceramics

Carol Miller is a graduate of UL Lafayette with a BA in journalism and speech education and worked for 20 years in print advertising and another 20 teaching high school journalism, digital photography and broadcasting in her hometown Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

After her retirement she began exploring different artistic outlets including photography, woodworking, gardening and painting. A friend introduced her to pottery and a great love for ceramic art was born. The tactile nature of the clay along with the endless possibilities drive her creative process. Her distinct perspective is reflected in her work which focuses on the culture and landscape of Acadiana .

Carol works out of her home studio, Bayou Lane Pottery, in Breaux Bridge Louisiana.

Kent A. Follette
Clay

I have always been challenged by the ceramic vessel as a means of my artistic expression. The potter’s wheel allows me to alter the form in a simple concave or convex direction which gives the clay a natural softness. When combined, the clay, along with the glaze, and ultimately the firing in the kiln the whole process becomes an exciting artistic gamble.