Staff + Instructors

Executive Director

General Manager

Amy Irish makes functional and decorative work out of her home studio in Hillsborough, NC. She uses wheel thrown pottery and a complex process of layered slip and underglazes to create one of a kind works. She’s inspired by the little things in the world around her. Her children, the garden, and preparing food for her family are all sources of joy that she hopes to share and connect with you through clay.

Anna Schroeder is a native NC sculptor and handbuilder who has called Durham home for nearly a decade. After a career in tech, she found a passion for clay through taking classing and honing her skills at Claymakers. She loves using clay to create brightly colored and richly textured creatures and pots. A forever learner, Anna is always experimenting and exploring to discover new techniques and ideas to share.

Bernadette Januska is a freelancer and artist based in Hillsborough, NC. Her goal is to keep things lighthearted with playful drawings and a “can do anything” attitude.

Charlie Evergreen is an artist native to the Carolinas, working as a painter for many years, and currently as a sculptor and potter. His formal arts education includes The SC Governors School for the Arts and The Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, California. He also credits the other Claymakers instructors for his knowledge of ceramics. His work is influenced by science, nature, and Eastern aesthetics, and regularly evolves through experimentation. He has received grants and sponsorships from The Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, and has been featured in 53 exhibits since 1998. His work is in both private and corporate collections.

Chis Donald has been teaching ceramics for over 30 years. He’s taught at College for Creative Studies, Henry Ford Museum, and Boston University. His current body of work is divided between functional and sculptural ceramics.

Elizabeth Paley took her first pottery class in 2002 and has been teaching at Claymakers since 2007. A professional organist and pianist, she likens working with clay to practicing a musical instrument: both processes invite one to balance technique with improvisation, to develop an appreciation for form and detail, and to discover a personal creative voice. Her pots typically start at the wheel and are often altered or combined with other thrown or hand-built elements. She enjoys the tinkering and problem-solving challenges of moving from an initial concept for a form to its realization as an actual pot.

Evelyn Ward received her BFA from California State at Fullerton and although her focus was in Printmaking, developed a love for clay while there. After moving to NC in 1995, she started pursuing pottery seriously. Over the years, Evelyn has attended many workshops and classes, including a course at Penland in 2004. In addition to teaching regularly at Claymakers, she is an onsite artist at Cedar Creek Gallery, where she works full-time creating earthenware monoprint-decorated pots.

Gaines Bailey is a potter, sculptor, and educator living and working in his hometown of Raleigh. Influence for his work comes from classical forms, experience studying ceramics in Japan, as well as small details of everyday life. The results of these interests are elegant forms, often treated with altered and textured surfaces. Gaines received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Winthrop University in South Carolina and received his MFA in Ceramics from East Carolina University. He has served as Studio Manager at The Crafts Center at NC State and as an instructor at Pullen Park Arts Center in Raleigh.

Garet Bullard makes functional and sculptural ceramics at Claymakers, where he also works as a studio assistant.

James Ward is an experienced wheel throwing pottery instructor based in Durham, NC.

Jessica Sanford makes ceramics for free spirits. She loves creating porcelain jewelry and home decor in small, thoughtful batches. Her design sensibility is fueled by a desire to create inspiring objects for creative people who enjoy being surrounded by delightful handmade things as they live, work, play, and move about their day. Jessica is in love with color, shape, and pattern. She deeply enjoys teaching ceramics, community building, golden hour, homemade donuts, forest bathing, and lots of coffee.

Justin Trapp has a BFA from Herron School of Art & Design in ceramics and photography. He has been working with clay since 2005 and teaching wheel throwing for over 10 years. He makes utilitarian, fine art objects for everyday use.

Katie King is a speech therapist and wheel throwing instructor in Durham, North Carolina. In her studio, Waxing Gibbous Pottery, she focuses on creating work from wild clay, resulting in a product that is hyper local and special to Durham.

Marie Wright is a crystalline glaze potter based in Pittsboro, NC.

Nate Hood is a native NC potter who makes pots for everyday use, and hopes to embody some of the beauty, humility, ordinariness, and spontaneity of everyday life in my work. He was first captivated by salt glazed and ash glazed pots from around NC. He continues to be blown away by historical and contemporary ceramics from around the world, particularly the buncheong ware of Korea and traditions it has influenced.