Highly creative people are often lovers of change. We all know it can be challenging, but in many cases change is glorious. All of us at The Village Potters Clay Center are so pleased to announce a glorious change coming this October. Tori Motyl, a wonderful potter and pure delight, will be joining our core team of resident potters here at the clay center.

Tori was an apprentice with us in 2016-17. Around that time she joined our teaching staff and has been a part-time instructor since. Over the past couple of years Tori has been working diligently from her home studio in Burnsville, NC. She’s been making unique work and, true to her nature, exploring and experimenting all the while. We are so happy that the tug for community, deeper bonds with potters, and a larger range of opportunities in her career has stirred the desire for her to join us, and this time it will be as a full time resident potter. “When I make art alone in my home, creating feels like I am talking with myself and at times it’s like I am talking in circles. Creating art in a community alongside friends feels like a never-ending conversation that only gets more interesting.” says Tori.

Tori is a highly creative, passionate, hard working potter who loves people, pots, and community. Her exuberance is contagious and her love for clay and business is inspiring. Her surfaces capture the movement of the wheel and you can see where her hands have applied beautiful layers of thick clay slip. Her color palette is often neutral from whites to grays which suits so many interiors today. Tori’s work is uniquely her own, with cues from mid-century modern to contemporary minimalism. Her body of work will make a beautiful addition to the galleries at The Village Potters Clay Center.

Tori is also a professional educator with a Masters in Education of Visual Arts from State University of New York. She will be instructing in our teaching center and mentoring our Advanced Studies students. Tori works with gallery owners, exhibits in art shows and pop up shows, sells her work online, participates in exhibitions, and she is the creator and founder of The North Carolina Ceramic Art Festival (NCCAF) that happens every September in downtown Asheville.

We are highlighting a series of Tori’s work in our Feature Gallery this month, July 9th-Aug 8th. We will showcase her large work and a wide range of her pots. Tori will also be participating in our Multi Kiln Opening extravaganza happening on Saturday, October 12th, and participating in our Women of Influence show and exhibition that opens on Saturday, October 12th and runs through the end of the year.

To see more of Tori Motyl click here: www.motylpottery.com, www.northcarolinaceramicartsfestival.com

Sarah Wells Rolland,
Founder and Ceramic Artist, The Village Potters Clay Center