Meet Josie
Josie is an East Wenatchee–based potter who creates functional, everyday wares meant to be used and lived with. Through her work, she hopes to make pieces that form lasting bonds with the people who use them in their daily lives.
She is currently in her final year pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a specialization in pottery. Josie has experience as an art educator, leading summer camps for children and teaching pottery classes for adults.
She is currently preparing work for the Trackside Studio exhibition Mentor, opening in April, as well as her BFA exhibition at the end of her senior year. Her work is inspired by potters such as Florian Gadsby and by her upbringing in a metal shop, where she worked alongside her father.
Artist
Statement
I work in clay as both tradition and language—using an ancient material to create functional objects that live in everyday life while existing as fine art. Through wheel-thrown vessels, I explore the relationship between art and use, believing that functional wares belong in galleries just as much as they belong in kitchens.
My practice is rooted in repetition, consistency, and physical engagement. I work through every step of the ceramic process by hand, allowing the material to guide form while maintaining a disciplined, familiar studio routine. The process itself is my primary inspiration—experimentation, failure, and discovery shape both my work and my growth as an artist.
I create functional forms—cups, bowls, plates, and vessels—designed to build intimate relationships with their users. I am drawn to the idea that everyday objects can hold emotional significance, becoming part of someone’s daily rituals and personal history. Through my work I aim to carry a sense of care, love, and humanity through touch, use, and presence. I do this by carefully crafting each piece individually and with great care. When people see my work I want them to think it is pristine.
Recently, my work has evolved into stacked ceramic forms, particularly vertical cup stacks that lean, shift, and appear unstable. These structures reference both domestic memory and internal uncertainty, reflecting my personal experiences with transition, instability, and change. The precariousness of the stacks mirrors my emotional landscape and explores how form alone can create tension and unease in the viewer.
At the core of my practice is the merging of art and craft, beauty and utility, strength and fragility. My work is meant to be held, used, lived with, and loved. Each piece carries the imprint of my hands, my history, and my beliefs—offering objects that are not only functional, but deeply human
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