About Me
Jessie Simmons is a Pennsylvania-based studio potter and teaching artist.
Erie-based studio potter, Jessie Simmons, incorporates over 15 years of experience as a visual artist into being an educator, entrepreneur, and community builder. Since completing her BFA in Ceramics from Alfred University, she has kept her hands in clay whether she is attaching handles on cups, sculpting community bread ovens, or providing educational opportunities to students of all ages and backgrounds. Both in the studio and the classroom, her aim is twofold: to intersect beauty/life with purpose/function.
Jessie is the Studio Manager and Instructor at Erie ClaySpace Artist Association, a nonprofit arts center offering pottery classes, studio memberships, and community collaborations.
Jessie also works as a Teaching Artist at Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT) where she provides engaging after-school arts programming for teens. She began teaching for ECAT in their inaugural semester during the fall of 2021.
Additionally, Jessie is a Rostered Teaching Artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. This connects her with residencies in community schools and organizations to teach pottery and clay sculpture.
About My Pots
As a studio potter, I am passionate about infusing beauty, joy, and practicality into everyday life through handmade ceramic forms. Clay is my medium of choice, and I relish the opportunity to create functional and decorative objects that enhance domestic spaces, such as tableware, tiles, and sculptures.
I believe that the world needs fewer, better things that are crafted with care and intention. Through my rejection of factory-produced homeware, I am rediscovering the soulful nature of hand-crafted goods. My pottery is a natural response to our single-use, throw-away culture and is designed with durability and thoughtfulness in mind. I am committed to creating pieces that are meant to be handled with care, purchased with care, and cherished for a lifetime.
For me, the process of creating pottery is a deeply personal and intuitive experience. Each piece is imbued with my own unique perspective and style, and I take pride in the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every creation. My work is a celebration of the beauty and potential that can be found in handmade, human-made objects, and I am honored to share this passion with others.
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