Potters

Nancy Hallmark is a potter and retired art teacher in Austin. Every year she donates hundreds of gorgeous majolica bowls to the Austin Empty Bowl Project.  Amazingly, each piece is hand painted and no two pieces are alike.  Her designs are inspired by nature, her pets, her humor and interpretation of traditional patterns and stories. 

Nancy began pottery over 50 years ago in college when she was assigned to work in the pottery studio and fell in love with the process. Hoping to be an illustrator and painter, she turns each pot into a canvas that becomes one of a kind functional art to be used and enjoyed every day.

Nancy is also a regular at our potter bowl-a-thon parties throughout the year and volunteers her time to organize the silent auction.  If you go to the Austin Empty Bowl Project event, you will not only have an opportunity to see her fantastic work, but will have a chance to talk with her about her pottery.

Sarah German attended the University of Northern Iowa and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in ceramics. After college she continued to develop her work as a part-time studio potter where she produced work for galleries, art festivals, and exhibitions from her home studio, while also having a career in arts education and administration. In 2021 she became a full-time ceramic artist, working in her home studio in SE Austin, and teaching classes and workshops at Austin community studios.

Sarah has participated in several artist residencies, including Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and Penland School of Craft. Sarah’s work has been published in Ceramic Monthly and 500 Teapots and she exhibits work in numerous art fairs and galleries throughout the country.

Sarah is an active member in the Greater Austin Clay Artists (GACA) organization and currently serves on the GACA Steering Committee. In addition, she actively encourages local Austin potters to share their pottery talent, knowledge and skills at the monthly GACA meetings.  She helped organize a GACA bowl-a-thon which brings together numerous  potters who produced hundreds of  bowls for the Austin Empty Bowl Event this year.

John Vela discovered his passion for pottery while studying at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History, with a focus on Ceramics and Italian Studies. His studio art classes ignited his fascination with pottery, leading him to pursue a career in the field.

In 1999, John joined the Sunset Canyon Pottery team. Over the years, he made significant contributions through his talent and dedication, ultimately taking a monumental step in 2015 by acquiring the production business. Now the driving force behind Sunset Canyon Pottery, John has led the studio to continued success.

With a unique background that combines chemistry and artistry, John brings both scientific precision and artistic vision to his pottery-making process. This fusion of skills adds a distinctive quality to every piece created at Sunset Canyon Pottery.

Each year, John and his team produce hundreds of beautiful bowls for the Austin Empty Bowl Project, supporting the local community and fostering a love for pottery in Austin.

Michele Simpson has landed herself in our featured potters list this year through the sheer volume of gorgeous bowls she has donated for this year’s event (well over 100 to be exact!).  Michele has been a long-time member of the studio community that was formerly Clayways and has largely continued with Austin Pottery where she comes to  enjoy her clay time when she isn’t ‘dressing hair’. She is also an avid gardener and cat lover (seemingly, not an uncommon pairing!). Her community studio is often lucky to be gifted beautiful floral bouquets from her very own garden, presented in one of her gorgeous creations to put on display for special gallery events.  More importantly, Michele has been a huge supporter of the Austin Empty Bowl Project for many years; donating not only beautiful bowls for the general selection at the big event, but also exquisite items for the annual silent auction.  You’ll be able to recognize a piece of Michele’s lovely pottery by her pot signature “TA-DA”.

AbA Restaurant
Ashley Thompson
Austin Pottery
Betty Soo
Bob Boney
Bob Swaffer
Candy Chick-Nichols
Carmen Troncoso
Carrie Schnoor
Cindy Haenel
Clare Bresnan
Claudia Reese
Cordova Art School
Deb Dixon
Deborah Besch
Ed Triece
Feats of Clay
Gary Hanson
Harriet Hoffman
Hester Weigand

Hodgson & Hodgson
James McMurtry
John Vela
Julie Spako
Kay Denman
Kendra Scott
Kristen Davidson
Linda Genet
Lloyd Maines
Louise Friesen
Marsha Caven
Mary Fischeer
Michelle Simpson
Morgana Lamson
Nancy Hallmark
Natalie Price
Patty Creamer
Perry’s Steak House
Pot Daddy Studio
Sam Hurt

Sandi Krutsinger
Spread and Company
Stan Irvin
Sunset Canyon Pottery
Susan Gibson
Terri Hendrix
Therapy Sisters
Titos
Tina Williams
Twin Liquors
Upper Crust Bakery
V. Chin
Vera Massaro
Yeti

Austin Pottery

Anne Nelson
Becky Brindley
Bob Boney
Carly Oster
Chris Crocker
Ed Trice
Harriett Hoffman
Helen Li
Isabel Garcia
Joy Luther
Ju Hun Lee
Kai Mroley
Kay Denman
Karen Krog
Kelly Raley
Melissa Goodwin
Mimi Barnes
Morgana Lamson
Nancy Lewis
Shannon Hou
Shannon Neely
Shelley Payne
Sheri Hammock
Tricia Mihal
Vera Massaro

Greater Austin Clay Artists

Alison Rex
Amy Constant
Anna Gadzhikurbanova
Brad Lum
Ceci Israel Bradfield
Chance Ramirez
Chelsea Biggerstaff
Chris Edwards
Diane Sung
Hillary Bilheimer
Jane Johnson
Jon Nelson
Lyndsey Wang
Martin Kim
Molly Warren-Haycock
Nikki Forsander
Sarah German
Sarah Powers
Shanna Gerlach
Shelley Schreyr
Sherri Hammock
Steph Brendel
Sushma Deepak
Tim Branch
Tyler Speicher

Rosa Pottery

Amy Radenberg
Anthony Raschke
Chris Edwards
Dana Lachman
Hannah Reynolds
Hillary Bielstein
Ricky Venhuizen
Sam Mosley

Feats of Clay

Belén Villarreal
Bella Legosi
Bianca Chu
Brittany Neville
Canaan Hoffmann
Christopher Munoz
Jade Love
Jake Hippler
Lily Frost
Marie Walter’s
Rebeccah Polk
Susan Lazarus

Enkindle Pottery Studio

Ann Deprato
Brenda Drage-Chan
Chris Fox
Christine Luchini
Emily Sherry
Janna Oliver
Kelley Pfeiffer
Noemi Dengo
Victoria Policke

Other Studios

Broad Studios Clubhouse
Cafe Monet
Ceramic Lodge
Ceramics and More
East Side Pot Shop
Merry’s Mud Pottery House
Mud Studios
Pot Daddy
Round Rock Community Clay
Sunset Canyon Pottery