Outi Putkonen
OWNER & TEACHER
Outi is the incredibly talented potter and passionate smile and heart behind Mugi Pottery.
As a potter, I am not interested in production pottery. I much prefer exploring the process in a less result oriented context. Becoming a potter to me meant embarking on a journey, destination unknown and not important. On this journey, I must remain open minded, observant and humble in order to explore the possibilities and ideas that present themselves through our environment and nature. I need to be intuitive and respectful of my heritage, experience, and sense of aesthetics instilled by my surroundings, upbringing, and education. Pottery making is a very technical craft, through diligent practice, repetition, and perseverance I have begun to grasp the layers of skill and understanding required to make a proper pot. In the potter’s craft, I need to be humble to accept the challenges and embrace them as a learning opportunity rather than an obstacle and discouragement. As a potter I am forced to focus in present time, I can’t think about yesterday or plan my tomorrow while working. The process requires a quiet and calm mind, hands, and eyes working together in order to execute an abstract idea into a tangible object.
Abigail Regner
MANAGER & TEACHER
Abigail Regner graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art in ceramics from the University of Colorado, Boulder in the spring of 2019. Through her education, she has refined her skills in wheel throwing, hand building, slip casting, formulating glazes, and firing kilns at multiple temperature ranges and atmospheres. For the past three years Regner has worked as a professional ceramic artist in New York City. She spent two years working as a production assistant for designer Christoher Spitzmiller making high end ceramic lamps and tableware. She has been teaching at Mugi for three years and has since moved into a managerial role. For the past nine years, she has been practicing ceramics, and is currently interested in large scale throwing, experimental glaze formulation, and surface texture by layering bas-relief to create dynamic surfaces on clay.
Instagram: acrclay
Julann Gebbie
If all the world's a stage, then it's also a visual feast of inspiration. The swirling black & white stripes on the dress of a woman waiting to cross the street, the graphic patterns of flowers growing wildly in the park, the animal block print on a man's shirt, the torn poster in a subway station....everything looks like it could and should live in clay and Julann has made it her mission to do just that.
Website: www.julann.com
Instagram: julannceramics
Valerie McMorris
As a teacher, Valerie McMorris helps others to explore their own creative ideas and encourages students to find their unique voice in the world of ceramics - utilizing form, textures, carving, hand building as well as wheel throwing and exploring multiple glaze processes. Valerie enjoys teaching pottery and teaches both throwing and hand building to children and adults at Mugi Pottery Studio. Valerie also teaches pottery at the Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior center.
Valerie is inspired to create and loves the medium of pottery. She first arrived at Mugi Studio in 2008 and enjoys the community feeling of the studio and of her classes. She is fascinated with the play of clay; how it feels to throw, sculpt and manipulate pieces. Valerie brings all facets of her artistic ability to pottery and likes to experiment with color and design as well as structure and form. She likes to manipulate classical ceramic forms with an innovative twist- creating a modern flavor in the final product.
Ms. McMorris enjoys working on the production side of theatre as well as performance and fine arts. She incorporated and ran her own small Opera Company based in NYC during her early 20’s. Valerie also worked in other creative capacities including Fashion Design and Buying for a large Italian Clothing Company, window design in NYC, as well as beading, sculpting and jewelry design. She also owns her own small Consulting business.
Valerie has immersed herself in the world of Fine Arts and Performing Arts throughout her lifetime. Valerie earned a Bachelor of Music with additional focus in Fine Arts from the NC School of the Arts. She received grants and scholarships for further post graduate education in Europe.
Ms. McMorris's pottery has shown and sold at Mugi Pottery Studio in NYC, the Pence Gallery in Davis, CA. and she sells at local NYC Markets/ fairs and from her own website: www.Clayfulpottery.shop
Website: www.Clayfulpottery.shop
Instagram: Clayfulpottery
Raquel Zenaida Muslin
The Artist:
As an artist and human, I have a love for green materials, recycling, and working with a lot of texture that mimics nature. My glasswork uses recycled glass to create organic forms that toy with your desire to touch what you know is dangerous even though it is beautiful. My ceramic work nods to my love of nature and my multi-ethnic background. I sell my work by commission, on Etsy, and at Mugi, and my pottery has been featured in US Weekly 2018. I'm an award-winning exhibiting artist always looking to take on new endeavors and partnerships.
The Educator:
I didn’t become an educator by traditional routes, but I believe it is this route that makes me a strong educator. I encourage my students to take risks, experiment, celebrate mistakes, and become whole humans. I want them to push past their barriers and see what they can create. To support them in using art to talk about the world, observe it with a visual eye, and see the shapes, colors, and values that surround us. Art has been my voice and my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared.
Website: raquelmuslin.com
Instagram: RZMDesign
Etsy: RZMDesign
Amy Schnitzer
Amy rediscovered pottery in 2010 – here at Mugi! – upon making a career change and taking a 6-month work hiatus. Not only did the studio community embrace her, but the clay became a new and exciting medium to work with. She quickly shifted from years of hand-building to wheel-throwing and has been working at the wheel ever since.
Gas reduction, salt, and wood are the ways in which she prefers to fire her work due to the rich colors and textures and unexpected results. She works with 5-8 different clay bodies at any given time because they produce vastly different results.
Her pottery is functional — meaning it’s meant to be used. She focuses on form which is key to functional work because handles need to be comfortable, lids need to fit, and bowls and plates need to stack. Her favorite work to make includes sets and items that have multiple parts and pieces.
Website: www.amyspots.com
Instagram: amys_pots
Adam Young
Adam came to NYC to obtain a masters degree in historical performance from the Juilliard School. After completing his degree in 2019 he quickly found Mugi where he practices ceramics and works as a studio technician. With training in historicism, Adam seeks to find factual basis to inform his artistic decisions. His desk job is playing piano for ballet classes. He also teaches private music lessons and performs with various ensembles. Adam has a particular passion for beginners. He finds that every pursuit enhances each other. If artistry is at the forefront of intentions, technique will follow.
