Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I’ve been captivated by the potter’s wheel since I was 12. To me, pottery is the perfect chaotic intersection of chemistry, physics, and engineering. It’s technical practice with an earth-bending soul. I focused heavily on the challenge of clay marbling and sodium silicate crackling for vases and large light pendants. My process is fueled by a love for the craft and a deep respect for the planet. I’m adamant about using recycled clay and being mindful about water consumption.

Where do you find inspiration?

My work is fueled by the raw, psychedelic beauty carved into the rock and sand of Southern Utah and the Great Salt Lake. Through my art, I want to sound an alarm with our environmental reality, specifically the heartbreaking disappearance of our Great Salt Lake. This crisis isn't isolated. It’s mirrored in the receding shorelines of our rivers and the many other lakes across Utah that are steadily drying up. I create to ensure these vital waters are seen and protected before they vanish.

What would you do with $25,000?

I have been accepted into the Ceramics and Glass MA at the Royal College of Art, the world’s best art and design school. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, yet it hinges entirely on securing scholarship funding. This $25k represents the vital space I need to finally dedicate myself to research, refine my technical specialties, and push my artistic vision at the RCA. My art will forever echo our needed support for the environment and all living beings.