Courtney Michaud

bio

Courtney is currently the Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Western New Mexico University. Originally from the Finger Lakes area of New York, she obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Making and teaching in the mountains of southern New Mexico, Michaud strives to use natural environment, ceramic history, and contemporary art in her studio practice.

artist statement

I have always wanted to be a potter, never any other kind of artist. The physical nature of clay allows me to create artwork that is accessible but complicated. Working hard is in my nature and I find contentment in a medium that demands persistent labor. I make functional and utilitarian pottery because it is unlimited and unpretentious. The attraction of tactility captivates purely through the gaze while how a pot feels during use creates an intimate moment of synchronicity between thing and person. A pot is limitless and the potter tasked with making beauty work in service and in its’ surroundings. I make objects to occupy space in people’s lives. My pottery reflects moments when I’m surrounded by nature and feel singular in the world. Wide horizon lines, vibrant or subtle skies and natural pattern translate through color and shape. Tinkering with glazes to find the perfect pigment has evolved beyond an obligatory step in the ceramic process becoming an instigator in the studio. Simple incisions invite the hand and soft rims support the lip. Utility is always contemplated in what I make. Sleek and assertive forms provide a canvas for color and draw the eye. A love of modernism and industrial design contrasts natural influences streamlining silhouettes and simplifying. By bringing my ceramics to a table setting, shelf or hand I create pieces that can unassumingly shift sentiments and awareness. A pot can comfort, mark occasion or become intertwined with a life. A pot is powerful

exhibitions