![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Jesselyn-Gordon.jpeg\")
This vessel was created by artist Jesselyn Gordon. Credit: Courtesy Image \/ Jesselyn Gordon<\/p>\nThis vessel was created by artist Jesselyn Gordon. Credit: Courtesy Image \/ Jesselyn Gordon<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have this crazy idea, and we would really love your help.\u201d<\/p>\n
That intriguing plea crossed the desk of Contemporary Art Month Executive Director Roberta \u201cNina\u201d Hassele last spring in the form of an email exchange between San Antonio artists Michelle Hernandez, Hilary Rochow and Rikkianne Van Kirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re all women that I really respect,\u201d Hassele told the Current from her art-filled office at the Southtown art space Mercury Project. \u201cI respect their creative work, and I respect them as women, individually and as a whole. So I was like, \u2018Yeah, of course!\u2019 So we scheduled a meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
During that meeting, the \u201ccrazy idea\u201d in question began to develop into ClaySA \u2014\u00a0a grassroots initiative to connect and uplift San Antonio\u2019s growing ceramics community. Kicking off in November, the collaborative event combines \u201cThe Mark of the Hand,\u201d a group exhibition uniting 23 local artists working in clay, and 12 studio tours spread across two weekends.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new program represents the work of an all-volunteer committee which comprises Hassele, Hernandez, Rochow and Van Kirk along with artists Dani Becknell, Michael Foerster, Jesselyn Gordon, Linda Perez and Jackie Saha.<\/p>\n
Curated by Rochow and opening Nov. 8, \u201cThe Mark of the Hand\u201d in certain ways expands on \u201cClay Symphony,\u201d a group show Hassele and Van Kirk presented at Mercury Project last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Allysha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Allysha-Farmer-Exhibit-Piece.jpeg\")
Allysha Farmer\u2019s work will be included in the upcoming exhibition. Credit: Courtesy Image \/ Allysha Farmer<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put \u2018Clay Symphony\u2019 together because we really wanted people to be exposed to this beauty that we have here,\u201d Hassele explained. \u201cSo many people, to the best of our knowledge, just don\u2019t realize that they\u2019re [around so many San Antonio artists who make] this incredible ceramic work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rochow, whom we also spoke to for this story, pointed out that ClaySA isn\u2019t the first or only organized group of ceramic artists in San Antonio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re passionate about the idea of bringing clay artists together,\u201d Rochow said. \u201cAnd there is a San Antonio Potters Guild. But clay is such an interesting medium because it spans fine art and the craft world. And I personally like to break [those] barriers any chance I get. Curatorially speaking, I don\u2019t think it makes a whole lot of sense that there are harsh lines between those worlds in a post-industrial society. So, we just wanted to celebrate clay as a medium \u2014\u00a0and the people working in it \u2014\u00a0whether they were doing more functional work or more sculptural work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As its title suggests, \u201cThe Mark of the Hand\u201d also celebrates the inimitable nuances of handcrafted ceramics.<\/p>\n
![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Andrew-Leo-Proposed-Piece-2.jpeg\")
Andrew Leo is another artist whose work will be on display. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Andrew Leo<\/p>\n
\u201cClay is such a fascinating medium,\u201d Rochow said. \u201cYou can do anything with it, and it\u2019s fun to see different people\u2019s approaches to it. Clay people are great about sharing their technique \u2014\u00a0because there\u2019s no way that you\u2019re going to copy [them exactly]. It\u2019s not possible. That\u2019s why we named the exhibition \u2018The Mark of the Hand.\u2019 Especially with the advent of AI, I think there is a push towards handmade items. And one lovely thing about handmade ceramic items is that you can see the mark of the hand. You can see that it was made. It is clearly something special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fittingly, ClaySA is taking shape at a time when San Antonians have more access than ever to ceramics classes and workshops at community-minded spaces such as Mud Studio, Oblate Clay, Breva Creative and Thrown Studio, the last of which was founded by ClaySA committee member Jesselyn Gordon.<\/p>\n
When asked about any wow moments in \u201cThe Mark of the Hand,\u201d Rochow said she\u2019s excited about all of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good mix of lots of different clay bodies and different glaze techniques,\u201d Rochow explained. \u201cCarolyn Adams has these really interesting sculptures, and it was really fun visiting her studio and learning about her practice. The way that she finishes the sculptures is really fascinating. She uses a lot of cold work like wax, so you end up with these fascinating lusters that you wouldn\u2019t be able to achieve with the kiln alone. \u2026 Anita Becerra is [contributing] some lamps, and I\u2019m excited to see her interpretation. \u2026 [And] Brooke Armstrong makes these huge sculptures out of tiny little spikes of clay \u2026 and then she hangs them in this beautiful way [that] feels like one piece \u2014 like it\u2019s floating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hassele, whom Rochow describes as ClaySA\u2019s \u201cNorth Star,\u201d is also thrilled about seeing everything in one place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited about experiencing the whole month and just watching and observing people and having conversations about this artist and that artist and this piece of work and that piece of work in this open studio,\u201d Hassele said. <\/p>\n
![\"Diana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Diana-Kersey-.jpeg\")
Diana Kersey will display her ceramic works. Credit: Courtesy Image \/ Diana Kersey<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the studio visits that I\u2019m really excited about is Linda Perez\u2019s studio in Floresville. We\u2019re going to caravan from Mercury Project. It\u2019s 40 minutes out of town, but it feels like you\u2019re in the middle of nowhere. It\u2019s beautiful. \u2026 I\u2019m going to bring a cooler with snacks and beverages and we\u2019re just gonna camp out for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the future of ClaySA, Hassele sees it as an annual event with potential to evolve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do know that we want to continue it and let it grow organically. So we may continue with the same format into 2026 and then just see how it moves forward,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a labor of love right now [but we may] look for some financial sponsors so we can pay the artists that are part of the exhibition or help contribute towards the open studios.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle Hernandez, committee member and one of the women on the original email thread that helped sparked ClaySA, says she wants the event to set an example for the San Antonio community at large.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my favorite things about the clay community is that we are always so giving and ready to lend a hand to each other,\u201d Hernandez said via email. \u201cI want more people to know and feel that community support and maybe even allow it to be a model for more than just the clay community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Anita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Anita-Becerra.jpg\")
Anita Becerra\u2019s work is also on display.<\/p>\n
Clay Persuasions<\/p>\n
To get a glimpse into the work of the makers behind ClaySA, we asked committee members what they consider their specialty and what they\u2019re most drawn to when appreciating ceramics.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy specialty is exploring the seemingly infinite diversity of forms and shapes and textures both alone and in combination with one another. I usually like to start a work on the wheel and then remove and alter it and sometimes combine it with other pieces. Think of all the different feathers comprising the wings of a bird, as well as thousands of different birds, especially when in flight, and how unique each feather is both alone and when together as a wing. Clay is a material with many characteristics such as color, texture and pliancy, that allow it to be made into unlimited forms and shapes. Its texture is very adaptable to transformation as well, which can enhance the surfaces and influence the entire piece. If an idea doesn\u2019t work you can start again \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s clay and it lets you keep trying.\u201d \u2014 Linda Perez\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, I am really enjoying hand-building, versus throwing forms on the wheel. I like the freedom in forms it allows and the challenge of working against gravity. The hand-building process is also slower, which allows me more time to meditate on the meaning of the pieces and keeps me at a pace where I am able to explore and shift within the piece more.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Michelle Hernandez\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI consider myself a sculptor who works predominantly in clay. Working with clay is a tactile connection to the earth. I find it to be very grounding. When collecting or merely appreciating ceramics, I tend to lean towards pieces that still have the mark of the maker. I find there is something soulful to that bridge between artist and other.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Dani Becknell\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI primarily work on the wheel to make functional ware for restaurants. However, when time and money allows, I use the wheel and hand-building techniques to make much larger vessels. I tend to gravitate towards the wheel, but have been branching out more frequently into hand-built sculptures.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Jesselyn Gordon\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI make sculptural work that typically incorporates interactive elements with the aim of playing with the audience, pushing them to respond in different ways while giving me the opportunity to observe, akin to a social experiment.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Michael Foerster\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018The Mark of the Hand\u2019<\/p>\n
Free, opening reception 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, closing celebration and market noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, Mercury Project, 538 Roosevelt Ave., contemporaryartmonth.org\/claysa.<\/p>\n
ClaySA Studio Tour<\/p>\n
Free, noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, noon-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, caravan to Linda Perez\u2019s studio in Floresville leaves Mercury Project at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, visit contemporaryartmonth.org\/claysa for a list of participating studios.<\/p>\n
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