Apprenticeships

I returned to America in 2014 after four years as a full time high school English as a Second Language instructor in rural Japan to begin a 16 month apprenticeship with Jeff Shapiro in Accord, NY. Before my apprenticeship I was largely self taught since moving to Japan, and fell in love with the rich history of ceramics Japan has to offer. Working with Jeff was one of the most formative educational experiences of my life. While my studies focused on wood fired ceramics Jeff always emphasized utilizing any and all creative processes necessary to allow the work to evolve. Over the months of my apprenticeship we fired a small wood burning kiln, Jeff’s anagama, an electric kiln, an experimental kiln, and an upcycled gas and salt kiln made from the salvaged body of a broken electric kiln. Every firing was an opportunity for deepening your understanding of glaze and surface potential.

Apprenticeships are fundamentally interpersonal relationships; an agreement between mentor and student with both seeking assistance in different stages of discovering the ceramics process. This can be a practical and much more in-depth approach to education that the more traditional academic approach to studio time. Apprenticeships I am a huge supporter of the apprenticeship model of learning, and advocate for interested individuals to find potential mentors that might work for them. No apprentice experience is universal, they are fundamentally highly personalized experiences. The potential for growth and learning is exceptional when it’s the right fit. I am always open to discussion about apprenticeships if it will help individuals find the right educational experience for their personal growth.

While I do not currently have the capacity for a full time personal studio apprentice The Oki Doki Studio has a studio assistant program built from the ground up based on my experience as an apprentice.