Artist: Sean O'Connell

Sean O'Connell, NORTH CAROLINA
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ARTIST BIO

born, 1979

Sean began his artistic career as a silversmith’s apprentice at the age of 14 in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. This was the start of a career working as an artist. He received his BFA, from the Kansas City Art Institute, and MFA in Ceramics at the School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology in New York State. He’s attended several Artist-In- Residencies, including: Salad Day’s at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME, the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT, and Penland School of Craft, in Penland, NC. In 2013 he was named one of Ceramics Monthly’s Emerging Artists and in 2016 as one of six Emerging Artists at the annual NCECA conference. Sean has taught at numerous universities, colleges, and Art Centers. Most notably at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, AB, Canada, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts and Penland School of Craft. He offers lectures, exhibits his work, and teaches workshops nationally. Sean

works from his home studio in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

ARTIST STATMENT

I believe in the beauty of handmade objects. Creating by hand is a deliberate attempt at slowing down, connecting to something deeper, and taking time to appreciate the unique beauty in natural materials. My studio practice involves several aspects of making, including: pottery, carved wooden utensils, calligraphy brushes, paintings and sculpture. I make functional pottery and wooden utensils to enrich domestic tasks and spaces with well-made, everyday
objects. My paintings and sculptures are more focused on abstract, visual studies of patterns or repetitive mark-making.

EDUCATION
2009
MFA, Ceramics, School for American Crafts
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2001
BFA, Sculpture, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO

RESIDENCIES

2021-2025- Penland School of Crafts, Artist-In-Residence, Penland, NC
2015-Oxbow School of Art, Guest Artist-In-Residence, Saugatuk, MI
2011-2013
Archie Bray Foundation, “Matsutani/Windgate Fellowships/ Artits-in-Residence”, Helena, MT
2012
Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, Fall Visiting Artist, Newcastle, ME
2010
Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, "Salad Day's Artist-in-Residence", Newcastle, ME

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2021- present Studio Artist, Self-Employed, Penland, NC
2016-2021 Education & Communications Coordinator, Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT
2014 - 2016, Lecturer, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2013-2014
Visiting Lecturer/Instructor, Alberta College of Art & Design, Calgary, AB, Canada
2011
Visiting Lecturer, Foundations/Art Dept., Drawing I, SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY (Spring Semester)
2010
Visiting Lecturer, Art Dept., Ceramics I / Senior Thesis Adviser, Well’s College, Aurora, NY (Fall Semester)
Visiting Lecturer, Art Dept., Ceramics I & II, Corning Community College, Corning, NY (Fall Semester)
Instructor, University of Rochester, Memorial Art Gallery/Creative Workshop, Rochester, NY
2009-Present
Studio Manager/Instructor, Genesee Center for the Arts & Education, Rochester, NY
2007-2009
Instructor of Record/TA, Ceramics, School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2008
Teaching Assistant, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, “Making History”
Julia Galloway & Margaret Bohls, Halifax, NS, Canada (Summer Session)
2007-2008
Graduate Assistant, Office of the Chair, Julia Galloway, School for American Crafts, RIT, Rochester, NY
2004-2007
Instructor, Ceramics, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2002-2007
Studio Coordinator/Instructor, Ceramics Dept., Park District Highland Park, Highland Park, IL

LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
2026
Yellow Springs Ceramics National, Juror/Lecture/Demo, Yellow Springs, PA
Arkansas Pottery Festival, Visiting Artist Lecture/Demo, Fayetteville, AR
2022
Vitual Lecture Series - Naomi Clement, “It Begins With a Thread”, Ceramic Survey
2019
Penland School of Crafts, Workshop, Penland, NC
2018
Arrowmont School of Arts & Craft, Workshop, Gatlinburg, TN
Red Deer College, Workshop, Red Deer, AB, Canada
2017
Moreland Art Loft, Workshop, Palmetto Bluff, SC
NCECA, Process Room Demonstration, “The Exquisite Surface”, Portland, OR
2016
NCECA Emerging Artist, Artist Presentation, Kansas City, MO
Universtiy of Wisconsin-Madison, Visiting Artist Workshop, Madison, WI
Red Lodge Clay Center, Artist Presentation, Red Lodge, MT
2015
Bowling Green State University, Visiting Artist Workshop, Bowling Green, OH
Bowling Green State University, Visiting Artist Workshop, Bowling Green, OH
Oxbow School of Art, Guest Artist Demonstration, Saugatuck, MI
Sierra Nevada College, Workshop, “The Exquisite Surface”, Incline Village, NV
Red Deer College, Workshop, “Ceramic Surface Intensive”, Red Deer, AB, Canada
Fine Line Art Center, Workshop, “Cultivating the Ceramic Surface”, St. Charles, IL
NCECA 2015 Panel, “Fighting The Cabin Mentality”, Providence, RI
NCECA 2015/AMACO Expo Hall, Artist Demonstration, Providenc, RI
University of Wisconsin - Osh Kosh, Visiting Artist Demonstration, Osh Kosh, WI
2014
Govenors State College, Visiting Artist Demonstration, Monee, IL
Potter’s Council w/ AMACO, Workshop, “Integrating Surface & Form”, Sean O’Connell & Julia
Galloway, Indianapolis, IN
Red Deer College,Visiting Artist Demonstration, Red Deer, AB, Canada
2013
North Mount Pleasant Art Center, Artist Lecture, Calgary, AB, Canada
Presenter/Lecturer, 1,000 Miles Apart, Ceramic Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada
2012
"Artist Presentation" University of Montana, Missoula, MT
"Materialize: Understanding the Ceramic Surface" Workshop. Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME
"Artist Lecture" America Pottery Festival, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2011
“Visiting Artist Presentation”, School for American Crafts
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2010
“Visiting Aritst Lecture”, Well’s College, Aurora, NY
2008
“Artist Lecture”, Rochester Institute of Technology, College of Imagimg Arts
& Sciences, Creative Sources Foundations Program, Rochester, NY
2007-2009
“Ceramic Art History: What’s New Is Old”, Cont.Ed/School for American Crafts, Rochester Insitute of Technology, Rochester, NY

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015 AKAR, Sean O'Connell, Iowa City, IA
2014
Alberta College of Art + Design, “In Service”, Calgary, AB, Canada
Mudfire Studios, "New Work,", Decatur, GA
2012
Clay Art Center, "Anecdote", Port Chester, NY

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026
AKAR, “Yunomi Invitational”, Iowa City, IA
Above Board Ceramics, “Above Board at Headstone Gallery”, Kingston, NY
2025
Mint Museum, “Mint Museum Potter’s Market”, Charlotte, NC
2022
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tenn. Tech University, “Penland Residents”, Smithville, TN
Penland School of Crafts - Gallery, “Well Made Goods: Kitchen + Table”, Penland, NC
2021
NCECA, “Above Board Ceramics”, Virtual Exhibition
Radius Gallery, “The Sense Beyond Desire”, Missoula, MT
Penland School of Crafts - Gallery, “Porcelain Reconsidered”, Penland, NC
2020
Red Lodge Clay Center, “Objects of Desire III”, Red Lodge, MT
AMACO/NCECA, “Thinking Outside the Jar”, Minneapolis, MN
2019
Lawrence Arts Center, “The Vessel & the Image”, Lawrence, KS
ArtAxis, “Featured Artist”, Virtual Exhibition
2018
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, “Instructor Exhibition”, Gatlinburg, TN
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, “Pop-Up Cup Show”, Houston, TX
Clay Art Center, “Redux: Transformations, 6 x 6”, Port Chester, NY
AKAR, “Yunomi Invitational”, Iowa City, IA
Eutectic Gallery, “NCECA 2017 Invitational”, Portland, OR
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, “Utilitarian Clay VII”, Gatlinburg, TN

SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2026
Radius Gallery, Missoula, MT
2018
Red Lodge Clay Center, “Solo Exhibition”, Red Lodge, MT
Radius Gallery, “Sean O’Connell, Beth Lo, & Pam Caughey”, Missoula, MT
2017
C-File, “Pop-up Shop: Sean O’Connell”, Santa Fe, NM
2016
Turman Larison Gallery, “SHIFT: Sean O’Connell & Alison Reintjes”, Helena, MT
2015
Crimson Laurel Gallery, “Sean O’Connell & Tom Jaszczak”, Bakersville, NC
AKAR, “Featured Solo Exhibition”, Iowa City, IA
2014
Alberta College of Art + Design, “In Service”, Calgary, AB, Canada
2013
Mudfire Studios, “Featured Artist Solo Exhibition”, Decatur, GA
2012
Clay Art Center, “Anecdote”, Port Chester, NY
2010
Genesee Center for the Arts & Education, “The Walking Hour”, Rochester, NY

PUBLICATIONS
2021
Ceramics Monthly, Exposure Section, Featured Image, Issue: Nov. 2021
2018
Ceramic Arts Network, “Sean O’Connell - The Exquistie Surface”, full-length DVD
Ceramics Monthly, Exposure Section, Featured Image, Issue: Sept. 2018
“A Ceramic Guide”, Author: Trent Berning, Cognella Academic Publishing, 2018
Ceramics Ireland, “Sean O’Connell - The Static & the Fluid “, Feature Article,
Author: Martina Lantin
Ceramics Art & Perception, “Utilitarian Clay Symposium VII”,
Article/ Featured Image, Issue 106, 2017
ACAD Press, “Relational Learning”, Calgary, AB, Canada
2017
Ceramics Monthly, “NCECA Emerging Artists”, Author: Heidi MacKenzie, Issue: Feb. 2017
2015
“Graphic Clay”, Author: Jason B. Burnett, Sterling Pub. Co./Lark Books
2014
Pottery Making Illustrated, “Rhythm & Repetition . .”, Feature Article, Issue: Nov/Dec. 2014
“The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes”, Author: John Britt, Lark Books
“Glaze: The Ultimate Collection“, Authors: Brian Taylor & Kate Doody, Quattro Pub., London
2013
The Studio Potter, “Distillation”, Feature Article, vl. 42 No. 1
Ceramics Monthly, “Emerging Artist”, Issue: May 2013
Ceramics Field Guide, “Hindsight is 20/20”, Online Essay, Editor: Julia Galloway
The Art of Contemporary American Pottery, Online Edition, Author: Kevin A. Hluch
2012
Ceramics Art & Perception, Issue 89, by Janet Koplos, “Anecdote” Solo Exhibition Review
Ceramics Monthly, Article, “Poetics of Utility”, December, Volume 59, #10, pg. 38
PANI Magazine, Featured Artist, Poland
Ceramics Monthly, “Upfront”, Novembe
2010
Ceramics Monthly, “Upfront”, June-August, pg. 22
Access Ceramics, http://accessceramics.org/results/artist/377/
ArtAxis, http://artaxis.org/ceramics/oconnell_sean/sean_oconnell.html
500 Platters, Lark Books, Sterling Publishing CO., Asheville, NC

AWARDS, GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
2013
Emerging Artist, Ceramics Monthly, May 2013
2012
Windgate Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2011
Matsutani Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
2010
Grant: Special Opportunity Stipend, Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, NY
2007
Potters Group Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
2004
NCECA Cups of Merit, Award, Indianapolis, IN