THE 2026 APPLICATION IS OPEN! 👉 Help us spread the word by sharing this post!
When you're ready to apply, visit our website. Link in bio. 🔗
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Artists featured in this post:
1. Stacy Larson (@stacylarsonceramics ) − Rose Bowl Set
2. Sam McCall (@samxmccall ) − Low Wide Vase
3. Jon Stein (@jsteinpottery ) − Pitcher
4. Jacque Adams (@jadams614 ) − Winter Woods Pilsner
5. Paul Heckler (@pauljheckler ) − Chromatic Bowl (Orange)
6. Matthew Skelly (@redofthi ) − Pareid Bottle
7. Shannon Brownlee (@shannonbrownleepottery ) − Temple Urn
8. Susan Kennedy (@skennedyart ) − Copper Quatrefoil Tray.
#ceramics #strictlyfunctionalpotterynational #ceramica #pottery #functionalwork #makers #functionalpottery #handmadepottery #functionalceramics
Announcing Louise Rosenfield as the juror for the 2026 Strictly Functional Pottery National exhibition!🏺We're so excited to have her jury this year's show.
Get to know Louise a little better by visiting our website and reading her juror statement below:
"As a person who enjoys making cups, bowls, plates and other functional objects out of clay, and as a person who has amassed an unusually large collection of diverse functional ceramic works, I believe in the power of functional art, particularly functional ceramic art, to improve one’s emotional being, by virtue of use, throughout each day.
Jurying by selecting works from photos is difficult. I hope to be so impressed by each and every submitted work, that it will be an immense struggle to select the show.
My love for Strictly Functional Pottery National began when I was a student more than 30 years ago, because of how the selected works strongly combined aesthetic appeal, craftsmanship, and the harmonious blend of art and utility.
(Once, in the early 1990’s, I actually bravely took a photo of a piece and entered. I didn’t think the piece would be accepted, and it was…..and I was mortified, because the piece had a large s-crack in the bottom, which of course, you couldn’t see in the photo.)"
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We plan to be open for applications soon! Keep an eye out, and we'll post as soon as the form is open.
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#ceramics #strictlyfunctionalpotterynational #ceramica #pottery #functionalwork #meettheartists #makers #functionalpottery #handmadepottery
Wall to Table
Hi, Takako @takakotmartinez again!
My intention of these artworks is every time you enter the kitchen, you feel like you are entering a museum. Furthermore, when you share a meal with them, you feel like you are a part of the artwork or a contributor to the work.
#sfpntakeover #ceramics #strictlyfunctionalpotterynational #pottery #functionalpottery
Hi, I’m Takako Martinez #takakotmartinez. I’m honored and grateful to #StrictlyFunctionalPotteryNational for inviting me to take over their Instagram for the second year in a row.
I’m a Dallas-based ceramic artist who explores how everyday functional objects can become breathtaking, impressive, amusing, and even comical—bringing museum-quality art into daily life.
#pottery #ceramics #functionalpottery
Just 15 DAYS! The application deadline is JUNE 1, 2026. Share this post, mark it in you calendar, and set a reminder for yourself!
👉 Comment "APPLY," and we'll DM you the application information! Or visit our website when you're ready. 🔗
Artist featured in this post: Stan Irvin (@stanirvinclayworks )
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#ceramics #strictlyfunctionalpotterynational #ceramica #pottery #functionalwork #makers #functionalpottery #handmadepottery #functionalceramics
Final post from Sara Alfieri (@sara.alfieri__ ) before signing off!👋🤍🫶🏼
I thought I would close out my takeover by sharing a few places where my work is currently available to view and purchase, along with upcoming exhibitions I’m excited to be part of this year.✨
I’m honored to be participating in the 2026 American Pottery Festival through @northernclaycenter ! Work from APF artists is available now, both online and in person, through the APF Preview Show until May 31st. The American Pottery Festival will take place August 28–30, 2026. Be sure to visit Northern Clay Center’s website @northernclaycenter to view available work and purchase festival tickets, workshops, and demo passes.
*Additional places where my work is currently on view/available to purchase, or will be available soon:
• Lux Art Center -Work available online and in person
@lux_center
• BCYS Foundation Resident Exhibition - Opens June 5th at Belger Crane Yard Studios @belgerarts
• Clayakar: Yunomi Invitational -Opens online at 10:00 AM CST on August 14, 2026 (tentative) @clayakar
• Kemper Museum Staff Exhibition, Busman’s Holiday -Opens June 10th in the Kemper East Galleries
And that’s a wrap! Thanks so much for following along, and a big thank you again to @strictlyfunctionalpottery for having me. Happy making everyone!😀🫖💙🫶🏼
Sara Alfieri (@sara.alfieri__ ) here again!👋
For this next post, I wanted to share another key process within my work. One of the most common questions I receive is how I achieve such precise, thin lines on my work. This video offers a closer look at the process.✍️🤍
I use an inlay surface technique known as Mishima. The footage is shown at an accelerated speed, since the process of drawing and filling each line is incredibly time-intensive and requires a steady, deliberate pace to maintain clarity and control.
While it can be seen as a labor-intensive step, I often find it meditative. In a studio environment that can feel rushed or fast-moving, this process asks me to slow down and think carefully about how space is being divided and constructed across each surface. ✍️🟩🟦🟨
#SFPN #sfpntakeover
Hello Sara Alfieri (@sara.alfieri__ ) here again 👋for day two of SFPN Instagram takeover!
For this next post, I wanted to share one of the spaces outside of my own studio practice that continues to inform how I think and make: Teaching.🤍
I value the dialogue that happens between myself and students while working through processes together, and the ways those conversations deepen our understanding of making.
These images were taken during a plaster and moldmaking class I taught in March @belgerarts in Kansas City, MO. What I love most about this kind of course is the collaboration it invites. From refining cottle seams to mixing and pouring plaster, each step becomes a shared process of troubleshooting, problem-solving, and discovery.
Moldmaking is full of technical challenges, and things rarely go perfectly the first time. Often, it is in the moments of reworking and problem-solving that understanding deepens, both in process and material.🧱🩶
#SFPN #sfpntakeover
Last post for the night from Sara Alfieri👋🌙(@sara.alfieri__ )
This next post expands on another modular approach within my practice. For developing my vessel forms, I use C.A.D. (Computer-Aided Design) software to construct 3D-printed prototypes which then become the foundation for multi-part molds used in the slip casting process. Some of these molds are designed to interlock like a puzzle, while others intentionally allow casting slip to escape through the seam during pouring.
I’m interested in how these outcomes sit alongside architectural logic-where certain structures are sealed and resolved while others remain porous, exposed, or responsive to their conditions. These variations speak to different ways built environments can be organized and experienced and how access, openness, and structure can shift depending on design decisions. 🏗️🧱
#SFPN #sfpntakeover
Sara Alfieri (@sara.alfieri__ )here again👋. This next post highlights the concepts within my current body of work.
My work examines theories of perceptual psychology in design, architecture, and accessibility through the interaction between ceramic structures and vessels.
By engaging these ideas, I create abstract compositions that are both visually stimulating and functionally engaging.
Recently, I’ve been implementing modularity into my structures. Certain components are designed to fit together like a puzzle, allowing the pieces to shift, connect, and reconfigure. This modular approach expands how the work can be experienced while reinforcing ideas of accessibility, adaptability, and interaction.
The last images offer a glimpse into my design process. Each piece begins as a series of drawings. Once the piece is made, I map out various color relationships to seek a unified compositional relationship between structure and surface. Through these plans, I consider how theories of perceptual psychology in design shape the way visual information is organized, activated, and experienced across both surface and object.
#SFPN #sfpntakeover
Hello everyone! My name is Sara Alfieri (@sara.alfieri__ ), and I’m honored to be taking over the Strictly Functional Pottery Instagram for the next two days. 🎉
I am a ceramic artist and educator currently based in Kansas City, MO, where I am completing a two-year residency @belgerarts . Alongside my studio practice, I teach throughout the Missouri and Kansas area and work at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Originally from Upstate New York, I received my BFA from Illinois State University and my MFA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
I’m excited to share with you all the various processes that inform my making, the inspirations that shape my research, and the direction of my current body of work.
A Big thank you to @strictlyfunctionalpottery for having me!😊🫶🏼
