OUR STAFF & BOARD
Julia Vogelle | I am an artist working with sculpture, drawing-painting and jewelry making. I was raised on Long Island, NY and completed my BFA degree at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and MFA/Education at C. W. Post University. Most of my work is in clay. I begin with slabs and then incorporate wheel work. I decorate the slabs with lace and stamped patterns. I also like to draw directly into the clay surface or with oxides and glazes. My ceramic pendant jewelry pieces are all originally sculpted with an eclectic blend of mother of pearl, silver and glass. Each piece is approached with a reverence for nature, capturing the many subtleties found in the natural world. Currently, I am teaching public school art and producing work in my home studio located on Long Island.
Justine Moody | I am a fiber artist, painter, and potter living on Long Island with my family. I was a fine art major at Pratt Institute and graduated with a BFA in Ceramics. I worked as an studio manager for the ceramic department during my years at Pratt and later went on to sculpt full time for model makers and set designers in New York. I later opened my dream shop in New Jersey combining needle & fiber arts with the art of working in clay. After almost a decade of my shop, I moved my family to my home town and began teaching workshops throughout Long Island. Although clay is my first love, I’ve recently been working with raw natural fibers on a three dimensional level, another renewable resourced medium I aspire to share with my fellow potters at The Brick.
Kathy Schlude | Although I am new to pottery, I am bringing my finance/budgeting and organizational skills to The Brick Studio as the Secretary/Treasurer. I have 17 years experience working as an Administrative Assistant and Design Assistant for an interior design firm in Setauket, NY. Starting as the design firm’s Bookkeeper, I handled the firm’s finances and enjoyed exploring my artistic eye, gaining valuable knowledge while indulging my aesthetic sense and passion for design. I recently started my own company, KES Design Management, providing Administrative/Bookkeeping services for a local interior design firm and a landscape architecture firm. In addition to my work experience, I also have a passion for volunteer work and have served my community as an EMT and CME Coordinator with the Miller Place Fire Department.
Russell Pulick | A Studio/Production Potter for 42 years. An instructor – Harbor Country Day School Summers 14 years. Instructor Art League of Long Island 16 years . Studio Manager Art League of Long Island, 2 years Kiln Repair Schools on LI 8 years.
Susan C. Van Horn | My interest in pottery began over 30 years ago when a friend of mine talked me into taking a pottery class – I was hooked!!! My background is in the sciences and clay offers a great deal of freedom to express oneself blending form and technique. I have taken many classes and workshops along this journey and find myself intrigued and impressed more and more with the creativeness that is revealed within individuals. I am more of a functional potter and have been involved with teaching and the running of a ceramic studio for many years.
Mary Oshiro | I am an RN and an intermediate level potter. Six years ago I began to study pottery at the Stonybrook Craft Center. During this time I developed not only a deep passion for this special art form but also joined a community of fellow artists. The feeling of using your hands transform raw material into an expression of oneself, is the true definition of art.
Joanne Coppola | My passion for pottery began in my fifth decade when I enrolled in my first ceramic class at Dowling College. I continued taking every level of ceramics the college offered, enrolled in workshops and seminars, and then moved on to more training at the Stony Brook Craft Center and Earth Vessel. I am an intermediate level wheel potter and find working with clay is both therapeutic and exciting. I am enthusiastic to be a part of this endeavor and I am looking forward to the studio environment where we share ideas, teach and learn, have a sense of community, and encourage each other’s creativity just by having our hands in clay.
Astrid Wimmer | Is it my hobby? My vocation? My playground? My unreachable goal?
Perhaps. It is definitely part of my life. I have had my hands in clay for over thirty years, and I can trace my life by looking at my pots. There are the clumsy, heavy off-center bowls and the beautiful ones with nice shapes and gorgeous glazes; there are the tea pots that drip and the ones with elegant, pulled handles and good spouts; there the experiments in hand-built sculptures and vases and –finally- many thin Asian looking serving bowls on small feet.
Our household and those of my children are stacked with functional pottery. We all eat and drink from them every day and break them occasionally. The call for more mugs and plates and bowls does not stop. 2016 passed without going to “the studio”. While I made some pots and we had a beautiful outdoor firing with our instructor, I felt homeless without a place and without the wonderful group of potter friends. Hopefully, in the year that has just barely begun, the situation will change and, together, we will be able to throw happy pots again.
Estrellita Ammirati | As a Physical Therapist I am a hands on person so clay fits right in. I have been involved with Clay for approximately 20 years. Wheel throwing is my primary interest, bowls being my passion. I recently did a major project in hand building thus sparking a new interest. I call my time with clay, my zen time, because I find it relaxing and a way to deal with life’s stresses. My style is eclectic and I enjoy working with other artists as we learn from each other, share our talents and grow.