Scholarships

A big thank you to our sponsors who have made a scholarship program possible.

This year, we were able to offer 6 scholarships to students who needed financial assistance for Ceramicon 2023. The excerpts shared below are just a small portion of the application they submitted.

Thank you to everyone who applied! We had 50 applicants, which made it incredibly difficult to narrow it down and choose finalists. For more information on the criteria used to assist in choosing finalists, please see the bottom of this page.

Philneka Williams

“I am currently saving as much money as I can to be able to support my future pottery business. I am crazy about pottery! I really do love and it is my thing, no doubt about it. This is great timing for me personally to have the opportunity to participate because I am at a place to start a pottery business of my own. I am a BFA Ceramics graduate from the University of Georgia. After graduating I served in the military and therefore put my pottery dreams on hold. After finishing duty I am definitely ready to push myself towards this. Seeing how the ceramic community has changed and grown is exciting to see and I would love to continue growing with it!”

Taylor Omondi

“I moved to Kenya from the US in 2014. I've witnessed art as not only an important tool for healing and story-telling, but also as a catalyst to expand employment opportunities for young adults who have not had fair access to education. I believe that clay is the perfect medium to meet both employment and emotional healing needs in the Deaf community in Kenya. Ceramics is a new industry in Kenya, especially in metropolitan areas like Nairobi; there is a growing middle class with a strong appreciation for locally designed, proudly African, functional ceramics. I would like to weave my passion for ceramics into my current career. In my context, art is not taught in public schools and ceramics is particularly inaccessible. As an educator, I would like to open up the possibility for those around me (namely Deaf young adults in my community and students at my school) to choose ceramics as their career.”

Manu García Amaya

“For years I had struggled in school, first because I was an immigrant child and did not speak English but then I later learned I had a learning disability. Now, I’m a ceramics teacher at my studio and I also teach at a non profit called Adventures To Dreams, which is a program for low income children to come and grow their own vegetables and learns about Art and Stem for free. I always use everything I learn so I can teach it to others. Ceramics is therapy, and this year I am trying to teach in other community spaces (such as Nova Arts Community) which is an LGBTQ space for art workshops. I will be teaching handbuilding there. My goal for this year is to apply for grants for residency art projects to tell stories about immigration and my journey.”

Amelia Fulton

“I would ideally like to set up a bespoke space, offering classes, drop-in sessions in ceramics, glaze making (once I figure that out), wild clay and wild glaze production in Cornwall and potentially other workshops in other crafts. I want to ensure that I feel qualified to pass on the knowledge I have and am looking into teaching certificates here in Cornwall to accompany any ceramic courses I can afford. Ultimately, a focus on local, sustainable making where pretense and barriers are left at the door is the goal. Cornwall is full of incredible potters, incredible artists with high-profile brands and established connections. It means this county is an incredible place to learn, but also has an air of inaccessibility. I'd like to tackle this with my own space.”

Katie Chan

“I am a daughter of immigrant parents and none of my family members is an entrepreneur. I want to be the first in my family to become one and build generational wealth and knowledge that I can pass down to future generations. My sole purpose and goal with ceramics are to HAVE FUN! That was the reason why I signed up and continued to sign up for pottery classes because it's fun and I genuinely want to improve. I believe that without failure, there will be no success. I hope that I am able to share my creations with the public by the end of 2023!”

Runeda Scott

“I am a single mom who’s trying to follow her pottery dreams. Growing up it was something I always wanted to try but couldn’t. I was finally able to take my first pottery class in November of 2021 and fell in love with it but moved in February 2022 and was no longer near a studio. Then I lost my job and fell on really hard times. Since then I’ve had to make sure my sons needs are met before I can even think about spending money on anything else. Pottery has been one of the bright spots that’s just for me during a really hard time. I’ve watched so many YouTube videos trying to soak up knowledge but having my questions answered has been hit or miss. One of my goals for 2023 is to step up my skill set and really dive into my pottery and the pottery community and this would be the perfect way to do that.”

The following people on this page have been awarded scholarships for Ceramicon 2023 on the culmination of several criteria, including but no limited to:

  • Their desire to improve their own circumstances and education, which is often accompanied with a desire to improve the circumstances and education of others within their local community.

  • They submitted a complete application with all necessary information. They exhibited a strong necessity for financial assistance and, in many cases, have no one else to rely on financially.

  • They provided meaningful and detailed answers about their reason for applying and their intentions/goals for their future in the field of ceramics.

  • They have actively utilized other resources in the ceramics community (sometimes paid and sometimes free) to further their understanding of the field and show an immense passion and enthusiasm for ceramics + pottery as a whole.