Tara was born and raised in Columbus, OH where she received her BA in Ceramics, Sculpture, and Photography at Otterbein University. She later added a Printmaking concentration to the mix during post-graduate studies in Art Education and earned a Master of Business Administration while teaching summer art classes and launching her own photography and ceramics businesses. She made the move to Telluride in October of 2016 to pursue her passions of the arts and the outdoors and, in her words, has been living the dream ever since. Currently, Tara works full time as the Youth Curriculum Manager at the Ah Haa School for the Arts and has begun selling her pottery and ceramic sculptures online and locally at HOOK and the Ah Haa School. You can also find some of her work on display at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA and Companion Gallery in Humboldt, TN as part of their current juried exhibitions.
We asked Tara a few questions:
Go-to dessert? I eat a lot more ice cream than I'd care to admit. I also love to bake - cookies, breads, macarons, the works.
Book? Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer is life-changing.
Off season plans? I'll be making as many bird sculptures and pinch pots as possible and enjoying the lack of a wait at Brown Dog.
Guilty pleasure? Anything related to true crime. Podcasts, books, and Netflix specials for sure, but I also love a good Forensic Files episode from the 90s.
Festival? It's tough to pick, but I'd have to go with Blues and Brews. It takes place soon after the kids summer camps at Ah Haa end and feels like the perfect way to celebrate another art-filled summer.
Childhood memory? My brothers and I used to go to the dollar store every week with our babysitter. Each of us was allowed to buy one toy and my brothers would always get something different to play with each week. I would bee-line it for the Crayola Model Magic (air dry clay). Every. Single. Time.
Time of day? Early mornings are my favorite. Is there a better way to start your day than sharing coffee with someone you love?
Free box find? I now have the first, fourth, and seventh Harry Potter books. Fingers crossed for the full free box set!
Throw or wheel? Neither! After about my 400th pinch pot demo while teaching, the forms starting looking better and better. Now, they're pretty much all I make. The work has started getting some recognition nationally from the ceramics community, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.
Next steps? Make, make, make. Right now, I'm busy with preparing for a local sculptural show this December and January and keeping my Etsy shop regularly stocked. The best way to stay in the know with what I'm up to is to follow me on Instagram or Etsy @youpinchityoupotit.