In this special birthday episode of Clay & Kin, Dad celebrates his 80 years of life, art, and community. Together, we explore what eight decades in ceramics have taught him — about creativity, patience, teaching, and the deep relationships formed through clay. Dad reflects on the moments that shaped his artistic journey, the students who became family, and the ways aging has expanded his perspective as a Ceramicist. This conversation is both a tribute and a time capsule: a father sharing the wisdom of a lifetime, and a daughter honoring the legacy that shaped her.

In this episode, Dad — master gardener, ceramic artist, and longtime educator — explore how tending a garden shapes the way he approaches clay, creativity, and community. From the quiet rituals of working the soil to the long arc of nurturing plants through seasons,Dad reflects on the deep parallels between gardening and artmaking: patience, observation, failure, renewal, and the beauty of slow growth.

It’s a conversation about creativity rooted in care — and how tending the earth can transform the way we make, teach, and imagine.

This week, we slow down and sink into a conversation about Dad’s diving practice—how being underwater has shaped his sense of self, his teaching, and his connection to the natural world. We talk about beauty, technique, and the small rituals that make diving feel sacred. It’s an episode about presence, creativity, and the way a hobby becomes a lens for understanding life. A gentle, thoughtful dive—Clay & Kin style.

In this episode, Dad and talk about the opening and reception of the USA Clay Project’s 250th Anniversary exhibition. We break down what made the final collaborative piece so powerful—from the craftsmanship to the collective vision behind it. Our conversation looks ahead to how community-based clay projects can continue to evolve, inspire, and bring makers together across generations.

In this episode, Dad and I explore the quiet, intentional world of matcha ceremonial tea vessels — from the chawan’s form and weight to the way glaze, texture, and lineage shape the experience of preparing tea. We talk about what makes a matcha bowl successful, how tradition informs contemporary making, and why these vessels carry a kind of presence that goes beyond function.

In this episode, Dad and I dive into the layered, tactile world of screen printing on clay—a process that blends precision, experimentation, and a little bit of magic. We talk through how the technique works, why it’s become such a compelling way to add imagery and texture to ceramic surfaces, and the moments in Dad’s teaching practice where screen printing opened new creative doors for students.

In this episode, Dad and I take a joyful detour from clay to the court, breaking down the Knicks’ big win and what it means to longtime fans like him. We talk legacy, loyalty, and why certain victories just hit different when you share them with family. It’s sports, storytelling, and a little New York magic woven into our usual Clay & Kin rhythm.

In this episode of Clay & Kin, Dad and I explore what happens when a lifelong teacher steps out of the classroom but never stops teaching. We talk about identity, purpose, creativity, and the quiet ways teaching continues long after retirement. From the studio to everyday life, this conversation reveals how a calling can evolve, soften, and deepen — even when the bell has long since rung.

This week, Dad and I take on a growing crisis in higher education: the removal of ceramics, studio arts, and humanities programs from colleges and universities across the country. We talk about what’s driving these cuts, what’s at stake when creative disciplines are treated as expendable, and why these programs have always been more than “electives.” They’re places where students learn to think critically, build community, take risks, and understand themselves in relation to the world.

Fresh from the 2026 NSECA Conference in Detroit, Dad and I talk about what stayed with him long after the sessions ended. The ideas, artists, and conversations that left an imprint—from community building to the evolving role of ceramics in education. It’s a gentle, thoughtful exchange about how gatherings like NSECA continue to shape our creativity.