Why Teaching?

The largest part of my career has been in education.  I've taught in the public school from kindergarten through twelfth grade for 17 years, at Cornell University for 16 years, and now at the local Community College for the last two years.  And I can honestly say that I'd hate to make my living by being a production potter or having to work in isolation, alone in the studio, day in and day out.   I'm fairly social and just love that interaction and continual feedback and questioning/challenging and just general excitement that classes give.  Nothing makes you know your craft better than having to explain it, demonstrate it,  and justify it to people.  So, classes and workshops are really some of my favorite things to do.  When I'm asked "What do you do?", I almost always answer with "I teach - and make things too".

Classes

The lessons are tailored to your individual skills and goals. They're geared so that you'll learn the skills to throw, handbuild, glaze, trim, process clay, fire kilns, all the processes involved in creating ceramics.  And my hope is that you'll learn it all in a fun easy going environment. 

Workshops

Workshops are simply a consolidation of a class (usually on a very specific area) that teaches a lot of techniques and gives a ton of information in a short period of time so that you can implement some new skills into your tool kit.  The rapport with the participants are one of the most important aspects of any workshop but taking something away from it; be it an idea, new process, better understanding, or just being reinvigorated is priceless.

Andy Palmer

Andy received his Bachelors in Science from James Madison University and his Master’s in Education from SUNY Cortland . He was then hired to supervise and coordinate the Ceramics Department at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY for 17 years.  He also assists his wife in managing In Tandem Gallery in Bakersville, North Carolina which specializes in studio ceramics.