Ceramics and jewelry classes; tools, glazes, and clay. Garden City, MI
Instructor Bios
Mike Kuhn
cortney matier
Julie ireton
Mike has been involved in the arts and has worked with kids all his life. As a Christian, he grew up in the church, became a camp counselor, and eventually worked as a youth director for a local church.
He studied photography at Center for Creative Studies and did professional photography for over 30 years, including owning his own photography studio and being staff photographer for the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Lions.
An artist at heart, Mike became involved in ceramics by taking a ceramics class and discovering that he had a knack for creating beautiful, functional pottery. Before long, he was teaching advanced ceramics in Schoolcraft College’s continuing education department teaching all levels of students including the Kids on Campus ceramics program. His love of ceramics and art and the desire to meet a need in the artistic community inspired him to start the Michigan Art Center with his wife, Carol, in 2013.
A love of pottery and working with clay also gave Mike the desire to create his own line of custom pottery tools - Barefoot Pottery Tools - which were featured in an article written by Frank James Fisher in the November - December 2011 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.
Julie ireton
cortney matier
Julie ireton
Julie discovered her passion for pottery in 2007 while taking her first ceramics class in high school. During her first four years of ceramics classes, she won multiple 1st and 2nd place awards from the California State Fair, 2 Scholastic Gold Key Awards, and placed 2nd in a district-wide throwing competition. Later, while pursuing an engineering degree at college, she continued taking ceramics and drawing classes to hone her artistic skills. After graduating and moving to Michigan in 2017, Julie discovered the Michigan Art Center and has thoroughly enjoyed the community it offers. An artist at heart and an engineer by trade, Julie enjoys combining functionality and practicality with design and aesthetics. After years of developing her skills on the wheel, she is excited by the opportunity to share her passion and help others discover the joy of throwing.
cortney matier
cortney matier
cortney matier
Cortney began exploring clay in elementary school, like most of us. Fortunate enough to go to a High School that offered higher level ceramic classes she took full advantage of her schools offerings, taking all four of the basic courses offered and an independent study focusing on wheel thrown functional pottery.
In High school and throughout college Cortney worked for U Take the Cake, and translated her love of pottery into cake decorating. While studying Early Childhood Development at Central Michigan University, she focused all or her available Art minor credits on Pottery. It wasn't long before she started to translate her skill in cake decorating back into her pottery.
From college, her experiments in slip trailing pottery took off, and continue to develop and evolve. Cortney discovered the Michigan Art Center in the summer of 2020 and has been thankful to have a place to continue to be challenged and to grow in her skill as well as to have a community to connect with.
Cortney is currently the Studio teacher at Northville Public Schools, Early Childhood Education Program, and is very excited to share her love for pottery with our community.
barb johnson
Dominique Larson
cortney matier
Barb received her Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University and her Master’s Degree from Western Michigan University. After retiring from a career of teaching, she became a Certified Master Gardener from Michigan State University. In 2015, Barb found the Michigan Art Center and it became her home away from home. Barb occasionally works on the wheel, but really enjoys hand building with clay the most. Barb enjoys gardening, raising butterflies and sharing her love of clay with her students and friends.
Dominique Larson
Dominique Larson
Dominique Larson
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Dominique thrives on exploring the vast, wonderful world of ceramics. In her time as an undergraduate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (graduated in 2011), she focused primarily on wheel throwing. There, she also discovered she particularly loves playing with surfaces as well as developing her own clays and glazes. She finds inspiration everywhere - walking through the woods, farmers markets, listening to music, watching someone dance or walk. The list goes on. Every day in the studio brings new ideas and projects, and she’s more than happy to be able to share those with her students at the MAC.
Dominique holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While her work spans multiple media, sinking her hands into clay always draws her heart. Possibly this stems from her love of playing in sand and mud as a child, though her work has increased considerably in sophistication since then.
Dominique’s graduation show at the SAIC featured four ceramic pots, each the product of weeks of work and years of study. Since then she has displayed ceramics and sold them at multiple shows in the Midwest. Her work always draws the eye with graceful forms, intriguing carving, and beautiful glazing.
Erika Hanna
Dominique Larson
Dominique Larson
Erika has been working with metal for over 25 years and has extensive experience teaching art for the last 20 years; the last ten years teaching Jewelry and Ceramics Classes at Wayne Memorial High School. She has a passion for teaching others about working with base and precious metals and has taught students from Kindergarten through 12th grade about art construction and techniques.
Erika's love for jewelry began when she attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. She took 4 jewelry classes in high school and then worked for a local jeweler before starting her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Eastern Michigan University.
In 1999, she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in Jewelry/Metalsmithing and a Teaching Certificate K‑12. While she was teaching Elementary Art, she started her Master of Arts in Jewelry/Metalsmithing at Eastern Michigan University and her entire Masters program was devoted to exploring new techniques in wire manipulation and wire art.
During the summer months, she can be found exhibiting at the Plymouth Art In the Park and Milford Memories art fairs and her work is currently exhibited at the Art Is In Market store in Briarwood Mall. She loves to showcase her work and expand people’s appreciation for wire art.
Dave Farmer
Dave Farmer
Dave Farmer
Dave embodies the vision of the Michigan Art Center. Having enrolled at the MAC as a complete beginner student seven years ago, he is now a popular teacher and professional ceramic artist specializing in wheel throwing and surface treatments.
He knows that with the proper support, magic can happen for anyone on the potter’s wheel. His classes are characterized by much laughter and excitement as students discover their own hidden talents, and make friends in the process.
Dave graduated with honors from the University of Michigan.
steve simon
Dave Farmer
Dave Farmer
Steve holds a B.S. in Education Art Education Major/Fine Art Minor Wayne State University 1986, and a Masters in School Counseling/Eastern Michigan, 1994
He was a Work Study student at Pewabic Pottery in 1976, and taught art at the Monroe Public Schools from 1986 - 2016.
Most recently, he has taught as an Adjunct Instructor at the WCCCD Downriver Campus Ceramics/Sculpture 2019-24
His Juried Shows/Street Fairs/Sales include:
Wyandotte Street Fair/Royal Oak Metal & Glass/Chelsea Fair/Mt.Clemens Art Center/Michigan Gallery/Hanlon Center2023 (2nd Pl.)/Padzieski Gallery 2023-24/Pewabic Pottery: Holiday Show, Home & Garden Show, Fall Show, North American Artists Gallery 2021-24
2024 Korea-US Invitational Ceramic Exhibition
Visiting Instructors
Frank James Fisher
Frank James Fisher
Frank James Fisher
The ceramic art of Frank James Fisher is unique among American art. Frank's art is a sculptural blend of popular culture, iconic form and graphic design. A subtle narrative is woven into his art making each piece personal and reflective of American life. Frank's art has evolved from a strong foundation in traditional functional ceramics. He is equally adept with wheel and hand-built forms. He is a master of ultra-thin slab forms, raku firing and innovative glazing methods. His fine art and functional art methods are openly revealed in his courses and workshops. Classes are relaxed, informative and filled with insight about clay and the joys (and trials) of being an artist.
Outside the classroom, Frank is an author of more than 20 articles in national ceramic publications including: Ceramics Monthly. Pottery Making Illustrated, Art and Perception and Ceramics Technical. His work is featured in numerous books and exhibited nationally.
To learn more about our visiting artist Frank James Fisher, visit www.frankjamesfisher.com
Augie Paniagua
Frank James Fisher
Frank James Fisher
For 25 years, his professional creativity was focused in hairstyling, a discipline where beauty and art lives.
During an extended holiday in Italy, he was sparked by a new interest when taking a ceramics class and fell in love with clay. When he returned to Michigan, he enrolled in more clay classes and eventually completed an Associates degree in Ceramics from Oakland Community College.
Through the years, he also attended clay workshops at various iconic art schools in San Miguel de Allende, Haystack, and Arrowmont. He participated in an intensive work study program at Penland, where he also formally assisted in classes. Later, he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from College for Creative Studies in Detroit and for the last nine years, he has enjoyed the creative space at the Michigan Art Center.
The most influential part of his inspiration comes from traveling extensively around the world with his partner of 28 years.
Betty Felts
Betty Felts
Betty Felts
Betty has been painting for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on watercolor. She has received numerous awards for her work including the 2014 Maggie Price Award from the Pastel Society of Central Florida, and the 2015 1st Place award from the Leesburg Art Association. Betty is a member of the Garden City Fine Arts Association, 3-City’s Fine Arts Association, Visual Arts Association of Livonia, Leesburg Art Association, Pastel Society of Central Florida, and the International Association of Pastel Societies.
Notable instructors who Betty has studied with include Lynn Baum, Pat Bombeck, Lynn Ferris, Kay Rowe, Janet McGrath, Karlyn Holman, Lian Zhen, Jan Ramsey, and Ray Hazzard. She has been teaching for the last 10 years in Florida and in her studio in Michigan. Betty believes in practice, and lots of it, and loves to learn new techniques and explore different mediums.
Betty is a visiting artist who teaches occasional classes at the Michigan Art Center.
Barb Uber
Betty Felts
Betty Felts
Barb worked for the Gibraltar School District from 1978 until she retired in 2010 and taught Art - grades 1 -7, Sixth Grade, Life Science 7, Math 7, Earth Science 8, Reading 8, French 8, Kindergarten and Young Fives.
Barb holds a Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University with a major and minor in Art and Design and a concentration in Ceramics. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Continuing Certificate to teach art K - 12. She also holds a Masters Degree from Eastern Michigan University in Elementary Education, which provides certification to teach K - 8, any subject. She did post Graduate work at Goddard College in Multicultural Studies, and was six credits shy of a doctorate. This was basically travel study. Barb has visited over forty countries.