OUR TEAM
KC Clay Guild thrives thanks to a dedicated team of staff, instructors, board members, and volunteers who share a passion for ceramics and community. From expert instructors guiding students of all skill levels to the leadership ensuring our non-profit studio continues to grow, each person plays a vital role in keeping our creative space thriving. Get to know the people who make KC Clay Guild a welcoming and inspiring place for all! |
Director of Development and Programming |
| Louis Reilly Louis came to KC Clay Guild as an Artist in Residence in 2014 following the completion of a BFA at University of Missouri-Columbia and a MFA at Utah State University. Louis worked with the KCCG Board of Directors to create the part time Studio Coordinator position in 2015, KCCG's first employee since 1988. In June 2020 Louis transitioned into a full time role. Louis' scope of work includes developing new programming, overseeing the transition to a new building, fundraising and grant writing, managing the Artist in Residence program, and working with the Board of Directors to ensure the KCCG does everything we can to fulfill our mission statement. Louis is currently teaching the Wednesday morning wheel throwing class. Louis maintains a studio practice in which he makes soda fired pottery for the home. He has a home studio, but his work is soda fired at KC Clay Guild. Louis lives in Lee's Summit, MO with his wife, April and son, Owen. Please do not hesitate to contact Louis with any questions you may have about KC Clay Guild at studio@kcclayguild.org |
EDUCATION COORDINATOR |
| Amy Troester Amy has been working with clay for nearly two decades and has been a member of the KC Clay Guild since 2010. She’s been teaching off and on for the last few years and is excited to take this new position where she can connect with more people, and help this great organization grow. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, prestige television dramas, podcasts about social issues and economics, and mixing cocktails for friends. Contact Amy with any questions regarding our education programming at edco@kcclayguild.org |
STUDIO MANAGER |
| Alex Watson Alex graduated with a BFA in Ceramics from Utah State University in 2005. After graduating, he taught ceramics classes and managed the ceramics department at a small school in the Berkshires. In 2008, Watson moved to Colorado, where he lived and worked until 2013. He was an artist in residence at the Carbondale Clay Center and Studio for Artists Works. In 2010, he was a visiting artist at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China. Upon returning from China, Watson became a full time studio potter. He is now in Kansas City, MO and is a founding member of the Kansas City Urban Potters. Contact Alex with any question about studio maintenance at tech@kcclayguild.org |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
| Josh Wood - President president@kcclayguild.org As President of the KC Clay Guild, Josh Wood is deeply committed to fostering the growth and development of the KC Clay Guild and the Kansas City art community. Working in ceramics since 1998 and serving on the Board since 2014, Josh has played a key role in helping growth and expanded offerings for the KC Clay Guild. Before becoming President in 2020, he served 4 years as Vice President. Josh has been dedicated to promoting the accessibility of art in the Kansas City metro area. He is especially excited about the KC Clay Guild's efforts to serve diverse groups through programs such as school outreach, the Artist in Residence Program, Soda Firing, classes for developmentally challenged patrons, and kids summer camps. Josh is proud of the ability to offer affordable artistic opportunities, providing a welcoming space where people from all walks of life can gather to create art and have fun. Under his leadership, the KC Clay Guild has seen remarkable growth, and Josh is eager to continue advancing the organization’s mission. He is focused on reaching the Guild’s fundraising goals and realizing the dream of a building and programming expansion, which will further enrich the community and artists alike. |
| Laura Tyler Strawn - Vice President vicepresident@kcclayguild.org |
| Melissa May - Treasurer treasurer@kcclayguild.org Melissa first took a wheel throwing class at the KC Clay Guild in 2016 and has been a hobby potter ever since. Her love for the intersection of art and physics drew her to the Guild, and she has enjoyed learning new skills while being welcomed into a supportive, creative community. Passionate about making the arts accessible, Melissa is excited to give back to an organization that has already enriched her life. With a background as a Project/Construction Manager for an engineering firm and experience running a small property management and construction business, Melissa brings strong skills in project management, financial oversight, contractor coordination, and digital marketing. Melissa's approach to leadership is rooted in organization, attention to detail, and collaboration. She believes in listening carefully to understand the needs and goals of others, working toward common outcomes. As Treasurer, Melissa is eager to contribute her expertise to help the Guild continue to grow and thrive. |
.jpeg) | Kelsie Herron - Secretary secretary@kcclayguild.org |
| Ricky Bamberger - Education Chair education@kcclayguild.org |
| Jordan Horn - Membership and Outreach Chair membership@kcclayguild.org | donations@kcclayguild.org |
 | Cynthia Brown - Volunteer Chair volunteers@kcclayguild.org Cynthia has a deep passion for the KC Clay Guild and its welcoming, inclusive community. As a volunteer monitor and teacher at the Guild, Cynthia has spent the past year assisting the current board member in charge of the monitor program. With his departure, Cynthia is eager to continue the positive momentum, further enhancing the Guild’s reputation as a great place to volunteer and connect with others. She is committed to supporting the Guild’s mission and working to shape its future as a board member. Cynthia is a self-described "nerdy, stay-at-home, homeschooling ceramicist" with two children, and brings a wealth of experience from many different fields. She has developed the skills to wear multiple hats, which has uniquely equipped her to contribute to the KC Clay Guild community. Through her work on the monitor committee, she has seen firsthand how fostering open communication and promoting a culture of appreciation can boost morale and productivity. Cynthia offers her experience working with non-profits, her knowledge of the homeschooling community, and her expertise in websites and social media. She is passionate about leveraging technology to improve efficiency, so the Guild has more time to focus on what matters most. |
| David Firman - Gallery Chair gallery@kcclayguild.org David earned his M.F.A. in ceramics from Claremont Graduate University, following studies at the California College of Arts & Crafts and La Verne University. He has taught adult and children in wheel throwing and handbuilding for the City of Claremont and worked as a teacher’s assistant. After his return to the world of clay art, he found himself learning and exploring a variety of styles and techniques such soda and raku firing, and the exploration of textures in clay. His passion over the last few years has been Bonsai pots, learning how to throw and carve them, the history of Bonsai and this has even led to a small forest of Bonsai trees in his backyard. (Be careful what you wish for.) As the current Centered Earth Gallery Director, David has expanded the number of artists from 10 to 20, creating a more welcoming environment for visitors. His goal is to showcase members’ work while keeping the gallery accessible and inclusive. David believes the Guild is a place for learning, and exhibiting work is an important part of that process, from display techniques to pricing. He also created the wall dedicated to the Guild’s annual Tea Bowl National show. David’s vision for the gallery includes hosting additional solo shows, including Artist in Residences. He encourages members to exhibit their work, aiming to make the gallery a destination for contemporary ceramics and a place to purchase and collect art. |
| Jeff Cochran - Publicity Chair publicity@kcclayguild.org 1) Why are you interested in serving on the KC Clay Guild Board? I hope to continue to serve on the KC Clay Guild Board because I have loved watching and being a part of all of the growth our organization has gone through since i first joined the board in 2019. It has been a joy to see so many people join our community, have events sell out, break records with our sales, gather funding for new equipment, constantly be at capacity, etc. I know the guild is capable of far more expansiveness. This expansiveness will in turn impact our community by allowing us to have the space to ensure accessibility of art to all that we can- and I look forward to hopefully contributing that. 2) Describe your skills, experience, and interests and how you might put it to use as a KC Clay Guild Board Member. I came to KC Clay Guild as a resident artist in the fall of 2017 after receiving my BFA from University of Missouri. At the end of my residency I joined the Board of Directors and have worked as Workshops Chair and currently as Publicity Chair. I enjoy engaging with the KC Clay Guild community through social media, promoting and attending our events, and highlighting the work of our members as much as possible. I also love building relationships with people in the Kansas City arts community outside of the Guild. I have worked as the Saturday Kid's Class instructor since 2018, and I conduct the community soda firings. With my skill set being in art and service- I have developed a passion for community arts, and I hope to be able to continue to enhance ours to the best of my abilities. I believe art is for everyone and everyone should have the opportunity to access it. Thank you for your consideration. |
| Deborah Kashyap - Workshops and Events Chair workshops@kcclayguild.org 1. I have received so much from KCCG and I'd love the opportunity to give back. I moved home to Kansas city in 2022 after about a decade away. Since returning to KC, KCCG has become a home away from home for me. Aside from the incredible facility that allows for so much learning and creativity, the warm and inclusive community of artists at The Guild have become an important part of my life. I am especially impressed by KCCG's commitment to community involvement and bringing art to otherwise underserved people and places. Having lived all over the country, and used pottery studios in several of the places I've lived, I've found that KCCG is a truly special and unusual place. We are very lucky to have such a thriving and successful community-run arts space. As an active member of this community, I'd love the opportunity to represent our members' voices on the board. 2. I've served the guild as a volunteer monitor for about a year now, and also served on the volunteer committee and on the spring sale committee. In these positions I've been fortunate to get to know many members of our community and of our current board, and to hear and understand their various perspectives on Guild events and operations. I spend a lot of time at KCCG (too much, according to my dog). This has allowed me to develop relationships and establish open communication with members, board members, and visitors to The Guild. On the board, I'd be able to bring community perspectives into decision making that impacts our KCCG community. I started playing with clay in high school, and was admitted to several ceramics programs for my BFA. But as my husband says, I got mixed up with the wrong crowd and chose a different path. I received a B.S. from KU in Strategic Communication with a minor in Germanic Language and Literature, and a J.D. from DePaul University. Aside from a few trips here and there to local studios in the various places I lived between high school and now, I had about a 23 year break from pottery. I returned to ceramics in 2001 at a small studio in upstate NY. The studio allowed limited opportunities to work and learn pottery, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have access to KCCG. I am very vocal about how fortunate Kansas City is to have a space like ours, and on the board would do all I can to help this organization thrive. For previous experience serving community organizations, I served as Kitchen Director, Vice President, and President of the Binghamton German Club in Binghamton, NY. In these positions I honed skills in many areas of organizational management, including membership retention and expansion, spearheading diversity and inclusivity initiatives, community outreach, event planning and marketing, volunteer recruitment and management, and facility management of our 8 acre property, event space, and beer garden. I'd love to use these skills to serve KCCG in whatever capacity our membership and board thinks I'd be most useful. |
