Andy Bugos is a ceramic artist and educator based in Missoula, Montana. He received his BFA in ceramics from the University of Montana in 2023. When he is not roaming the state searching for new clays and glaze materials he teaches youth clay programming at the Clay Studio of Missoula, the Zootown Arts Community Center, and Wheels on the Bus mobile clay studio.
I collect all materials used in my practice locally. Harvesting my own material situates my practice in a broader geological context. I am fascinated by the parallels between the process of forming and firing ceramics and the geological processes that have shaped our landscape, forming and exposing the materials that I use. Each clay that I dig is unique. As I process, shape, and fire them their personalities reveal themselves. Exploring these materials’ individual qualities, quirks, and limitations is at the heart of my practice. Woodfiring provides me with another opportunity to surrender control and encourage my materials to express themselves. I am equally motivated by sustainability considerations. Industrial-scale mines are harmful to the environment, as is the transportation of raw materials from mine to processing facility to supplier to customer. Firing ceramics requires energy- there is no way around that. When I fire local materials with wood, that energy comes from me, my firing companions, and local renewable resources rather than from natural gas, coal, and complex supply chains.