Curatorial Statement
Exhibition Posted Online: Monday, July 7, 2025 at 10 am MT
Casey Beck is a studio potter and long-term artist in residence at Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project in Loch Lomond, CA. He holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His current research focuses on the process of soda firing, which utilizes sodium carbonate, and its volatilization inside the kiln at peak temperature to glaze his wares. These wares recall historical Italian and British vessels, while also working to uphold the traditions of studio pottery in Minnesota and Wisconsin where he learned to make pottery. Beck has been a resident artist at the Cub Creek Foundation in Virginia and Faenza Art Ceramic Center in Italy and was a 2023 Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist. He has also taught firing and making workshops internationally. Outside of the studio, Beck takes pleasure in using handmade pots and eating delicious home cooked meals off of them with his friends while listening to music fitted for each experience.
I make pottery not only out of a passion for my material, clay, and for the complex processes of wheel throwing and atmospheric firing, but also out of a passion for living with, using, and sharing handmade objects. For me, using pottery daily is an act of celebration….
…I am slow in my evolution as a maker yet make many pots. I find meaning in the numbers. Through the permutations, the pots become more nuanced and genuine and quantities of truthfully made pots suggest a sense of optimism and yearning for use. My pots are accessible for everyday use yet can also be used in and as an act of celebration. I strive to uphold the traditions of the studio pottery movement and follow those who came before me. Utilitarian pottery induces mindfulness and facilitates gathering and celebration and I hope that my pots are able to be recognized during these meaningful acts.
-Casey Beck