I first discovered my love of clay when I was a young child digging in the natural springs of Florida. My godmother taught me how to make a coil pot and we baked it over a bonfire. I cherish the piece that still sits on my mantle today.
 

In high school, I took pottery classes every semester and grew an appreciation for the history and science of clay. After graduating high school, I continued my education in pottery at ABTech Community College.
 

For over 10 years, I have taught people of all ages and abilities to connect with clay in a patient, grounded and playful way. 
 

Working with clay has been healing for my anxiety and grief as an adult and I am passionate about nurturing the creative and emotional parts of artists who sit with me at the wheel.
 

At Firefly Valley, I teach our Teen Pottery Class, Women’s Pottery Church, and Summer Camp. It is such an honor to be a part of the Firefly Valley community. 

After being a happy elementary teacher in Asheville for decades, the freedom and creativity in Firefly Valley speaks to my heart & soul! I love my Summertime camp weeks of messy, muddy fun, of learning, growing, and creating with amazing colleagues and happy, laughing kiddos. I’m a sci-fi geek and arts & crafts buff. My hobbies include being a quintessientual cat lady, a bookworm, garden gnome and foodie.  I am a novice at pottery, but a very enthusiastic learner!

This is my first summer at Firefly Valley camp and I’m really excited to be here.

I’m a maker of beautiful things. I make functional pieces, as well as abstract items, using challenging techniques or more simple objects. I love them all.

I enjoy playing with many mediums from clay to plants to whatever I can get my hands on, that speaks to me.  

I enjoy supporting others expressin themselves and come to know themselves, through their experiences with nature and creativity.

This is my third year working at Firefly Valley Pottery, and I absolutely love it!  I am a retired special education teacher and a transplant from Texas.  I enjoy watching kids unplug and get outside.  I think it is important for children to tap into their creative side and realize there are not right and wrong answers when making art. I like to hike in the mountains, float on rivers, and watch a baseball game at McCormick field.

Hi, I am a visual arts teacher for grades K-5 here Fairview Elementary School. I was born and raised in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.

I have been teaching art since 2012. I graduated from Western Carolina University with a BS. of Education in Art, a BS. of Education in Elementary Education, and a BFA in Photography. 
 

I love teaching art and I believe that art is an essential part of every child's overall education. Because I believe that the arts are interconnected to math, science, language arts, social studies, and basically all areas of study, I practice an integrative approach to teaching.

I grew up in the Green Mountains of Vermont and was lucky enough to live in Maui, HI for three years before finding my way to the Blue Ridge Mountains of WNC in 2008.

I have been drawn to clay ever since my first pottery class in high school. From there, I went to Alfred University to continue my exploration of clay and have sought out workshops and teachers to help me develop my craft ever since.

I now work out of my home studio in Weaverville. When I’m not making pots, I work as a bookkeeper for artists and creatives, and dance whenever I can! I loved being a part of the community here at Firefly Valley last year, and am looking forward to much more creativity, growth and fun this summer! 

I am a self-taught watercolor, pastel, and ceramic hand-building artist and teacher from Lexington, VA.
 

I taught K through 2nd grade classes in Fine Arts in Rockbridge County and at Earthsong Montessori School.  I enjoy teaching hand-building ceramics at Firefly Valley Pottery. I'm also Ms. Ona's mama! 
 

I like to stay busy with my own hand-building project of nature-themed plaques and miniature sculptures called Wild Solace, subbing with Firefly Valley Pottery children's classes, and playing my hammered dulcimer.

I am a ceramic artist working in the Asheville River Arts District and an artist in residence at Mars Hill University since January 2025. I am a member of the Clayspace cooperative since May 2024.

I graduated from Haywood Community College’s Professional Craft’s program in clay in 2024, and also have a Diploma in Clay from HCC. I was a guest vendor with the summer 2024 Craft Guild of the Southern Highlands show, and have sold work at the Big Crafty for numerous years. My work is also available for purchase through the John C.Campbell Folk School shop.

I have a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UNC Asheville with concentrations in painting, drawing and dance and an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Mills College in Oakland CA.

I have spent many years teaching and choreographing dance prior to finding the quietude of making pots. My work brings together form and surface with a quiet focus in functional, interpretable pots.

I'm thrilled to be teaching handbuilding at Firefly Valley Pottery this summer! There's something magical about the slow, meditative process of coiling and reassembling forms—it's become an obsession of mine.

After moving to Asheville nine years ago, I found exactly what my friend promised: a vibrant, welcoming ceramic community. Surrounded by talented artists, I'm excited to share my passion for clay and creativity with y’all.

I am a homeschooler and am always eager to learn. I discovered my love for pottery in 2021 and since then have gone from taking classes at Firefly Valley and Haywood Community College,  to teaching wheel throwing to young artists at Freedom Fridays and summer camp.

I enjoy crafting, exploring nature, and traveling!

I am a potter and teacher, and I love being able to combine the two at Firefly Valley!

I first started making pots when I took a class in NYC in 2012, and have never ever stopped. I primarily throw on the wheel but occasionally dabble in handbuilding.

My other passion in life is horses, and so my absolute favorite thing to make with clay is custom horsehair raku pieces!

I am a camp lover and teacher. After 18 years in the classroom, I now work year-round for a girls summer camp and help out at Firefly Valley.

My son has gone to Firefly Valley since Ona started doing workshops in her kitchen, now he’s a helper. My younger son is old enough to come too. 

I joined as a co-director/director last summer and love the creativity and kindness I experience in every part of Firefly Valley.

Dance, paddleboarding, yoga, and long walks are my other passions.  

I love art, and I’m so fortunate that creating art has always been a part of my journey. I believe it’s an essential part of being human, as it allows us to share with one another the beauty and depth of our existence.  
 
I’ve been an art educator for seven years and have had the pleasure of helping pre-k – 8th graders find a connection with themselves and the world through visual art.

Not necessarily tied to one particular art medium, my most recent body of work heavily incorporates digital photography. I hold an Associates Degree in Visual Communications from the Art Institute of Atlanta and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from UNCA. 
 
When not teaching, I enjoy creating my own art, listening to music, reading, and nesting with my husband and our two cats, Lys and Lucem.
 
This is my second summer at Firefly Valley Pottery, 
and I’m grateful to once again be a part of bringing the magic!

Since she was just a wee lass, Megan has deeply loved making things with her hands. As an art student and then as a full time installation artist for Anthropologie and later as an entrepreneur designing and sewing her own clothing line, creating art has been central in her life. And nowhere has it been more fun and meaningful than alongside her own kids as a homeschooling mom. 
 

With a deep love of fiber crafts, ceramics, cooking, gardening, hiking, traveling, reading and board games, Megan brings her exuberance for being alive in this wild, wonderful world. Her many years of homeschooling her 13 and a 7 year old offers an excellent foundation for her work with Firefly Valley's Freedom Friday Homeschool enrichment program.

Oscar is a prominent four-legged figure at Firefly Valley, He is a 22 lb. hypoallergenic therapy dog who wanders around the outdoor and indoor spaces of Firefly Valley off-leash. He loves to smell your knee caps after which he will accept gentle scratches behind his ears, While he has not figured how to make pottery yet, he does excel at cleaning up food bits that the human artists drop on the ground. His hobbies include barking, going for walks and following Ona around.