Category: Let’s Go

Welcome to a special edition of our artist spotlight series, where we delve into the world of creativity, craftsmanship, and inspiration. Today, we have the honor of presenting a conversation with David Hughes, an accomplished ceramic artist and educator whose journey in the pottery world has been nothing short of extraordinary.

In this engaging Q&A, we’ll dive deep into David’s artistic philosophy, his thoughts on the evolving ceramic arts landscape, and the role of teaching in his practice. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, aspiring ceramicist, or simply curious about the magic of turning raw clay into beautiful creations, you’re in for a treat! For more information on the Kroll Ceramic Arts School or David’s classes, visit their website, HERE.

David Hughes is not just a talented potter—he’s also a mentor to many aspiring artists through his work at the Kroll Ceramic Arts School at the Hammond Museum. With years of experience working with clay, his unique approach fuses traditional ceramic techniques with modern artistry, creating pieces that are both functional and visually captivating. From humble bowls to intricate sculptures, David’s work embodies a love for experimentation and exploration of form.

1. What makes your ceramics class unique for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students? Can you share how you tailor your teaching methods for students at different skill levels.

I can’t say how other classes are run, but I enjoy having students with varying abilities in the same class. Intermediate students can best empathize and reassure beginners and advanced potters can reinforce and reinterpret my lessons by explaining what techniques work best for them. 

2.For someone who has never touched clay before, what can they expect in their first throwing class? What foundational skills do you focus on for beginners? 

In the first few classes of the session, I am focused on the first timers. Teaching and reinforcing the basic steps of centering, and opening and pulling up the walls to form a basic cylinder. I try to stress that the skills they are learning are often difficult and will only improve after many mishaps. Learning what not to do is very useful in the big picture. Over time I slowly remove the training wheels until they are self sufficient.

3.How do you guide intermediate potters to improve their technique and find their own style? What are some common challenges that students face at this stage, and how do you help them overcome these?  

As potters develop their rudimentary skills, they work on refining their technique and making taller forms with uniform walls. Progress comes in waves and students can get discouraged and feel that they are not improving as quickly as others when their progress plateaus. You just have to work through the dry spells. Better pots are always on the horizon. That’s as true for me today as it is for any student.

4. What advanced techniques or sculptural elements do you introduce to experienced potters in your class? Can you give us a glimpse into some of the more complex projects that advanced students might tackle? 

I rarely tell potters of any experience level what to make. More often than not they will have an idea and I explain how they might achieve their goal. If an intermediate student is looking to be challenged and asks what to make, I would encourage them to attempt a uniform set of mugs. For an advanced student, I might suggest a teapot. A teapot requires making separate elements and joining them together in a way that is visually satisfying and functional at the same time. 

5. Functional stoneware is a big part of your work – how do you incorporate this into your teaching? Do you encourage students to create functional pieces, and how does that process differ from sculptural work? 

Some might say that a non functional artwork still performs a function, it is just on a more visual or esoteric level. Not every piece needs to be beautiful, it just needs to be interesting. While I encourage students to focus on learning the process and not focus too much on the product. I do sometimes ask a student to keep a mistake, for example, where a collapsed pot has created a form. Sometimes that can be  interesting in part because it is unique and can’t be replicated.

6. How do you approach teaching the balance between form and function in ceramic art? What advice do you give to students who want to experiment with both practical and artistic forms? 

I think as potters we are continually striving to make pieces that work on every level. There are so many variables, some you have complete control over, and others very little.  The occasional disappointments serve to make the triumphs that much sweeter.

7. In your experience teaching at various colleges and art centers, what key lessons have you brought to your classes at Kroll Ceramic Arts School? How do your diverse teaching experiences influence the way you run your ceramics classes today? 

I have taught students of all ages over the years and my approach to teaching children or teenagers is very similar to the way I approach teaching adults. Tell me what you want to make and I will tell you how to make it. 

8. For students who want to pursue ceramics beyond the classroom, what advice do you have for continuing their practice? How important is it to practice regularly, and what resources or opportunities should students look for? 

Many of my students have created home studios and I have offered advice on what to buy (and what not to buy) to be productive at home. So many options are available as far as clay bodies, glazes, and firing that are usually beyond your control at a communal studio. It can be a bit overwhelming. 

9. You’ve recently been exploring more sculptural forms. How has this exploration impacted your approach to teaching? Are you introducing more sculptural techniques in your current classes, and how do students respond?

My recent works all began as wheel thrown forms that were subsequently altered. It takes quite a while for a student to have the confidence in themselves to potentially ruin a piece in order to create an experimental form for the first time. But if a student is not hindered by that, they can begin exploring some really unique shapes.

10. Can you share a success story of a student who has really grown in your class? How did you help guide them from where they started to achieving their personal artistic goals in ceramics?

I have students with a variety of learning styles, some take notes, follow instructions, and focus intently on demos. Others prefer to find their own way and just want to be left alone to “figure it out”. I have a student now who has a very zen approach, he has no emotional attachment to his work and views each piece as a stepping stone toward mastery or maybe enlightenment. I think he could be teaching me one day. There is a place in my class for all of these people. We rely on one another to cultivate an environment of creativity that allows people of all skill levels to get together and collaborate and have fun and celebrate each other’s success.

Step into the vibrant world of Kroll Ceramic Arts School, where every corner of their newly renovated, brightly lit studio inspires creativity. Designed with artists in mind, this welcoming space features state-of-the-art equipment and expansive areas that encourage the exploration of ceramic arts. The school boasts a team of highly talented teachers, each skilled in nurturing students of all levels—from beginners to seasoned artists—ensuring that every class is tailored to accommodate individual growth and learning styles. 

Kroll Ceramic Arts School stands out for its all-inclusive approach; the cost of classes covers clay, glazes, and firing with no hidden fees or required memberships. This commitment to transparency and support fosters a community where creativity flourishes unbounded. Visit the website HERE to discover your potential in a setting that celebrates the richness of ceramic craftsmanship and the joy of artistic expression.
This fall, Kroll Ceramic Arts School offers an enriching Adult Wheel Throwing course, beginning September 16th, in their state-of-the-art facility donated by Lisa Kroll Witt. Beginners will learn wheel basics, forming techniques, surface decoration, and glazing, while intermediate and advanced students will expand their skills with more complex forms and detailed surface designs. The 10-week course includes hands-on demonstrations, guided practice, and personalized instruction to help each student develop their pottery skills, whether for hobby or professional pursuit.

On September 7th from 3-6, the Kroll Ceramic Arts School invites everyone to their Open House event at the Hammond Museum. This gathering provides an excellent opportunity for visitors to tour the modern, well-equipped facilities, watch pottery wheel demonstrations, and engage with skilled instructors while enjoying champagne and light bites surrounded by live music. It’s a chance for potential students of all experience levels to learn about the personalized educational approaches available. The event emphasizes the school’s commitment to fostering an accessible and enriching environment for all attendees.

About the Hammond Museum: The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem, New York, serves as an intimate oasis for peace and mindfulness. Established by Natalie Hays Hammond in 1957, it blends Eastern and Western cultures, offering a tranquil Japanese-style garden alongside a vibrant art museum. This unique setting provides visitors with a peaceful retreat and a place to appreciate art and nature through various educational programs and exhibitions. The garden itself, a staple of the museum, is meticulously designed to promote tranquility and reflection. There will also be an opening reception on the 7th at the museum as well; Roger Baumann: Woodfired Ceramics Images of Devotion: Works on Paper from East and West From the Helen and Mitche Kunzman Collection and Huaca-Wak’a, Ceramic Shrine Figures by Ada Pilar Cruz

Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, 28 Deveau Rd, North Salem, NY 10560, USA

The Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, announces the complete restoration of the historic Brick House (1949) designed by Philip Johnson. Completed just months before the Glass House, the Brick House was an integral part of the architect’s original plan for the site, offering two essential halves to a single composition. Closed to the public since 2008 due to ongoing damage from water infiltration, it has left half of the property’s core architectural story untold. The National Trust has secured $1.8 million to restore, renovate, and conserve the Brick House and its collections. Restoring the Glass House campus to its full glory as a National Historic Landmark will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Glass House in 2024.

The Brick House, aka the “Guest House,” is an essential foil to the glass pavilion it faces. Clad in iron spot brick laid in a Flemish bond pattern, the structures are linked by a grassy court and offer a lesson in contrasts. The Brick House served as both a guest house and a retreat for Johnson and his partner, David Whitney until they died in 2005. Given the vital role of the Brick House in the site’s composition and social history, it is one of the most important and central assets of the 49-acre historic site. Restoration of this building will significantly expand the site’s interpretation and programming, allowing it to engage new visitors and preserve and advance understanding of 20th-century architecture and LGBTQ cultural heritage. 

“We are incredibly excited to embark on this project and finally be able to introduce visitors to such an integral part of the Glass House story. Launching this major restoration now, as we reach the 75th anniversary of the Glass House’s construction, is a testament to our commitment as stewards of this National Trust Historic Site. We look forward to using the Brick House as a catalyst for more projects ahead – both future restorations of our buildings, landscape, and collections and as inspiration for new site-specific artistic commissions in the future,” says Kirsten Reoch, the Glass House’s new executive director. 

Predicated on Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s idea for a “courthouse” that surrounds a central court, Johnson’s home splits the two wings apart: one opaque and private, the other transparent and exposed. Although both structures are 56 feet long, the 900-square-foot rectangular Brick House is only half as deep as the Glass House. Their fundamental connection is underscored by the fact that the Brick House contains the mechanical equipment for both buildings and is connected by underground pipes and wiring necessary to support the Glass House. Philip Johnson spent his first night on the property in the Brick House. 

As a guest house, the Brick House accommodated prominent overnight visitors, including Phyllis Lambert and Andy Warhol. But beginning in the 1950s, the house was primarily used by Johnson and Whitney as a retreat from the exposure of the Glass House, affording Johnson the privacy to relax and the freedom to modify the interior décor in a way the Glass House rarely provided. Originally, the Brick House contained three rooms of equal size, each with a porthole window. In 1953, two rooms were combined into a single large bedroom with an adjoining reading room and bath. This interior was opulent and luxurious with low, sleek, white vaults decorating the bedroom based on the breakfast room of the Sir John Soane House in London (completed in 1824) and harbingers of the elements later found in Johnson’s design of the 1954-56 Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Port Chester, New York, and the 1964 New York State Theater (now David H. Koch Theater) at Lincoln Center. The walls were covered in a patterned cotton fabric designed by Fortuny. The Clouds of Magellan, 1953, a sculpture by Ibram Lassaw, hung prominently on the wall above the bed, where dimmer switches (a novelty at the time) were placed to control indirect lighting, further enhancing the spare yet exotic sleeping area. Works collected by Johnson and Whitney hung in the corridor connecting the reading room, which held Johnson’s personal library of philosophy, history, art history, and fiction books. In addition, the privacy of the Brick House allowed for creature comforts such as air conditioning, television, and, for a period, a sauna. 

Restoring and reopening the Brick House has long been the museum’s greatest preservation priority. Built at the base of a slope, the building has been susceptible to water infiltration since its conception. And, with failures of the flat roof and skylights, the building damage has been extensive. Despite temporary protection measures, the interior has experienced deterioration of plaster, mold growth, and rusting mechanical systems. However, all objects and furnishings have been preserved and stored safely off-site until restoration commences. The project will be a complete interior and exterior restoration, which includes improvements to site drainage, exterior masonry and metal cleaning and restoration, replacement of the roof and skylights, restoration of interior plaster and finishes, restoration of the building’s three distinctive porthole windows and entrance door, full replacement and upgrade of the mechanical and electrical systems serving both the Brick House and Glass House, and the conservation and reinstallation of artwork, furniture, and books. 

Beginning in 2022, National Trust for Historic Preservation Graham Gund Architect Mark Stoner, AIA utilized extensive conservation studies and surveys completed by Li – Saltzman Architects, PC in 2010 to develop a thorough architectural restoration and mechanical renovation plan for the Brick House. In addition to Mr. Stoner, the project design team includes Landtech Consultants (Civil Engineering), Altieri Sebor Wieber (MEP Engineering), and RSE Associates (Structural Engineering). Hobbs, Inc., has been chosen as the general contractor for the project. Fortuny, the source for the bedroom’s fabric wallcoverings, has generously donated the production of the same fabric to replace the water-damaged original. Edward Fields Carpet Makers, who worked with Johnson on the original 1953 bedroom carpet, will generously provide replacement carpets.



Approximately 13,000 people visit the Glass House each year, and reopening the Brick House is critical to providing visitors with a complete experience of the Glass House campus. This project is scheduled to be completed and unveiled in April 2024 at the opening of the annual season of tours, art installations, and public programs. 2024 is also the 75th anniversary of the Glass House and the Brick House, completed in 1949, and this marked year will host a series of special events, featured artists, and exhibitions. Opening the Brick House provides new and exciting avenues for the Glass House site to expand its interpretation, continue to preserve and advance an understanding of LGBTQ heritage, and deepen its impact on new and diverse communities. 

The Glass House, built between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson, is a National Trust for Historic Preservation site in New Canaan, CT. The pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent collection of 20th-century paintings and sculptures, along with temporary exhibitions. The campus serves as a catalyst for the preservation and interpretation of modern architecture, landscape, and art and a canvas for inspiration and experimentation. The tour season runs from mid-April through mid-December, and reservations are required. 

Hobbs, Inc. Brothers Scott and Ian Hobbs are committed to honoring Hobbs’ heritage of integrity, quality, and customer service. Hobbs, Inc. has maintained the highest standards in building custom homes for nearly seventy years. Hobbs’ approach for the Brick House Restoration is to join forces with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Glass House teams to learn what is most important to them about this project, to analyze the site, and to work with them together to deliver the best results for this legacy project for present and future generations. Ted Hobbs, who founded the company in 1954, and Mike Hobbs, who ran the company for 25 years, constructed many modern houses designed by the Harvard Five in New Canaan and surrounding areas during their careers. Over the last 25 years, Hobbs, Inc. has been involved with the historic restoration of numerous architecturally significant residences in Fairfield County, Westchester County, and the Hamptons. They also recently completed the restoration of Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey.   

Fortuny is a world-famous luxury textile design and manufacturing company known for their exquisite and elegant fabrics since 1921. Fortuny fabrics are still produced exclusively in the original factory on the small island of Giudecca in Venice, using the original machinery and methods established by founder and inventor Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) over a century ago. Using proprietary dyes and applications of metallic patterns, the company continues their deep-rooted tradition of art and alchemy to create handcrafted textiles and products that are each a unique work of art.  

Edward Fields Carpet Makers is a vanguard of American design that has created heirloom-quality rugs and carpets for almost 90 years. From its inception through the present, the company embodies the essence of a contemporary brand. In the mid-1930s, Edward Fields developed the first multi-directional tufting tool, known as the “Magic-Needle,” which would define the company’s signature hand-tufted quality and forever change carper production. Edward Fields coined the term ‘area rug.’ He pioneered innovative design, collaborating with notable visionaries, including Raymond Loewy, Philip Johnson, Van Day Truex, Marion Dorn, and George Nakashima. In 2005, Edward Fields Carpet Makers joined the House of Tai Ping. In keeping with the brand’s legacy of mid-century modernist aesthetics, Edward Fields Carpet Makers continues collaborating with inspiring creative contemporaries. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future, reimagining historic sites for the 21st century. The guiding principle of this initiative is that historic sites must be dynamic, relevant, and evolving to foster an understanding of history and culture that is critical, sensory, and layered.