About Jorie Berman

Hi!  I’m Jorie Berman and I’ve been involved with clay for my entire life. My dad and stepmom are potters and they owned and ran a pottery and folk art gallery when I was a kid.  I knew I wanted to be an artist of some sort, but I steered away from ceramics because who wants to live under their parents’ shadow, right? 

So, I pursued a studio art degree in college and focused on drawing. I decided I should take at least one ceramics class before I graduated, though, so I signed up for the intro class with Andy Nasisse at UGA.  And that was it. I was hooked. 

I went ahead and graduated with my studio art degree because I was hellbent on graduating “on time,” but then I stayed on as a special student so I could still take ceramics classes and get studio space.  Before I knew it, I had earned a BFA in Ceramics, and was on my way to earning a graduate degree from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

RISD was tough. By the end of the experience, I’m not sure I knew which end was up anymore, but I knew I still was in love with clay. 

Working with clay grounds me.  I love the way clay feels in my hands and I love the process of working with it.  

Clay can be very temperamental. It demands that you care for it every step of the way from forming to drying to firing it, then on to glazing and firing again.  Clay shrinks as it dries. That’s the only thing you can know for sure.  You have to be patient. Things can go wrong at every step. Clay can crack and warp.

Sometimes the final result is a total fail and other times you end up with something you didn’t even know was possible!  Those magic results make my day!  But I’m ok with the duds, too.  Because I’m in it for the long game.  And, like I said, I love the process.

I spent many years on the adjunct circuit, teaching all levels of ceramics as well as art foundations courses and art appreciation.  Following that I worked in the curriculum office of UGA's art department.  Suffice it to say I know the ins and outs of providing a solid art education to college students and what goes into that from all angles.

At the end of 2018, I bought a house, moved, got married, and quit my job- in that order!  At this point, I spend most of my time as a studio artist and I continue to teach art appreciation online.  

I love teaching, and I also love learning.  Being a studio artist provides me with ample opportunities to learn something new everyday!  I’m a hand builder, and I enjoy making both sculpture and pottery meant for daily use.