One of the treats of my week in North Carolina was going up a day ahead to Asheville.  I was able to get together with a number of our recent alums that have settled in the area.  Lindsay Rogers and Marisa Falcigno have a lovely home and studio.  Lindsay’s already teaching in the area and Marisa continues to design wonderful website (like this one!).  Drew Avakian, post bacc,  has a residency at Odyssey Clay.  He toured me around the impressive facility. Donna Flannery is working for another ceramic artist and making her own work.  Shantanu Shaman and Camille Paglia Have also settled in the area.  We all had dinner at Farm Burger in hopping downtown Ashville.

Cheyenne Rudolph, current MFA student, was one of my assistants in Upper Clay and Lindsay Rogers, MFA 2013, was the assistant in Lower Clay.   Susan Feagin, Ceramics Coordinator is a MFA 2007 alum as well.   While the last of the kilns were firing, our class had a party.  Cheyenne passed the give away box on her way to the bathroom and happened to find this Gator head and costume.   Was this fate or merely a coincidence?

On our last day, Nicole Gugliotti, current grad, Marisa and Nigel Rudolph (in the car)  came to visit.More gators Gingerade Avakian at Odessey