Artists

Meet our 10 current artists and identify their work by their artists’ stamps. The impressed mark with initials inside of a circle is the potter’s mark and indicates who threw the form. The sculptor’s mark consists of the artist’s italicized initials impressed into the clay. The underlined script initials in glaze represent the artist who glazed the piece.

Kevin Hicks

Kevin Hicks is the founder and owner of Ephraim Pottery. He is also the studio’s primary potter and has a strong interest in designing pieces that offer an innovative and architectural quality.

Laura Klein

Laura Klein joined Ephraim Pottery in 2000. She brings to the studio a bold sculpting style, characterized by high relief and flowing, organic designs. Laura is famous for sculpting little critters with big personalities.

John Raymond

John Raymond joined Ephraim Pottery as a studio foreman and glazer in 2001, but nowadays he is the artist behind the studio’s woodshop. John designs and lovingly handcrafts Ephraim’s wood offerings with unflinchingly high standards of quality.

Becky Hansen

Becky Hansen came to Ephraim Pottery in 2006, from the historic Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado. Becky spends the majority of her time glazing, but also has aptitude and affinity for sculpting vases. She brings a subtle sensitivity to our ceramic art that has resulted in wonderfully textured and favorite glaze combinations like Autumn Reflections, Birch, and Curdled Amethyst.

Leah Purisch

Leah Purisch came to Ephraim Pottery in 2011 with a background in oil painting. With Leah’s knowledge of two-dimensional techniques and composition, the studio has been able to expand our offerings to include tile designs and scenic vases.

Tanner Howe

Tanner began working with ceramics in high school. After graduation he traveled to Alaska, Utah and New Zealand working in hospitality and customer service before the lure of the potter’s wheel brought him back to the Midwest. Tanner has been a production potter since 2020 and joined Ephraim in 2023. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar.

Alek Schroeder

Alek Schroeder joined Ephraim Pottery in 2015. Alek had a strong interest in ceramics throughout high school and college and his work here at the studio has further honed his throwing skills. Alek brings a fresh eye for design and impresses us with his unique carved vases.

Alex Hanstein

Alex Hanstein joined Ephraim Pottery in 2019. Alex has a BFA in Metals and Jewelry from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Previous to working at Ephraim she organized/curated and represented her art in group shows in Philadelphia and Savannah. When Alex isn’t working at Ephraim, she enjoys working in mixed media, sewing, and painting.

Matthew Drees

Matthew Drees joined Ephraim Pottery  in October 2019. He came to us with a BFA in Art and Design from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In school Matthew initially focused on two-dimensional design, but after a couple of years took an interest in ceramics and throwing on the potter’s wheel. He eventually merged his emotive gestural line drawings with wheel-thrown ceramic vessels. Matthew continuously brings his sketches to life, designing many carved “Rhythm Line” pieces.

Melinda Maupin

Melinda joined Ephraim Pottery  in June 2022. She comes to us with a BFA in Graphic Design and Interactive Media from University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her artistic passions include pottery, oil painting, calligraphy, and hand lettering.