Join us to celebrate local makers
The second annual Holiday Artists' Showcase features studio members and the wood firing crew at Maine Prairie Studio, as well as the winter and spring workshop presenters.
nick devries
Nick DeVries has been working in ceramics for 25 years. He studied at St. John's University where, in 2001, he finished a Bachelor's Degree in Art, with a concentration in painting and ceramics. Since his college years Nick has worked as a production potter for Minneapolis based pottery, taught courses at the Edina Art Center and Northern Clay Center, and pursued his own studio ceramic work. Currently he live in Brainerd MN where he works full time as a ceramic artist. DeVries is represented by ceramics galleries nationally and has shown his work in numerous group and solo exhibitions.
claire fast
Claire Fast is a multi-disciplinary artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada but has called St. Cloud home for the past 6 years. Her passion for creativity can be seen through many different mediums including ceramics, wood, textiles, acrylic, pen and ink, music, and cake. A self-professed multi-potentialite, she works part time as a dental hygienist and enjoys gardening, weight lifting, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two boys.
megan jorgenson
Megan Jorgenson resides in Kimball, MN, where she and her husband JD Jorgenson operate Maine Prairie Studio, a ceramics studio, teaching space and gallery. She received an MFA in Ceramics from Utah State University in 2012. She has been an Artist in Residence at the Red Lodge Clay Center, North Dakota State University, Northern Clay Center and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Marlboro College in Vermont. She has also taught at Saint Cloud Technical and Community College and Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Megan’s functional and sculptural work has exhibited in galleries nationwide and been featured in Ceramics Monthly.
jd jorgenson
JD is originally from Bismarck, ND. He now resides in Kimball, MN, where he and his wife Megan Jorgenson operate Maine Prairie Studio, a ceramics studio, teaching space and gallery. He received an BA from the University of Iowa in 1997. He apprenticed with Richard Bresnahan, at the Saint John’s Pottery from 2002 -2003. JD has taught ceramics classes and workshops at Northern Clay Center, Paramount Center for the Arts, White Bear Center for the Arts and the Grand Marais Art Colony. Currently, he teaches at Maine Prairie Studio.
JD’s functional work has exhibited in galleries nationwide. He has taught workshops focused on techniques he learned during his apprenticeship that incorporate Japanese and Korean influences at: Grand Marais Art Colony, Northern Clay Center, White Bear Center for the Arts and Marlboro College in Vermont. He received the Jerome Foundation Visiting Artist Award at the Saint John’s Pottery in 2002, Red Wing Collectors Society Foundation Award in 2011 and Individual Artist Awards through the Central Minnesota Arts Board. He was also a recipient of a 2024 Arts Education grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Lauren lukasavitz
Lauren lives in Sauk Rapids, MN where she works with children with Autism providing therapeutic services as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minor in Art from University of Minnesota Duluth in 2016. She later pursued a Master’s degree at Ball State University in Special Education emphasizing in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2022. She first started working with ceramics during her time at UMD with a focus on hand building.
Lauren began taking classes at Maine Prairie Studio in the winter of 2022 to learn more about the wheel throwing process, and was a Studio Assistant at Maine Prairie Studio in 2023/2024.
Jodie Milroy
Jodie began her work with ceramics about 8 years ago after her youngest went off to college. Her first wheel throwing class at a community studio was the stepping stone and she continues to explore and experiment with forms and surfaces in her work. Jodie is particularly drawn to wood firing and feels the entire process allows her to connect more deeply with her work. Jodie works out of her home studio near Kimball where she resides with her husband Bob.
Nice nice ceramics
Nice Nice Ceramics is a collaborative pottery studio founded by partners Molly and Johnne in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two met while studying at the University of South Dakota, where an early connection in the studio laid the foundation for a shared creative practice that continues today.
Molly pursued a Master’s in Design and built a career in User Experience, bringing a deep appreciation for form, function, and intentional design. Johnne earned his BFA in Ceramics and has since dedicated his career to clay; working in studios, apprenticing, and developing extensive expertise in kiln construction, maintenance, and repair. Since 2016, he has provided technical support for academic and community ceramics programs, and today, Nice Nice Kiln Service partners with individual artists, private studios, and the Minneapolis Public Schools district.
Nice Nice Ceramics grew out of the couple’s desire to merge their disciplines: functional ceramics and digital mark making, into a cohesive practice centered on craftsmanship, balance, and thoughtful design. In 2021, Molly and Johnne established their home studio in North Minneapolis, where they continue to create, experiment, and expand their work.
krista ohrtman
Krista Ohrtman is a full-time librarian and part-time potter living in Sioux Falls, SD. She explores forms and surface textures, allowing atmospheric firing techniques —such as wood, smoke, and soda—to finish decorating her pots. She is currently exhibiting pieces (fired at Maine Prairie Studio) in her first gallery show at the Watermark Arts Center in Bemidi, MN. Krista is privileged to learn and work alongside the exceptional students at Augustana University, guided by her teacher and friend, Molly Uravitch.
cindy pope
Cindy Pope resides in Waite Park Minnesota with her husband Brad Northenscold and cat, Sully. She has a home studio and operates CPope Pottery. She got started with pottery in high school and college, then took some time off when her children were young. In 2008 she started taking pottery classes again and then teaching classes and kid's clay camps at The Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud Minnesota. She feels she is always a work-in-progress and more recently has taken classes at Maine Prairie Studio. Through Maine Prairie Studio, she has also been involved in several wood firings which has been an amazing opportunity and experience.
Anastasia speer
Anastasia Speer was raised in the Twin Cities by a family of art appreciators. She earned BFA from the University of South Dakota (Vermillion) and her M.Ed from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). Anastasia specializes in functional pottery that sparks visual, tactile, and emotional connection. Her use of familiar motifs alongside interesting textures helps to create a more immersive experience for those who interact with her work, which has been featured in galleries across the US. She strives to continue a studio practice in which she can share her passion for clay with others.
Shannon Smieja
Shannon (Faber) Smieja has been part of the clay community at Maine Prairie Studio since the fall of 2022. What began as a chance to make art alongside her dad grew into a deeper connection with the craft and creative process. With a background in graphic design, Smieja integrates typography, linear lines, and geometric shapes into her ceramic work and glazing style.
Beyond the studio, she has contributed to logo development for both Maine Prairie Studio and Prairiewares and assists with the studios’ merchandising efforts.
A Kimball Area High School graduate, Smieja earned her BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth and currently works for Dassel-Cokato Public Schools. She lives in Dassel, Minnesota, with her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Quinn and Reese.
Claire Volden
Claire Volden started taking ceramics classes throughout high school and was instantly fascinated by the art. Claire graduated from Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school district in June of 2024. She has been the apprentice at Maine Prairie Studios with Megan and JD Jorgenson as her mentors since September of 2024. After starting her apprenticeship she has greatly improved her throwing skills, learned studio tasks such as mixing glazes, loading kilns, and firing kilns. Claire has participated in several wood firings since beginning her apprenticeship. Throughout the rest of her apprenticeship Claire hopes to explore more glaze and surface design techniques to incorporate in her work. At the conclusion of her apprenticeship she hopes to have a home studio to continue to throw and create art in.
Barb Westman
Barb Westman is a 72 year-old retired chef who started taking pottery classes at Maine Prairie Studio one year ago and fell in love with the craft. She lives on Lake Sylvia, with her sister and her dog.
