Meet Kristin Gruenberger | Ceramic Artist and Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristin Gruenberger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Imagination can take one to such magical places and in my own journey, has led me to a career in clay. I feel that I was always meant to work with my hands. Ever since I was a child, I was creating something. Taking things apart and reconstructing them in an artistic way was a common activity growing up. As a child, into adolescence and all the way to where I am now- there is creativity that emerges everyday. Through painting, drawing, music metals or mud- there was and continues to be an art project in motion and a head full of ideas. Growing up, I was surrounded by supportive creative people in my family. My grandmother was a painter and my mother a mixed media artist and woodworker. This creativity nurtured my own artistic journey. I remember spending summers in the Colorado mountains at our family cabin atop my ‘drawing rock’, sketching, painting and also working away with glass arts and sculpture in my parents garage into the wee hours of the morning. It wasn’t until I first touched clay in college that I found the medium that fed my soul to its fullest. That was 14 years ago and I am still learning, growing and feeding my soul daily with my hands in clay and an imagination that carries my work to new places.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create whimsical tableware and ceramic sculpture. Each piece brings an experience of joy as they are used in daily life. My work and teaching practice comes from a playfully imaginative place. One of the greatest joys that I receive from working in clay and teaching is being part of the magic when a student falls in love with clay for the first time. Furthermore, on a personal level, when the excitement of a project allows me to fall in love with the medium all over again. There is nothing better than that feeling. I think it is the magic and experience that my pieces and classes deliver that shines brightest in my clay practice and sets me apart from others.

Currently, I teach classes on form and surface at my studio, Wonderland Clayworks and also at the Crested Butte Clay Studio. In addition to teaching, I travel for several months out of the year exhibiting at art fairs and festivals. This will be my 12th year as an art fair artist. This journey has certainly presented challenges, growth and so many opportunities. I’ve learned so much and met such wonderful people along the way. I feel that there will always be ways to grow as an artist, opportunities that lead us to foreign places and the unknown. Through thoughtful problem solving, trying new things and being open minded we grow the most. A notable challenge for me has been time management and creating a comfortable balance of producing enough work to exhibit at art fairs while still maintaining the “drive” so to speak to create work just for me. The art fair world can be intense and stressful. It is sometimes easy to lose myself in making work solely for those events. This can lead to burnout and disruption of that creative flow. Over the years, I have established a good understanding of what my body and mind needs to maintain a good balance while working in the studio. A structured studio schedule keeps me on track while also giving myself time to simply play. I make sure to incorporate new projects and ideas into my routine. Exploring and cultivating new ideas is a way to carve out some “me” time in the studio. Sometimes those ideas lead to exciting new work to exhibit.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would be up for an adventure! Summertime is so beautiful here in the Gunnison Valley. Our adventure would begin with a hike amongst the vast blankets of wildflowers in Crested Butte. Pops of color and breathtaking views might even inspire us sketch and paint with watercolors on our hike. After our trek we simply must partake in some good Mexican cuisine and a margarita. As an outdoor enthusiast, I think dirt roads lead to the best places. We would find ourselves a perfect place to camp by the river, delighting in a game of scrabble and enjoy a night talking and telling stories by the fire and under the stars. There is something so special about being with the ones you love around a campfire. In the morning, who knows how the adventure continues. Perhaps another dirt road will take us there…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The fabric of my story is woven with years of dedication, hard work and exploration. All of which were encouraged and nurtured by influential supportive people along the way. I first began working in clay in college, the medium was new to me and it was love at first bowl so to speak. My professor, Tom Pakele, a seasoned potter, played a huge role in my ceramic journey. His encouragement allowed me to grow in clay during my undergraduate studies and long after I graduated. After college, Tom provided me with an independent study opportunity, allowing me to fire and further develop a body of work. This time and space led me into the art fair world and slowly build a studio of my own as I continued to grow creatively. I’m forever grateful for his influence and support as I developed into a professional artist.

Website: https://www.wonderlandclayworks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonderlandclay/

Image Credits
Photos by Kristin Gruenberger