Meet Bridget Dorr | Potter

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

Hi Bridget, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite affirmation, especially in regards to being creative and making art is quite simply, “Just keep making”. I was held back for a long time because I felt like I didn’t have the proper tools, the right studio, or the right state of mind to make art. I found that buying my first bag of clay and making handbuilt pottery on my kitchen table was the best choice I made as far as starting to create. It will never come if you wait for the “perfect” time to make art. I’ve seen too many people pass on being creative because they “aren’t an artist” or they’re “not good at art”. I think art from the untrained eye is some of the most beautiful and exciting art, in my opinion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make functional hand-built pottery. I make all handmade wares, so that means I don’t use the wheel. I studied pottery in college and had access to a state-of-the-art facility. When I graduated I had no kiln, no wheel, and no studio to make my work. I decided to start making slab work on my kitchen table until I found the proper setup. For a long time, I made ceramics this way, transporting my wares to a community kiln, and lugging them back home. I started doing shows and selling work consistently which led me to be able to get a space of my own and start creating my ideal space.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Boulder for 10 years now. It is very much home to me now. I would recommend they take a hike on Dakota Ridge, near the Sanitas Valley area. There are options for advanced hikers, as well as day hikers in this valley. I like to do that hike in the morning and then grab a cup of coffee at Beleza in North Boulder. I would definitely recommend visiting The New Local on 8th and Pearl, an art collective of local women artists. It’s home to a large gallery, studio spaces, and a workshop space where community members can take classes. It has a magical feeling, for sure.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am very thankful for the support of an art collective in Boulder I am a proud member of, it’s called The New Local. We’re a group of over 50 artists who started a pop-up shop on Pearl in 2019. We just opened our own brick-and-mortar this fall. Our space is a gallery, studio space, and workshop space. It has been so refreshing to have a space where local women artists can gather to teach, show our work, and chat about the ups and downs of making an artist for a living!

Website: www.bridgetdorr.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetdorrceramicsandphotography/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgetdorrceramics6264/videos

Image Credits
Photos by Bridget Dorr & Rebecca Caridad