Lisa Smith is the owner, operator and teacher of many classes at Earthworks. Her tasks include housekeeping to maintenance and everything in between. She began taking classes and never stopped, moving from student to assistant to teacher. She’s been playing in clay for 10 years with her first class being with Earthworks own Lisa Ingram. Having sent her kids off to college she asked herself, “What do you want to be now that you’re grown up?” Pottery was top of the list to try and she continues to take classes to this day. The opportunity to purchase the studio came in 2020. Her favorite thing to do with clay is to take a classic piece and, by carving or embellishing, create something completely unexpected and different. Lisa also monograms and appliqués at home. Outside of the studio, she can usually be found loving on her grandkids: Hudson, Hollis, Reid and Blair or spending time with family.. She has been married to Joel, her side-kick and partner to any crazy idea, for 42 years. She’s extremely proud of her children, Michael & Heather, and lives in Rome.

Lisa Ingram teaches advanced wheel throwing, special workshops, kids pottery classes and other classes as needed. She also heads up all things marketing and keeps us present on social media. Working in clay for almost 20 years after taking her first class at Berry in 2002, she found herself at Earthworks, after graduation, continuing to create and soon began assisting with classes and eventually teaching. Her favorite things to make out of clay are mugs because they are so personal and useful. She enjoys baking, making jewelry with her kids, and has taught art at her kids’ preschool. She has taught pottery at retreats in Tennessee, on a mission trip in Tijuana, and many summer pottery camps at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club as well as in her own backyard. She has also worked as a technical assistant at the Haystack School of Craft in Maine. She currently teaches art at Berry Elementary and Middle School and has her undergrad in business marketing with a minor in art and her master’s in counseling and leadership. Outside of the studio, she can be found chasing her three young kids, walking, watching movies, and spending time with family. She resides in Rome.

Bill Wear teaches beginning wheel throwing and also reconstitutes our clay, ensuring our resources go a long way. From general clean-up, organizing, maintenance, reclaiming, there’s nothing our Mr. Fix-It can’t do! Bill’s journey in clay began two years ago having been gifted a class by his wife. He had talked about taking a class for years. His favorite thing to make is the yunomi, small cups for tea or whiskey. In addition to working as a high school special education teacher, Bill is a man of many talents performing as a freelance musician and creating in his wood workshop. He is also often found on stage doing musical theater. Overall, Bill describes himself as a normal, standard guy. He resides in Rome with his wife, Jenny, son, Jack, and dogs, Lucy and Freddie.

Kay Carpenter teaches the hand building class at Earthworks and has been working in clay on and off for over 40 years. She took sculpture classes in college and loved learning how to manipulate the clay. She is a retired art teacher and started wheel throwing classes at Earthworks about 5 years ago, fulfilling one of the items on her bucket list. Her favorite things to make out of clay are functional seasonal pieces. Outside of the studio she attends yoga classes, watches Braves baseball, and spend as much time as possible with friends and family. Kay also enjoys knitting, crocheting, and doing watercolors. She lives in Calhoun and has a grown son in Oklahoma and a daughter in Savannah.

Sherry Bright teaches beginning wheel throwing and has been working in clay for over ten years. Her first class was at Earthworks after signing up on a whim. She enjoys making functional items like bowls, oil cruets, soap and sponge holders, lidded jars, and bottles. Outside of the studio she runs her household doing all the many things moms do and works in her home studio exploring the clay and pushing herself to try new things. Sherry has many creative hobbies including crocheting, paper crafts, soap making, furniture refinishing, gardening and doing acrylic nails. She resides in Cedartown with her husband, Roy, grandson, Roman, and often other adult children. They have a motley collection of pets including cats, Rocky the dog, a bearded dragon named Skullcrusher, and three toad frogs.

Grace Tessein is joining the Earthworks team as the advanced wheel throwing instructor. She is an amazing talent with a BFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and a MFA from Louisiana State University. Recently, Grace was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Roanoke College Salem, VA and was the Salad Days Artist in Residence at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME in 2021. Prior to that she was an Assistant Professor and Artist-in-Residence at Elon University and has taught for Georgia Highlands College in the northwest metro-Atlanta area. She calls Rome home with her partner, Dennis Ritter, their two dogs Sugar Jaws and Etta June, and a cat named Sunny. Grace and Dennis collaborate on an illustrated pottery line called Sugar Jaws Pottery while maintaining their individual art practices as ceramic sculptors. Named after their rescue dog, the work is a playful tangent from their sculptural practices. Illustrated by Grace and constructed by Dennis, Sugar Jaws Pottery uses a variety of vintage-inspired patterns and floral designs paired with animal imagery to adorn handbuilt, functional wares for the everyday. Welcome to the Earthworks team!