Kristin Pavelka

It comes as no surprise that I make functional pots.   Growing up in a family comprised of an inventor, quilter, seamstress, carpenter, and two farmers, a love for food and creative endeavors is in my blood. Being a child of the 80s, I immersed myself in the colorful world of My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake.   With character names such as Blueberry Muffin, Custard, and Cotton Candy, I was always thinking about food.   I choose to make highly decorative functional pottery, combining historical ceramic influences with a modern design sensibility and a bit of quirkiness to sweeten the deal. I grew up in Cottage Grove, MN, a suburb on the southeast edge of St. Paul, nestled between city and farmland.  I earned my BA from Carleton College focusing on Studio Arts, and I completed my MFA at Penn State University in 2004 where I developed a love for earthenware.  I returned to Minnesota and accepted an adjunct teaching position at Hamline University in St. Paul.  I’ve held residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, Tsugaru Kanayama pottery in Goshogawara, Japan, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Maine, and Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana.  I have received grants through the Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.   I left my academic teaching job in 2009 when my first son, Noah, was born.  Oliver arrived two years later.  I teach classes and exhibit regionally and nationally.  Currently, I work from home in Eden Prairie, MN, with my husband Todd, my two boys, and our boss Woody Isaac Fisher Cat.