Meet the Instructors
Noah W. Smith
I began making ceramics as a tool to delve into the seemingly simple objects we use every day. With a background in Culinary Arts and Biochemistry, I use ceramics as a vehicle to explore the combination of artistic expression, functionality, and scientific experimentation. I work on various themes in my collections, seeking to understand the ways in which materials can be combined to create beautiful works while at the same time understanding the science behind those effects.
The importance of sharing knowledge and teaching others has remained a core philosophy in my practice. Through educating others and collaborating with talented artists, I aim to create a community of innovators that have a unique voice capable of discussing and exploring being through artistic output.
Utilizing ceramics as a medium to design contemporary artwork, expand ceramic knowledge, and cultivate innovative communities.
Sara Hensel
I earned a BFA in ceramics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2018, where summer opportunities to teach ceramics to youths nurtured an ethic of playful earnestness in my work. Now, as a full time potter and ceramics instructor for adults, I believe a clay practice offers a powerful opportunity to not only develop a technical toolkit, but to also explore our philosophy and intention around making. In my teaching, I emphasize the potency of clay as a medium as well as the ways in which form and surface dovetail to elevate a user's experience of the objects we create.
I strive to imbue my work and my introduction with humor, curiosity, and observation, and hope to convey the harvest around and within. Nerd out with me about pottery, vegetable gardening, making music, cooking, D&D, bouldering, and dogs!
James Alby
My ceramic work is often wheel-thrown, and bordering on sculptural and figurative, rooted in tradition and experimentation. My art draws from the shadows of my personal history and the environments that shape me, from the island of Guam to the city of Portland.
I felt a gravitational pull towards ceramics in 2023. As soon as I touched clay on a potter’s wheel, I knew that it was something I wanted to pursue. I was quickly advancing and I was accepted as a resident artist at Heirloom Ceramic Studio in 2024-2025 where I now work as the Residency and Communications Coordinator.
Laura De Anda-Hall
I’m thrilled to be teaching at Heirloom Ceramics after finishing my year-long residency at the studio in 2025. Teaching adults how to move clay, get messy, and potentially gain a new creative interest marries my passions. Learning how to throw and hand build in a not-so-forgiving medium can sometimes be an emotional and mentally challenging experience, which makes supporting students’ growth so rewarding! I love that I get to use the skills acquired from my past jobs as a public school teacher as well as my other creative pursuits of painting, drawing, sewing, knitting, reading and gardening.
My work can be found under my business name, Studio Naptime. The name is inspired by how pursuing ceramics helped me transition into motherhood while holding space for my inner self. I like to make work that is maximalist, layered with color and texture. In the end, I intend for my work to be whimsical, thoughtful, and sweet. Please talk to me about how making ceramics makes you feel- it’s one of my favorite topics!
Dwayne Nii-Teiko Sackey
I do not aim for “flawlessness” – my work leaves a trace of a fluid, organic process and a human set of hands.
Windswept trees, cold blue bodies of water, and lichen covered granite boulders intrigue and inform my artistic palette. Gentle curves, textured surfaces, and meandering lines speak through my art. Atmosphere, expressive brush strokes, and simple glazes mimic the timelessness of nature.
Sackey earned his BFA from Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2019. Merit-based scholarships supported him: the Gregori Jakovina & Larry McDonald Scholarship, the Ellice T. Johnston Scholarship, and the OCAC Community College Scholarship. In 2019 Sackey showed at the Multnomah County Justice Center & in 2021 he showed at the governor’s mansion. Sackey was a recipient of the 2021 studio potter grant for apprenticeship alongside his mentor Chris Baskin. Sackey has also published 3 articles in pottery making illustrated, one in 2021 & two in 2023, and demonstrated at NCECA in 2022