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TCC Instructors
Education is at the very heart of TCC's purpose. We love ceramics and want to provide a premier resource and supportive environment for high-quality instruction for all those who desire to learn or further their knowledge of the art. We recognize that the quality and depth of our instructors is essential to the success of our goals. We are quite proud of our team!
REBECCA
BROWNING-YAGER
Rebecca works in her studio in El Prado, NM. She fires in an anagama wood kiln as well as Raku. Rebecca states that her goal when creating ceramic works is to amplify the simplicity and elegance of a form that she visualizes first on paper or in her mind.
Rebecca holds a BFA in Sculpture from The Cleveland Institute of Art; an
MA in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University; and was awarded a full fellowship to The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture; and Teaching Assistantship at The Lacoste School of The Arts; Lacoste, France
LEE AKINS
Lee received a B.F.A. from the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio in 1975 and a M.F.A. in Ceramics in 1986 from Southern Methodist University. He has taught ceramics at the college level for more than 40 years and is currently an instructor at UNM, Taos, and the Taos Ceramics Center. Over the years, Lee has taught hundreds of classes and workshops on all aspects of the ceramic arts. His students and peers consider him to be among the most knowledgeable and accomplished instructors in New Mexico. His work has been featured in ceramic magazines and publications, including Ceramics Monthly.
SJORAN FITZPATRICK
An extraordinary ceramic artist and educator, Sjoran moved to Taos with his wife in 2020. He graduated San Diego State University in 1984 and went on to get his MFA from the Claremont Graduate School. He has owned and operated Ravenwolf Clayworks and Forge (yes, Sjoran's also a metalworker!) since 1978, and has been a professor of art at Pomona College, Biola University, and Mt. SAC Community College. He was also the ceramic program coordinator at the Crooked Tree Art Center in Petosky, MI. We are delighted to have Sjoran as an instructor at the TCC!
LESLIE HERO
Leslie is a wheel based potter focusing on the craft of crockery & kitchenware, and believes handmade pots contribute to the tastiest homemade meals. Her clay journey began in high school, but was put aside while she earned her BFA in Illustration. After a seven year career as a tattoo artist in Oregon, the time came for a big lifestyle shift. Along with her wife & cats, she relocated to Santa Fe where she settled into desert life and got back on the potter’s wheel. She became the manager and a teacher for three years at a small clay studio in Santa Fe, followed by a year at a production pottery in New England where she honed her skills and learned larger scale production practices. She calls Hondo Mesa home now, a desert landscape whose palette & textures provide constant inspiration.
SARA BARTOLOTTA
Sarah comes to the TCC from Hartford, CT where she recently completed a post baccalaureate program at the University of Hartford Art School. She is a native of Hudson, NY. Sarah was accepted as an AiR at the Worcester Center for Crafts for the academic years of 2019-2021. During her residency, Sarah taught several hand-building classes and various workshops in wheel-throwing, surface design demonstrations, and supplementary educational lectures. In 2021, she relocated to Allston, MA to teach ceramics at Shady Hill School, Umbrella Arts, and Harvard Ceramics Program before attending the University of Hartford Art School.
SARA JENSEN
Sara, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, was raised in Carbondale, Colorado, where her connection to the outdoors and art evolved. "A sense of place is an integral part of who I am. Taking the time to learn from place is what has driven a want to create." Sara spent her childhood outside exploring the mountains through skiing, biking, kayaking, hiking, and backpacking. While a student at RISD, she developed her art practice and passion for clay and as an artist-in-residence at Salem Art Works, she was able to dive into the world of wood firing.
LAURA TAYLOR
A long-time Taos resident with a rich history, Laura had spent her youth in Fulton, Mississippi. From the age of 14 she’s been painting and working with ceramics. After graduating with a degree in art from Mississippi State University, she apprenticed at Pepper Town Pottery in Fulton, a “folk pottery” studio. She is a self-proclaimed “functional production potter” and says with a smile that she has had studios in schools, garages, porches, kitchens, tents, and storage rooms. She has taught in the public schools and sold work across the country.
