Meet Our Staff
Ashlyn
Ashlyn discovered her passion for ceramics while studying art in college. After nearly a decade teaching art in schools, she returned to her first love: pottery. Since 2021, she has been immersed in the world of clay, managing the studio and creating a welcoming space for all skill levels.
Ashlyn’s greatest joy is helping others discover the same love for pottery that inspires her every day. Her work is rooted in the wonder of transforming clay into pieces that are both beautiful and useful—whether it’s a watercolor palette, a bowl for a bread maker, a planter for a wildflower friend, or the perfect snuggly mug.
Ashlyn also loves spending time with Jesus, her husband, her plants, and petting all the dogs.
Emily
Emily is one of our studio attendants and has been a part of this community since 2021. Her pottery journey began in college, watching a friend practice throwing skills in the university studio. After years of dreaming about "one day" learning the art of pottery and playing with the clay, she jumped into a class and hasn't looked back.
Her favorite things to make are mugs and sculptures and she specializes in combining the two - throwing mugs and sculpting story elements onto the side of the form. She's the girl you want in your corner when your clay takes on a mind of its own and needs to reinvent itself with a different identity than what you originally had in mind.
You can find Emily working Open Studio hours, scheming up challenges for our members, or geeking out over various fandoms with anyone who has a good story to discuss! She's most comfortable with a cuppa in her hand and a good conversation around the table.
Dawn
Dawn Pearce is a lifelong Oklahoman who has spent 33 years in education. Over the last four years, she has found deep joy in pottery, where her teaching experience shines through in her guidance of others through the creative process. She loves exploring new techniques and helping others discover their success and confidence in working with clay.
Lina
Lina first touched clay her senior year at Texas Tech and learned fast that pottery isn’t something you just “get” right away — it takes a lot of practice, mistakes, and the willingness to laugh when things collapse. Somewhere in all that, she got hooked and never wanted to stop.
Now, she’s part of the Prairie crew, teaching classes, troubleshooting glaze mysteries, and staying up to date on all the best clay gossip. Her work is mostly functional, but she loves trying out new shapes and designs for fun, pop culture-related pottery, and pieces with big personalities. For Lina, it’s about keeping pottery fun and approachable while also pushing herself to get better at the craft.
When she’s teaching, Lina wants the studio to be a space where people can relax, mess up, and surprise themselves with what they make. Fostering community and lifelong friendships is what this art form is all about to her. She’s happiest when surrounded by good people and covered in clay from head to toe.
Chloe
Chloe’s unassuming journey with pottery began right here in a Prairie Beginner I Class… but she never left. As a wife and mother of three kids (and 24 houseplants), the wheel became a place of solace and expression that she shares with all who walk through the doors.
When hosting Open Studio, Chloe will greet you with Mastodon-spattered clothes, a coffee to keep her moving, and a genre-defying playlist of indie singer-songwriters and angsty punk rock. Behind the mayhem, you’ll find her steady countenance and ready hands to help you navigate your journey at Preacher Pottery.
Bee
Often catching himself saying, “It would be cool to take a pottery class or something,” Bee originally began going to the studio as a student starting in early 2024. Though just wanting to try something new, he came from a family of studio artists and worked in the arts himself, and he thought he might take to it immediately—find that it came naturally. In reality, what he found was how much concerted effort it really takes—equal parts patience and practice. That first month of classes turned into a few months more, which ultimately led to Bee becoming a studio member.
Just short of two years in, Bee has graduated to becoming a part of the Prairie staff. Even still, his time at the studio is often spent trying to get better—still through patience and practice, but now additionally through learning from his peers via the community atmosphere of Prairie Pottery.
Alyssa
Alyssa started her journey with clay in January of 2024. Watching her mom, Dawn, fall in love with pottery inspired her to try it out. Alyssa quickly started assisting classes and workshops at the studio. Date Nights are Alyssa’s favorite events to work because of the lively environment and ability to introduce others to the joy of working with clay.
Outside of pottery, Alyssa enjoys her time with her family and dog. Her family enjoys playing games like Mario Kart, Jack-Box Games, and Ticket to Ride. Her other hobbies include playing computer games with her friends and knitting/crocheting.
