CLAYBIRD STUDIO • POTTERY INSTRUCTORS
BETH WRIGHT
Studio Owner / Instructor
Beth Wright is the owner and operator of Claybird Studio. She is a wife, a mom of three beautiful girls and a ceramic artist and teacher who loves to get her hands dirty. Originally from NJ, Beth relocated with her family to Dryden, NY in 2022. She received her BA in 2004 with a focus in art and theater, and discovered her passion for ceramic arts shortly thereafter. Beth apprenticed under experienced potters who taught her every aspect of running a studio. Outside the studio, Beth enjoys hiking, bird-watching, and spending quiet time with God and her family.. Beth taught art and ceramics in both public and private schools and conducted private lessons from her home studio before opening Claybird Studio. She is passionate about sharing the joy and therapeutic benefits of working with clay, and creating a welcoming space where people can learn, create, and feel at home. Outside of the studio, she is a lover of the great outdoors, hiking, getting lost in the woods, bird-watching, quiet time with God, and spending quality time with family & friends.
JOHN VORSTADT
Instructor
John Vorstadt is a ceramic artist and illustrator from Dryden, New York. His ceramic work is focused on creating functional forms displaying process and materiality. In 2015 he graduated from Alfred University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Art and is the recipient of the Kiki Smith Fellowship. Following, John completed a post baccalaureate from the University of Florida and has been teaching and displaying work nationally for the past 8 years. John has taught classes at the University of FL, Gainesville, Flamingo Clay Studio, Lake Worth Florida and Open Arts Studio in Tacoma Washington. In his free time John likes to hike, swim, and listen to live music.
VANESSA LLOYD-ZAMMETT
Instructor
Vanessa started her pottery-making journey with Claybird Studio when they opened their doors in 2023. Since then, Vanessa has flourished as both a hand-builder and wheel-throwing potter and has progressed to becoming an advanced hand-builder. Vanessa has a knack for leading students step by step through their projects, helping them become confident in their creative learning process and pottery-making journey. Vanessa has built a repertoire of beautiful pottery to display and demonstrate to her students, and is always a bright light in the studio!
MARK ROBERSON
Instructor
Mark Roberson discovered ceramics later in life as a creative outlet alongside his career as a Cornell professor. He began at the Cornell Ceramic Studio and went on to advise the Cornell Ceramics Club until its closing in 2010. Since then, he has honed his skills through classes, online learning, and plenty of hands-on exploration—embracing his motto: “Mistakes are how clay teaches us patience and perseverance.” In 2017, Mark opened Common Bowl Studio in Dryden, NY, where he creates both functional and sculptural pottery inspired by the expressive form of the bowl. Now retired from Cornell after 29 years, he enjoys focusing on clay, family, and even baking sourdough bread in his handmade cloches. His work can be found at local farm stores and regional art shows.
DARLENE ASPINWALL
Instructor
Darlene Aspinwall is a homegrown artist with a passion for art in its many forms. Her passion has taken her from award winning, state recognized quilts and fiber art, to her laser focus on ceramic arts for more than fifteen years. She has studied under a wide variety of renowned ceramic artists such as Jessica Putnam Phillips, Lisa Nape, Paula McCoy, Bill van Gilder, Sunshine Cobbs and Tim See. Darlene specializes in hand-building with clay but is also very comfortable with the pottery wheel. She has her own home studio where she conducts private lessons in hand-building and wheel. She teaches both in Cortland and now in Dryden. Her deep understanding of the steps required to be a successful ceramic artist makes her an excellent teacher. Her fun personality and attention to her students makes her a class favorite. Her free time is spent on continued learning, sewing, reading and gardening.