Gallery Artists with the Houston Potters Guild Shop

Every individual should have access to art and culture in their daily lives. It's our goal to provide a medium between art enthusiasts and the artists themselves.

From the outset, our project's goal was to enable visitors to not only understand the art we display, but also to generate group discussions about the pieces as a way to bring culture into one's valuable leisure time. We have forged many partnerships over the years and obtained many patrons who support this initiative.

Our diverse, friendly team is interested in learning about what each of our visitors want to discover - whether they are young, old, big or small - let's get to know each other!

"More Than Pots" Opening, April 10, 2010

The Houston Potters Guild Shop has a number of local artists' work in our gallery, the collection of which is sure to impress our visitors.  The month of April is their showcase month, beginning with an opeing on April 10, 2010.  Our openings are fun and enjoyable, so check our calendar and come by for a great evening.

A Big Thank You from CAMEO

It was Irene Adame's idea to hold a raffle benefitting CAMEO.  Great success, Irene.  We raised $175 at the opening for CAMEO thanks to the generosity of the artists who contributed.  We all did.  Irene's reasoning:  "People like to gamble"

Other Events, Competitions, Shows, Fairs, Festivals of our Artists

Gallery Artists in a Variety of Media

MARY WELCH - Handweaver:

I have been weaving since 1985.  I live in Houston but I grew up in central Pennsylvania and have lived in Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts. As I was growing up my mother sometimes covered her bed with a beautiful blue and white wool blanket that had belonged to my paternal grandmother. I loved it.  Eventually, it came to me and I learned that it is a double weave coverlet woven in a pattern called pine tree and snowball.  My historical research led me to discover the well-documented history of weaving in central Pennsylvania. This coverlet is part of that tradition. Without knowing it, I had been introduced to the product of a craft that would later become central to my own life.

Mary is a woman of many talents besides a perfectionist with her weavings.  She was a teacher for many years, a school principal and interim director of the Rothko Chapel.  She is this year's president of the Weaver's Guild and is busy with many activities in the art community.  Originally from Pennsylvania, she has been a resident of Houston for many years.

IRENE ADAME - Simply Classy Original Designs

I received my Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and my Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Houston-Central, all while working full time for a major life insurance company.  I subsequently transferred to the company’s Corporate Ethics and Compliance Department and traveled extensively as a Field Examiner during the last nine years of my career, retiring in 2004 after 43 years of service.  Retirement demanded a new outlet, and I was receptive when a friend introduced me to the design and creation of jewelry.  What started as a hobby quickly evolved into a small business. 

Beautiful stones and beads are addictive, and there is no cure for this addiction.  I am no exception.  Although my love of genuine stones and all things natural prevails, I have discovered other facets of jewelry making – metal jewelry fabrication and PMC (Precious Metal Clay).  I have taken various courses in metal art jewelry, and my new skills are being incorporated into my original work.  Today I look at leaves, shells, nuts, rugged mountains, and other natural creations and envision them in silver, gold, copper, and brass!  I continue to enhance my skills and am currently enrolled in the Metal Art Jewelry Class at Alvin Community College.

I consider my designs “simply classy”, wearable, and affordable.  Every piece is individually handcrafted with love, in Pearland, TX.  Nothing is mass-produced.  I invite you to experience my jewelry, which is on display at the Houston Potters Guild Shop at 1701 Dunlavy, Houston, TX and at the Art Alliance Center of Clear Lake at 2000 NASA Parkway, Nassau Bay, TX. 

LINDA GRANDSTAFF - Bold & Whimsical Sterling Silver Jewelry

My name is Linda Grandstaff and for the past 20 years I have lived in Bellaire, TX (originally from New York's Lower East Side).  My profession is Graphic Design (14 years) and my passion is Jewelry Design (since 2005).  I’ve combined both to create my own line of jewelry, Suarez Silver. I work part time as a Graphic Designer for a local Houston map company, Key Maps, Inc. which allows me the freedom to pursue my hobby in my off hours.

My graphic design background and passion for jewelry inspires me to create custom jewelry that is alluring and is affordable to many individuals.  Some of my designs incorporate a combination of metals including sterling silver, fine silver & copper.  My collections showcase an eclectic mix of Modern (domed rings) to Victorian (filigree) designs.  All designs are hand fabricated by me. I prefer to work with semi-precious gemstones and natural stones but I am flexible in the materials I use.  I create sterling silver (.925), fine silver (.999), copper jewelry that incorporates the current trends but also stands out from what everyone else is wearing and you won’t find it in jewelry, department or specialty stores. I feel my bold and whimsical jewelry brings originality to an individual’s jewelry collection. Ever since I was a child I've always liked to wear things that were different than everyone else (wore purple suede shoes in 5th grade Catholic School, didn’t go over well with the nuns especially when everyone started to copy my example).  My goal is to create designs that speak out to a person’s personality.

I’m a member of Art League Houston, Houston Gem & Mineral Society (HGMS), Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. I have taken beginner/intermediate jewelry fabrication classes at HGMS and Art League Houston. Level 1 Certified (no, I’m not crazy) in PMC (Precious Metal Clay). I want to develop my jewelry skills to their fullest potential by taking as many Jewelry classes I can afford and also by practicing and using the techniques I’ve learned and continue to learn on a daily basis.  Jewelry Design is a field in which I do not think you ever stop learning and growing as an artist.

JANE HELLENDAG - Jane has actually been an occasional customer of the Potters Guild Shop for many years.  It was only in the past few months that she approached us about selling her truly impressive stained glass lampshades.  Pictures are usually worth a thousand words, but seeing these treasures in person is the only way to judge them.

DAN FISCHER - Dan is a native Texan who always had a passion for beautiful wood.  Dan works with exotic wood as well as commonly found lumber.  The results are always the same - an exquisite work of art from exotic wooden pieces.  His woodturned vessels have won numerous awards in regional competitions.

MARCIA SELSOR -

Marcia Selsor was born in Philadelphia and received a BFA in Ceramics with Bill Daley at the Philadelphia University for the Arts. She received an MFA from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with the former British Sculptor, Nicholas Vergette.

She is a Professor Emerita at Montana State University-Billings where she taught ceramics for 25 years. She authored the book “Modelos de la Alfareria de Agost” while researching the traditional potters of Spain during a Fulbright Research Fellowship in 1985-86. She taught ceramics at the Tashkent Institute of the Arts in Uzbekistan on a second Fulbright Award in 1994.

She has had Artists’ Residencies at Banff Center for the Arts in Alberta, Canada; two in Uzbekistan; the Straumur Artists’ Commune in Iceland; the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana; The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA; and La Meridiana near Certaldo, Italy.

Her work is in public and private collections on three continents. She works in a variety of ceramics techniques. Her architectural pieces often incorporate the sculptural imagery of Romanesque symbolism. Her Raku plaques reflect the vivacity of living in Montana through the imagery of wild mustangs that live near her home. She teaches workshops internationally in Spain, the U.S., Italy and Canada. In 2005 she served as the Ceramics Program Director at the University of Hawaii-Manoa and has served on the technical staff for Ceramics Monthly since 1998. Her work has appeared in several books: Extruded Ceramics by Baird, Advanced Raku Techniques, Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques, and Raku; A Practical Approach. She has also written numerous articles for Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, BAR (British Archaeological Reports) and NCECA Journals.

In 2008 Marcia served as the Interim Director for the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. She currently resides in Brownsville Texas where she maintains a studio. Please consult the webpage on our potters for more information about Marcia.