Staff Feature & Goodbye: Dylan Jones

A look into the life of Dylan Jones! Dylan started with us in 2021 as our Studio Coordinator and has been instrumental at Hand / Thrown. Dylans role has uplifted our community members and supported our mission of making clay a more accessible craft for all. She teaches Give it a shot! Wheel Throwing, Beginning Clay Wheel Throwing at the studio. We are so excited for the next chapter for Dylan, but will miss her as our Studio Coordinator. She will come back and teach with us oh so soon.

We asked Dylan a few questions about her life and practice so you can get to know the amazing people who make Hand / Thrown what it is.

HAND / THROWN: Tell us a little about you!

DYLAN JONES: A singing, dancing, glitter loving musical theatre kid turned ceramic artist, Dylan cherishes the lessons she’s learned through her experience with clay. Born in New York and raised in Richmond, northside is home and she’s glad to have been able to find such a wonderful clay home here.

HT: Tell us a little bit about the style of work you enjoy making most!

DJ: I immensely enjoy the symmetry of wheel throwing, and love making functional forms that express an internal experience.

HT: What originally drew you to working with clay?

DJ: My maternal grandmother was a potter. She passed before I was born, but we grew up with a lot of her pieces in the house. I had always faintly wanted to try my hand wheel throwing, but in my younger years found myself drawn more to the performing arts. When I moved back to Richmond I finally gave it a try and the first piece I threw went seamlessly. It was kind of amazing. Everything after that first piece went about as you’d expect, but that first piece being so perfect felt like an ancestral line being dropped from her like, “you belong here.” I signed up for an 8 week class shortly after and never looked back.

HT: What has been your favorite part of being Studio Coordinator?

DJ: Getting to watch and support Hand/Thrown as it grows has been really special. From being a student in Emily’s very first class when the studio opened, to starting as studio coordinator, to becoming a teacher, it has been really special to be with Emily and Alexis in all these varying capacities along the way. We joke that I came to the studio one day and just never left, and as much as it’s said in jest it is also true. I cherish the relationships we’ve built over the years and the heart I’ve been able to contribute to the space. I believe in the community they are building and the kind of space they are creating, and my favorite part has been being able to participate in that.

HT: Where have you studied ceramics, if you have. Or who have you studied with that left a lasting impression?

DJ: The majority of my clay journey has taken place in community studios like Hand / Thrown, and I am really grateful for the groundedness this has brought to both my personal practice and teaching style.

HT: What type of clay do you like to work with, why?

DJ: I love a rich, chocolatey brown stoneware. It evokes a feeling of connectedness and being rooted that I really enjoy.

HT: What is your favorite tool, why?

DJ: Metal rib! Versatile but with a sharp edge, endlessly useful but a little intimidating before you get to know her…what’s not to love?

HT: Describe your favorite piece of pottery (currently).

DJ: The first vessel I ever threw, the pot that started it all. I gave it to my grandma and she kept it with her until she passed. It represents a lot of very full circle, love filled moments for me now and I’m really grateful to still have it.