Congrats to Erin MFA ’03 and Jason BFA ’01 Hall, husband-and-wife duo of Alberta Pottery in Greenville for being a Clemson World Magazine social media alumni feature!
Names: Erin and Jason Hall
Majors: Erin – MFA in ceramics, Jason – BFA with concentration in ceramics
Graduation Years: Erin – 2003, Jason – 2001
Current Roles: Owners of Alberta Pottery, LLC
We met in the clay studio at Clemson while Jason was finishing his BFA and I was starting my MFA. We went our separate ways after graduation, but seven years later, we ended up with studios next to each other in Greenville’s Village Arts District. We dated five years and were married in 2012. We’d both been making pottery part-time for several years before we decided to take the leap to begin making studio pottery full-time, exhibiting our work at national juried festivals, shows and galleries. We started Alberta Pottery, LLC in 2014.
–Erin, what is your favorite thing about creating pottery?
Playing in the mud! Seriously though, I love being a small part of someone’s day, that first cup of coffee in that favorite mug. There’s a form of intimacy present in clay objects that is not intrinsic to other art forms.
–Erin, what is your advice for recent grads?
It’s easier to steer a ship if it’s moving than when it’s dead in the water. Even if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, it’s better to start moving in the general direction of your dream than do nothing at all waiting for the perfect job or circumstance to come along.
–Jason, what was a challenge that you had to overcome artistically that helped you get you to where you are now?
One of the biggest challenges for me to overcome was believing I could be a full-time artist. Everyone I knew was an engineer! Attending Clemson gave me a great foundation artistically, but I still found it be a challenge to believe in my own ability to find a market for my work.
It’s easier to steer a ship if it’s moving than when it’s dead in the water. Even if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, it’s better to start moving in the general direction of your dream than do nothing at all waiting for the perfect job or circumstance to come along.
–Jason, what is your advice for young crafters and artists?
Someone gave us good advice recently: “Work the ground you’re given”. Stay focused and don’t get distracted or discouraged by what everyone else is doing (especially on social media, which is illusory at best). Practically speaking, we recommend keeping your overhead as low as possible. Set up a small studio, even if it’s in a corner of your apartment or in your parents’ garage (Erin’s was), and let it evolve over time. Stay out of debt if possible, and buy materials instead of renting space. Make as much art as you can, edit it and get the best of it out there!
–Both of you, what is your favorite Clemson tradition?
We love Clemson blue cheese and chocolate milkshakes!
Check out more of Alberta Pottery here: www.albertapottery.com
Instagram: @albertapottery
