Tulsa's newest ceramic art studio.
A place to come together...
At Red Heat Ceramic Art Sutio, local artists will find affordable access to studio space and professional quality equipment. Ceramics classes and workshops will be offered for adults of all levels, from beginning to experienced artists. We will also host visiting artist workshops, studio sales, and group exhibition opportunities for resident and studio members.
We are a diverse group of Tulsa-based clay artists, from sculptors to potters, that care about clay in our lives and our community. As clay artists we are actively looking for ways to make a difference in this thriving art community, through teaching, making, and exhibiting our own work, and participating in dialogue that might lead to new community clay opportunities. We are passionate about our current studio work and each other. We love to share what we make with the art community of Tulsa.
At our studio...
How it all began...
Red Heat Ceramic Art Studio is owned and operated by Whitney Forsyth, a ceramic artist and accomplished art professor. She has lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1999 and taught ceramics at the University of Tulsa for 17 years. She has a BFA from Oklahoma State University and a MFA from New Mexico State University. Her ceramic work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and art centers, as well as private and public art collections throughout the United States. Whitney is passionate about equipping and inspiring a new community of ceramic artists.
Whitney has hand-picked a team of local emerging and established ceramic artists who are eager to be residents, artists, and teachers at Red Heat Ceramic Studio. Many of these artists hold undergraduate and graduate degrees, have taken university courses in clay, are attending workshops at other ceramic studios around the country, and are actively producing and exhibiting their work.
Studio Staff
Whitney Forsyth, Owner
Mary Whitney, Studio Administrator
Amy Sanders, Studio Technician
Jane Eagleton, Studio Technician
Logan Sweetwood, Studio Technician
Kris Potter, Studio Technician/Instructor
Instructors and Staff Bios
Whitney Forsyth, Owner
Whitney is a studio artist and accomplished art professor who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She served as an Associate Professor of Art at The University of Tulsa from 1999-2016. She received her MFA from New Mexico State University and has been making large-scale ceramic sculptures and installations for most of her art career. Her ceramic work has been exhibited in art centers, galleries, and museums in the US, as well as private and public art collections. Whitney is the owner of Red Heat Ceramic Art Studio.
Kris Potter
Kris is a highly accomplished Tulsa-based ceramic artist with a specialty in wheel throwing. She has partnered with many local entrepreneurial businesses, combining her handmade utilitarian ceramics with one of a kind products. Kris generously uses her work and teaching abilities to promote local non-profit efforts that she is passionate about. Her beautiful work can be found in galleries, markets and homes in the Tulsa area and beyond.
Cathryn Thomas
Tulsa artist and musician Cathryn Thomas received her MM in Piano in 2001 and her MFA in ceramics in 2012 at the University of Tulsa. She is an experienced teacher, has taught elementary art and music for Tulsa Public Schools, and currently teaches art and music courses for Tulsa Community College. Her ceramic sculpture and functional dishware are regularly exhibited at Tulsa galleries such as 108 Contemporary and Liggett Studios, as well as in private collections.
Clayton Keyes
Clayton is a native Tulsan, graduating with his MFA from the University of Tulsa in 2011. He is an experienced art professor and was Head of Ceramics program at Westminster College for 8 years. His figurative clay work has been shown nationally, has received awards, and has been published and reviewed in magazines, books, and online forums. Clayton teaches workshops at universities, ceramic art centers, and conferences throughout the US.
Mary Whitney
Mary began taking ceramic classes at an early age and has continued to learn throughout the years taking courses at art centers, community colleges, and university settings. Her beautiful work demonstrates her passion for and playfulness with clay. She attends ceramic workshops annually from artists around the country developing a strong understanding of building and surface techniques which she incorporates into her teaching. It is Mary’s experience that clay quiets the mind and brings her into the present moment. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and private collections in Tulsa. Mary is currently a Resident Artist at Red Heat.
Amy Sanders de Melo
Amy Sanders de Melo is a Colombian-American ceramic artist living and working in Tulsa. As an artist with both visual and hearing impairments, she strives to create work that speaks to the resiliency of the human spirit. Life experience, disability, and heritage are major influences in her work. She received her BFA from the University of Oklahoma where she studied ceramics, sculpture, and filmmaking. Amy has exhibited her work regionally in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, and Minnesota and she is the recipient of several awards such as the NALAC Actos de Confianza Grant and the American Craft Council Emerging Artist Cohort Program. Amy is currently a Resident Artist at Red Heat.
Nicki Wood
Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Nicki believes that the connections made through handmade objects are the ones that encourage fellowship and community. She draws inspiration from Mexican Folk Art, Pop Art and discarded items of the past, thrift store and antique shop treasures. Nicki has a BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred and an MFA from the University of Tulsa. She has received national grants and awards for her ceramic work. She has taught at the university level as well as in museum schools and community clay centers.
Lowell Baker
Lowell Baker is a native Okie who received his BFA from Phillips University in 1969 and his MFA from Wichita State University in 1971. He is an Emeritus Professor of Art from the University of Alabama, has taught art in five institutions of higher learning, and chaired three departments of art. Lowell's teaching has been in Ceramics, Sculpture, Design and Drawing with specializations in each of those areas. He has published over 65 articles on ceramics and has been included in over 10 textbooks. He has taught and lectured in over 55 national and international venues, including Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Singapore, Japan and Germany. Lowell's current work includes exploration of Oklahoma landscapes in ceramics and small mixed media sculpture as well as a variety of wheel thrown functional forms.
Logan Sweetwood
Logan Sweetwood graduated with a BFA from the University of Oklahoma in 2015. He began his academic studies in graphic design and later transitioned to studio art after taking printmaking classes at the university. Specializing in stone lithography and relief printmaking, he completed his degree while incorporating ceramics toward the end of his studies. Clay has since then become the main emphasis of his work, utilizing printmaking techniques for both hand build and wheel thrown objects. After taking a break from the art world, Logan joined the studio in 2023 with the goal of building his portfolio and engaging with the Tulsa community.
Jane Eagleton
Jane Eagleton shares a love for all things clay. She is a wonderful artist with a passion for functional pottery and organic sculpture. Jane’s love for gardening and landscaping intersects her work as she chooses the clay body, texture, or glaze for each piece that she makes. Jane is playful and brings great energy to our community space. She has taken on the challenging job of firing the gas kiln for the studio and we have been blessed by the results of our amazing red and shino glazes! Jane’s work can be seen in local galleries, art markets, and special event spaces like wedding or nonprofit venues.
Allison Lackner
Allison Lackner is a Tulsa based artist and educator. She frequently incorporates architectural and design elements in her artwork. The small ceramic rooms and houses she makes are filled with ceramic furniture and objects that tell a story. Her attention to small details shows a passion for architecture and design that began as a child observing her father professionally design kitchens and bathrooms. Allison holds a BFA in photography and an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Tulsa. She has taught classes and workshops for The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa, Gilcrease Museum and the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture.
Alumni
Adrien Lee
Adrien Lee was born in Anderlecht, Belgium. He has lived in both the United States and France. He was introduced to art by his father whom first showed him how to hold a pencil and would go on to show him wood working techniques. He learned about ceramics in high school and focused on hand building and sculpture. After high school Adrien enlisted into the military as a combat engineer and would go onto deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan to search for IED’s. It was here he realized the military was not his career. After four years of service and an honorable discharge Adrien went on to pursue his dream of a career in the arts. Graduating with a BFA from the American University of Paris in 2016. In 2021 Adrien became a member at Red Heat Ceramic Art Studio and regained the momentum for work on large scale sculpture. He is currently pursuing his MFA at Tulane university, New Orleans, LA.
Maryalice Carroll
Maryalice Carroll is from Surf City, NJ and currently lives in Tulsa, OK. She received her BFA in Craft and Material Studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and MFA in Ceramics at the University of Arkansas. She has exhibited her work in and around the Philadelphia area as well as Arkansas. She taught as an Adjunct Professor at Tulsa Community College while being a member at Red Heat. She is currently teaching ceramics at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Take a look at our artists' ceramic work...
