The Ceramics Department at Sedona Arts Center

Neil Kennedy is moving!

His last day will be on September 6 at our Celebrate Sedona event from 4 to 6pm at Sedona Arts Center in Uptown Sedona. As many of you know, Neil joined our Sedona Arts Center ceramic department almost 7 years ago. During Neil’s tenure with us, he developed the Tuesday afternoon’s Hand Building and Saturday morning’s Pottery Wheel for Beginners classes. With Neil’s years of ceramic experience and his natural talent as an artist, he has helped build the ceramic department’s programming to what it is today—one of the most active and popular clay schools in northern Arizona.

We will miss Neil and wish him many more successes in his new life in Cape Cod.

Starting in August John Post and Ben Roti will be joining our Arts Center Clay Family! Ben will be teaching the Tuesday hand building class and John the Saturday morning beginning wheel class. Even though we will miss Neil, we couldn’t ask for any better experienced instructors to fill his shoes.

Dennis Ott
SAC Ceramic Dept.

Ben Roti
Ben Roti is a ceramic artist originally from Spirit Lake, IA. He attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, from 2006 to 2010 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics. During college, Ben’s ceramic work concentrated on the elements of world conflict culminating in his BFA show, “The Cost of War.” After finishing his BFA, Ben accepted a position as a studio assistant to ceramic artist, Don Reitz in Clarkdale, Arizona. Over several years (2010-2014), Ben had the opportunity to work with Don Reitz in the studio, assist with workshops in Montana and Florida, and was instrumental in the installations of gallery shows in Chicago, Denver, and Kansas City. At the Reitz Ranch, Ben furthered his knowledge in atmospheric firing with wood and salt types as well as a soda kiln in St. Petersburg, FL. He also was a part of constructing and repairing kilns. Since leaving the Reitz Ranch, Ben has returned to creating functional works using low-fire earthenware clay and has begun to develop a new body of work. Using reductive techniques, through sandblasting, Ben is able to build variations and create layers, which are inspired by the results that are commonly seen in atmospheric firing. Ben currently resides in Camp Verde, Arizona, with his wife, Kami, and two sons.

Laura ‘Lolo’ Aileen Howe
As someone with a case of the tactile munchies, Lo is all about introducing students to the medium and excitement of clay, particularly via the wheel, as a complex tool in order to tactilely discover the possibilities and boundaries of clay. The first ceramics class Lo took was in 1987 at the age of six, although it wasn’t until 30 years later that Lo dove back into playing with clay at Yavapai College. In 2019 she was reunited with the SAC ceramics department. In addition to teaching, you can find Lo tending to the needs of the studio, learning everything she can about ceramics, making at Reitz Ranch Center for the Ceramic Arts and working part time as a massage therapist. Lo appreciates how the nature of (clay) bodies inform and reflect the human experience. All her work is heavily weighted by the notion of purpose, therefore most of her ceramics are functional.

Dennis Ott Ceramics
Department Head
Dennis Ott has grown from being a ceramics student at the Sedona Arts Center, to a beginning wheel instructor, to heading up the Art’s Center’s Ceramics Department for the past 22 years. Along the way he organized workshops in Italy, taught clay on the Navajo Reservation, built a kiln in Nicaragua, and interacted with many clay artists organizing presentations and exhibitions.

Dennis received the Sedona Mayor’s Arts Award for art instruction in 2017. In 2018 Dennis was awarded the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award for an individual arts instructor.

Through demonstration and one-on-one instruction, students will learn to throw a variety of forms on the potter’s wheel or techniques to create hand-built works. Slab roller, extruder and forms are also available to create functional and decorative pieces. Class sessions are 6-weeks long and meet once/week.

Dennis Ott has been the head of the Arts Center’s Ceramics Department for over 22 years. Along the way he organized workshops in Italy, taught clay on the Navajo Reservation, built a kiln in Nicaragua, and interacted with many clay artists organizing presentations and exhibitions.

Dennis received the Sedona Mayor’s Arts Award for art instruction in 2017. In 2018 Dennis was awarded the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award for an individual arts instructor.

Dennis Ott, Instructor and Head of the Ceramics Dept

Ceramics – Advanced
August 26–September 30 : Mondays from 4 to 7pm
Click here to learn more and sign up

Ceramics – All Levels
August 27–October 1 : Tuesdays from 9am to 12pm  
Click here to learn more and sign up

Ceramics – All Levels
August 28–October 2 : Wednesdays from 9am to 12pm
Click here to learn more and sign up

This fun and creative class is for beginning and experienced ceramicists.  Tap into your creative self and experience various hand-building techniques. Make bowls, vases, mugs, serving platters, and boxes, using slabs, molds, and textures. The possibilities are endless.  Each class will include a demonstration and individual instruction that will help you achieve your goals.

This six-week course focuses on developing, strengthening and advancing one’s skills using the potters wheel, as well as understanding the properties of clay in order to expand one’s potential to architecturally create a version of what one envisions. Have fun, gain knowledge and confidence.

This course is designed exclusively for those who are new to wheel work and is open for ages 12 through adult. Have fun while gaining confidence on the potter’s wheel. Learn the throwing fundamentals and the skills necessary to throw cylinders, bowls, mugs and plates. Glazing will also be demonstrated.  Small class size ensures that each student receives personalized, one-on-one instruction and encouragement for a fascinating hands-on experience that will bring out the potter in you.