Kevin Caufield, whose work is collected nationally and internationally, has been a full-time artist and teacher for over 41 years. Caufield is known for functional porcelain and stoneware pottery, custom dinnerware, and his custom-designed restaurant tableware. He is a popular ceramic instructor for all levels of students, and teaches classes and workshops worldwide. Caufield apprenticed with the late Robert Eckels in the 1970s. Since then, he has been living and working in the Twin Cities.

Delores Fortuna received her BFA and MFA in ceramics from the University of Chicago where she studied under Ruth Duckworth. She went on to teach at Antioch University, St. Xavier University, Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before retiring in 2015 to her own studio practice. She enjoys the scientific nature of ceramics and formulates her own porcelain clay body and glazes. Through layering historical context, natural colors, and her experiences, Fortuna reimagines the staples of everyday use.

Mike Helke received his MFA in ceramic art from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Helke is an assistant professor of art/ceramics at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and has been a visiting artist, lecturer, juror, and workshop leader at clay centers and universities across the United States. Helke says, “Each piece physically and conceptually records an animate sensibility derived from my experiences. This record is the catalyst for a call-and-response relationship that exists between maker, object, and user.”