MEET OUR TEACHERS

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Owner of Scratch Ceramics, Nathan is a multidisciplinary artist working in printmaking, painting, ceramics, and glass. Nathan received his MFA in visual arts from Columbia University in 2012 and has been the Master Printer at the Leroy Neiman Center for Print Studies since 2015. He had two solo shows at Davidson Gallery in NYC and continues to show nationally and internationally. His love for ceramics, art, craft, and community are what drove him to open Scratch Cermaics in 2024.

Erica Mao received her BFA from Parsons School of Design, NY, in 2016, and her MFA from Columbia University, NY, in 2020. Erica is best known for her atmospheric layered paintings that stitch together disparate spaces into alternate realities and her ceramics of houses and structures in states of disrepair. Mao had a solo exhibition at Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, NY, in 2023. She works and lives in Ridgewood, Queens.

Cammi Climaco is a Ridgewood local. She's a multidisciplinary artist with a deep focus in ceramics and has shown in galleries in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. She has an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Crafts with a focus on Ceramics from Kent State University. Cammi currently teaches at BKLYN CLAY, Greenwich House Pottery and has previously taught at UNC Chapel Hill, Pratt and the 92Y. She is also the host of The Ceramics Companion podcast. 

Camila Ruiz is a ceramics artist from Montevideo, Uruguay. She obtained her PhD in biochemistry and Camila’s background in chemistry is extremely valuable for creating new glazes. The glaze making process requires an extensive knowledge of the materials used and the chemistry behind the reactions that occur during the kiln firing process. Camila is new to Scratch and will be teaching wheel on Monday nights.

Grace Fossett is an artist and educator who received their degree from Alfred University. They have been teaching at Greenwich House and BKLNY Clay amoung other places over the last few years.

Fontaine Capel is a New York City born and Ridgewood-based interdisciplinary artist, educator, and facilitator.

In addition to their studio practice, Capel is an organizer of public art initiatives and programming, and has been a teaching artist at institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Marwen, the Art Institute of Chicago, Supermoon Art Space, and now, Scratch Ceramics! They hold a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.F.A. from Columbia University.

Rhea Barve is an artist from Bangalore, India. Beyond teaching, she works as a ceramic studio technician in Brooklyn. She received a BFA from New York University with a concentration in ceramics and animation.

Michelle Im is a Korean-American ceramic artist based in Queens, NY. She was a 2024 Artist Fellow at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York. Grants and awards include the Center for Craft Teaching Artist Grant, American Craft Council Emerging Artist Grant, Penland School of Craft Distinguished Fellowship, and Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist Award.  She holds a BA in Biological Sciences & Art from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Gu Jin is a New York based comic and ceramic artist. In her work, she blends traditional Chinese forms with comic illustration, putting the past and present in conversation with one another. She has spent much of her ceramic practice in Jingdezhen, China where she studied porcelain ware and painting.