Laura Albers has loved working with her hands ever since she was young. Getting muddy playing with clay, covering a page with colorful paints, and rubbing designs with charcoal are all her ideas of a good time. Clay is her favourite medium, and she enjoys being a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild. With many years of pottery under her belt and her Bachelor of Education, she’s looking forward to delving into the creative world with you.

Fuhrer was born in Edmonton and attended Grant MacEwan and the University of Alberta where she graduated with a MFA in painting in 2004. Since then, Fuhrer has remained involved in the arts community as a preparator, instructor and art facilitator with organizations such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, Harcourt House and the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts. Fuhrer’s most recent work explores issues of nature and sustainability and is inspired by her childhood experiences with wildlife. Her work is included in private and public art collections in Canada, the US and the UK. 

Mark has been an artist for twenty-five years, specializing in large abstract-expressionist painting, however curiosity has led him to explore many different formats and avenues from teaching to being a tattoo artist.  Mark has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Painting) and a Bachelor of Education Degree (Secondary Art) from the University of Alberta, a Diploma in Fine Art from Grant MacEwan and a Diploma in Digital Media from NAIT.

Shelley Harrison first went to pottery classes with her mom when she was just 12 years old. Originally from Ottawa, Shelley has lived across Canada and in 2001 she started taking pottery classes before joining the Edmonton Potters Guild. When she moved to BC, she volunteered in the Westshore Parks & Recreation Pottery Studio in Victoria and then studied ceramics at North Island College in Comox, BC. She learned about the chemistry of glazing and firing at North Island College and later joined the Comox Valley Potters Club. Shelley returned to St. Albert in 2019 and joined the St. Albert Potters’ Guild. Shelley’s work varies from functional pieces such as mugs and bowls to more ambitious works such as clocks and elaborate vessels. She is currently experimenting with porcelain and plans to work more with coloured clay in the future. Her favourite pieces to create are her carved mandala drawings.

Brett Lamoureux grew up in Fort Saskatchewan. Both sides of her family came out west to farm and settled Lamoureux and homesteaded in Wainwright. Brett in an avid reader and crafter. She has been working in museums for 12 years and is currently the Program Coordinator at the Musée Heritage Museum.

Celina Loyer is Cree Metis, born in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, with roots in the Ft. Edmonton-St. Albert-Lac Ste. Anne Metis, Michel Band, and Saddle Lake Cree Nation. She works at the Musée Heritage Museum in St. Albert as an Indigenous Programmer. She does many kinds of traditional crafts including beading and fingerweaving.

Maria Nelson is a Métis-Ukrainian woman from Redwater, Alberta with Métis community connections from Saskatchewan and Red River. Currently she is working towards a Masters of Arts in Archaeology at the University of Alberta. She works for the Arts and Heritage Foundation as a Seasonal Historic Interpreter. She is passionate about Indigenous history. Her goal is to create spaces that can share history in an accessible and engaging way. She also has a love of beading.

Siân is an interdisciplinary artist and art educator with degrees in sculpture and illustration. She is a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild and a tenant artist at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre. She irregularly posts her work and class projects online @sianramsden 

Shirley loves to impart her knowledge, skill and passion for pottery with others. Shirley joined the St. Albert Potters’ Guild at age 16 in 1978 and became an instructor and board member of the Morinville Pottery Club from 1986 until it’s closure in 1997. She was thrilled to join the St. Albert Potters’ Guild again in 2017 and has been teaching level 1 and level 2 Wheel Throwing for Art Gallery of St. Albert for the past 3 years. 

Heather Shepherd is a potter and pottery class instructor from St. Albert, AB. She holds a Diploma in Ceramics from Kootenay Studio Arts, Selkirk College (Nelson, BC), and has spent much of her early adulthood exploring craft mediums. She has been a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild since 2014 and is a passionate pottery instructor with the Art Gallery of St. Albert and Edmonton’s Studio72! Keep in the loop with her current work, pottery classes and studio process by following along on Instagram at @hsceramics. 

Shannon Vance is an art instructor and Program Manager for Art Gallery of St. Albert. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alberta and holds eight Foundations of Teaching for Learning certificates through Commonwealth Education Trust.  Shannon strongly believes in the importance of art education and lifelong learning. “Art Gallery of St. Albert art programs are designed to expand on a student’s current curriculum knowledge of a subject through creative hands-on art making. As professional artist facilitators, we have an ability to support teachers and students by exploring different learning objectives through art, thereby inspiring a new generation of creative thinkers.”