In Person or Streaming Online!

Join us for an evening with Second Year Residents Jake Brodsky, Marian Draper, and Samuel Sarmiento as they reflect on their artistic practices and share insights from their time at The Bray. Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with three artists whose dedication to their practices continues to enrich our campus and broader ceramics community. Whether through stories, images, demonstrations, conversation, or a combination, the evening is sure to offer a unique opportunity to connect more deeply with the artists and their work. 

Our Artist Amplified lecture and demonstration series allows artists and art enthusiasts to share their history, process, and conceptual motivations with the public through various presentation formats. We can’t wait to discover what Samuel, Marian, and Jake have to share and look forward to having you join us! 

In Person:
       Frances Senska Center for Education and Engagement
       2915 Country Club Ave
       Helena, MT 59602

JOIN VIRTUALLY! (Link goes live at the time of the event)

About the Presenters: 

Jake Brodsky is a potter living in the mountains outside of Helena, Montana with his family. He was born and raised in Helena, and much of the ideas behind his work are influenced by the landscapes of Montana and from growing up in a community that has long supported artist-potters. After pursuing opportunities around the country for the last decade, he moved back to Helena in 2023 to settle down and build a sustainable studio practice. Jake’s formative education in ceramics came through working at craft schools, community studios, and for other artists, and he received his MFA in Ceramic Art from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He has completed artist residencies at Red Lodge Clay Center, Pottery Northwest, and Studio 740, and is excited to begin a long-term residency at the Archie Bray Foundation in 2025. Discover More About Jake’s Work Here! 

Marian Draper Marian Draper is a ceramic artist whose work is deeply inspired by verdant botanicals and historical patterns. Born and raised in Rome, New York, Draper earned her Bachelor’s in Studio Arts, with a concentration in ceramics, from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY, in 2022. During her time at RIT, she focused primarily on creating large-scale vessels, with an emphasis on form and process. After graduation, Draper relocated to Asheville, NC, to complete a long term  residency at Odyssey ClayWorks. At Odyssey, she expanded her practice by exploring surface applications and design, incorporating mono-printing techniques alongside her form explorations. She also gained valuable experience as a studio intern at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN. Marian is a recipient of the 2024 Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist Award. Her work reflects her passion for both form and process, infused with a love for rich flora and vibrant surfaces. When not working in clay, Draper enjoys spending time outdoors, drawing inspiration from the landscape for her next creation. Discover More About Marian’s Work Here!

Samuel Sarmiento  The ceramic works of Samuel Sarmiento are, first of all, objects. Depicting myths and literary stories from across the Caribbean and South America, they do so as sculpted surfaces that create their own boundaries. They are self-contained worlds still connected to everything around them. History is palpable, bodies emerge from bodies emerging from bodies – or do they sink back into time, towards an origin we shall never know? There are forests, seas, cities, animals, trees, goddesses, humans, and meaningful scenes. Humans tell each other about the universe, how it came to be; they pass on secrets of death and procreation together with truths of conflict and suffering, and a hope of redemption. As Sarmiento’s works capture a vibrant oral tradition, they also encapsulate the act of storytelling itself. Samuel Sarmiento (Venezuela, 1987) is a self-taught artist. He has participated in various exhibitions, individually and collectively, in Venezuela, Colombia, Aruba, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Mexico, Panama, Argentina, and China. Discover More About Samuel’s Work Here! 

Interested in learning more about event sponsorship opportunities? Email liz.harrison@archiebray.org