OLIVIA TANI

Ceramicist

oliviataniceramics.com

oliviataniceramics@gmail.com

@oliviatani

 

 

EDUCATION

 

2017 Bachelor of Fine Arts, NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, New York

• Jonathan Allen Leadership Scholarship

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE: WORKSHOPS, DEMONSTRATIONS & CLASSES

 

2026 Workshop, Strengths of the Slab: Engineering Planar Architecture, Arrowmont, Gatlinburg, TN 

 

Workshop, Line, Form, Flow, Rain City Clay, Seattle, WA

 

Demoing Artist, Bailey Pottery Tools booth, Expo Hall,  NCECA,  Detroit, MI

 

2025 Main Presenter, The Ohio University Atmospheric Conference, Ohio University, Althen, OH

 

2024 Main Presenter, Alabama Clay Conference, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

 

2023 Visiting Artist, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 3 Days Demonstration, Artist Talk, Critiques, Edwardsville, IL                              

 

Holiday Open House, Live Blate Demo, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2022 Holiday Open House, Live Plate Demo, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2021 Well Plated, Online Demo/Workshop, Rat City Studios, Seattle, WA

 

Cups of All Kinds, Online Demo/Workshop, Rat City Studios, Seattle, WA

 

Three Graces Handbuilding 101, Class, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Oh, the Plates That You’ll Mold! Workshop, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2020 Volumes, Angles, & Planes, Oh My! Workshop, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2019 Volumes, Angles, & Planes, Oh My! Workshop, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Northern Clay Center National Clay Week, Live & Online Demo, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2018 Let’s Make: American Craft Council, Live Demo, St. Paul RiverCentre, Saint Paul, MN

 

EXPERIENCE

 

2019-present Sales Gallery Artist, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2018-present Studio Artist Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

2013-2017 Alfred Clay Collective, Alfred University, Alfred, NY  

• Vice President, 2015-2016

• Member, 2013 - 2017

 

2017-2018 Artist in Residence Fogelberg Fellowship at the Northern Clay Center, Emerging Artist Residency Program, Minneapolis, MN

 

2017 Summer Ceramic Intern, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, NY

 

2016 Two Week Summer Workshop Exploring Hand Built Functionality with Sunshine Cobb at Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC

 

Ceramics Specialist, Camp Counselor, Camp Canadensis, Canadensis, PA

• Created and ran lesson plans

• Taught wheel throwing and hand building ages 9-16

• Oversaw studio maintenance, fired kilns

 

2014 Studio Assistant to John Macomber, Green Leaf Pottery, South Windsor, CT

• Weighed & mixed clay and glazes

• Assisted with studio maintenance and cleaning

 

SKILLS

• Hand building 

• Wheel throwing

• Clay and glaze mixing 

• Kiln loading and firing: gas, electric, salt, soda

• Glass blowing and casting

• Jewelry Making

• Metal Casting

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

2024 2024 Emerging Artist Contest, Ceramics Monthly May Issue

 

2024 Emerging Artist Contest, Cover Feature, Ceramics Monthly May Issue

 

Bucket Bisque Mold- Tips and Tools, Process Focused Feature Article, Ceramics Monthly March Issue

 

2023 Exposure June / July / August, Spotlight feature, Ceramics Monthly, June, July and August Issues

 

2021 Functional Vessels- Building with Slabs, Process Focused Several Paged Feature Article, Ceramics Monthly February Issue

 

Recipes: Atmospheric Effect, Information Sharing Article on Glaze Recipes, Ceramics Monthly March Issue

 

Mugshot Monday- Olivia Tani, Online Feature Social Media Platform, Ceramics Monthly, April

 

2020 Olivia Tani on Process, Feature Article in Creative Pottery: Innovations Techniques, by Deborah Schwarzkopf

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

2018 Featured Artist Exhibition II, Idea Gallery, Door County, WI

 

2017 Haptic Geometry, Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Show, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, NY 

 

EXHIBITIONS

 

2026 Instructor Exhibition 2026, Sandra J Blain Galleries, Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

 

Art in Bloom, Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), Minneapolis, MN

 

Ewers II, Companion Gallery, Humboldt , TN

 

Last Call XI, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

Simple Cup, Kobo Gallery, Seattle, WA

 

Northern Clay Center Featured Artist at NCECA Convention Center, Detroit, MI

2025

Celebrate the Object: Utilitarian Clay VIII Presenters and Invited Artists, Sandra J Blain Galleries, Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

 

Carbondale Clay Center Holiday Invitational, Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO

 

Ewers I, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

Strictly Functional Pottery National 2025, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

 

Juried National VIII, Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT

 

Winterfest 2025, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD

 

Simple Cup, Kobo Gallery, Seattle, WA

 

Ohio University Atmospheric Conference Exhibition, Canaanville Arts Center, Athens, OH

 

The 2025 Alabama Clay Conference Exhibition, The University of Alabama Gallery, Tuscaloosa, AL

 

Last Call X, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

Northern Clay Center Featured Artist at NCECA Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT

 

 

2024

Holiday Exhibition, Belger Crane Yard Gallery, Kansas City,  MO

Teaching Artists of NCC. Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Cup North II, Crossing Arts, Brainerd, MN

 

Material Mugs IX, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

2024 Teapot + Yunomi Invitational Clay AKAR, Iowa City, IA

 

August Featured Artist, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Sodium Flux, Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT

 

Featured Artist, Wooten Clayworks, Hacketstown, NJ

 

2023 Beautiful Utility, Radius Gallery, Missoula, MT

 

American Pottery Festival, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Northern Clay Center Featured Artist at NCECA  Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH

 

In Plain Sight, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN

 

Pairings, Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO

 

Material Mugs VIII, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

 

2022 Introductions, Brace Point Gallery, Seattle, WA

 

Yunomi 2022, Clay Akar, Iowa City, Iowa

 

Functional ceramics Exhibition, Ohio Designer Craftsmen, Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, OH

 

Material Mugs VII, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

2021 Cup Show, Abel Contemporary Gallery, Stoughton, WI

 

Holiday Benefit Show Clay Siblings, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

Pearl, Northern Clay Center Main Gallery, Minneapolis, MN

 

2020 Collaborative Companions III, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

 

Critical Function II- Visual Arts Center of Richmond- Richmond, VA

 

March Featured Artist- Northern Clay Center Sales Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2020

 

Visions- Past and Future, Alabama Clay Conference- Coastal arts center orange Beach, AL

 

Dirty Cup South-Friends of the Juror, River Oaks Square Arts Center, Alexandria, LA

 

2019 2019 Emerging Artist Exhibition- The Clay Studio- Jill Bonovits Exhibition Space, Philadelphia, PA

 

Unapologetic, Northrup King Building, Minneapolis, MN

 

Cultivating Ceramic Collaboration, Lux Center for the Arts, Lincoln, NE

 

2018 The Sculptural Vessel, Clay Center of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA

 

Open House Exhibition, Lacuna Gallery, Minneapolis, MN 

 

Rooms ll, 3015 Portland Ave, Minneapolis, MN

 

Northern Clay Center NCECA Exhibition Hall Station, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA.

 

2017 Intern.Net, Ceramic Summer Intern Show, Turner Gallery, Alfred University NYSCC, Alfred, NY

 

Spring SUNY Student Art Exhibition 2017, New York State Museum, Albany, NY.

 

2016 Ensemble Dance Performer, Domestic Sacraments, Spring Dance Concert, Choreographed by Danyelle Hyder, Kira Oglesby, Miller Theatre, Alfred, NY. 

 

Seventh Annual Alfred University Auction, Silent Auction Show, Turner Gallery, Alfred, NY

 

2015 Seventh Annual Alfred University Auction, Silent Auction Show, Harder Hall Lobby, Alfred, NY

 

2014 Alfred University Freshman Foundations Show, Cohen Gallery, Alfred, NY

 

2013 24th Annual Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards Show, Silpe Gallery, Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, CT

 

Manchester Community College Annual Art Competition and Exhibition, Manchester Community College, CT

 

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

 

2025 Best Pouring Vessel, Companion, Gallery Last Call X, Humboldt, TN

 

Best Thrown and Altered, Strictly Functional Pottery National 2025, Lancaster, PA

 

2017 Winner of the SUNY Student Art “Best of Show” 2016-2017 Series

 

Val Cushing Award

• Alfred University BFA graduate whose work and practice best exemplifies the function and spirit of Val Cushing’s oeuvre

 

2016 Penland Higher Education Partners Scholarship

• Full scholarship through Alfred University for a two-week workshop with Sunshine Cobb at Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC

 

Alfred Ceramics Representative, SUNY Art Exhibition Student Series 2016-2017 Show 

• Selected by Alfred faculty as one of four BFA student representatives for the Ceramics department

 

2013 Two Gold Key Portfolios, 24th Annual Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards, University of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

 

Third Place, Manchester Community College Annual Art Competition and Exhibition, Manchester Community College, Manchester, Connecticut

• Juried exhibition open to Connecticut college and high school senior art students