Our Instructors

Kelley E. Foy is a maker and craftsman. After more than 20 years as a furniture designer revealing the possibilities of handcrafted wood and steel, she has made her way back to her origins in clay. In the spaces between, she has explored the food culture phenomena from the inside out as the owner and operator of two acclaimed restaurants.

All the while, she has been blending and building on her clay, wood, and steel explorations. Kelley’s work is influenced by the cultures of the Southwest where she has been based and, more recently, her steep in the craft culture of the New South in Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee.  The contrast of the Southwest and New South, places and experiences shared by both artists at different points in each of their lives, spurred the Southern Exposure collaboration and show.  For Kelley, it is as much about cross-cultural translation as it is about coming home.

Kelley worked with the renowned Don Reitz and is currently part of the team building an arts program at the Reitz Ranch including workshops and classes.

Kelley teaches our Beginning Wheel Class on Thursday evenings.

Dexter Woods is a first generation ceramicist from Dallas, Texas.  He graduated from TTU in 2014, where he studied under Von Venhuizen, his mentor and a “technical master” and Juan Granados, who taught the importance of a exploring a personal narrative through art. During his studies, Woods became connected to the legacy and meaning of Don Reitz’s work via Von Venhuizen, who had a deep friendship with Mr. Reitz spanning many years.

Dexter’s teaching experience took a professional turn when he moved to Phoenix in 2015 and worked as an instructor at a private studio.  He then helped to open, manage and operate a brand new studio in downtown Phoenix while holding classes in wheel throwing.

In Dexter’s words; “Art is my outlet, to try to understand the world and myself. I love exploring form through clay and reaching for the limits of it’s memory.  The first time I touched clay, it did exactly what I wanted it to do and I realized the limitlessness of the medium.

“I want to bring this sense of possibility to my students and invite them to realize clay’s transformative properties.”

Dexter will be teaching and working with atmospheric firing at the Reitz Ranch wood and salt/soda kilns, as well as helping in developing various programs at the ranch.

Dexter teaches our Handbuilding Class on Wednesday mornings.