We recently connected with Alondra Biberos and have shared our conversation below.

Alondra , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

After I graduated from the University of Idaho in 2019 with a BFA in Ceramics and Sculpture I knew I wanted to keep the ball rolling. The idea of doing my art as a hobby wasn’t satisfying enough for me. My mentor at the time Kassie Smith suggested that I attend NCECA, the National Conference for Ceramics Educators and Artists to expand my network and find opportunities. It sounded like the perfect solution. I spent weeks fundraising, but I didn’t get as much traction as I hoped for. “I’ll just keep trying and I’ll go next year. ” I thought. However, what I didn’t know is that, that same mentor and David Janssen another favorite teacher of mine had been secretly fundraising for me. They invited me to dinner one day out of the blue. As the waitress walked away to put in our orders. Kassie handed me her phone. I looked at the screen and there was a plane ticket with my name on it to Sacramento, California. “What is this?’ I asked not quite sure what was happening. “Alondra we know you have so much potential you just need a chance, and we want to give that to you.” Kassie responded. I have never ugly cried so hard in my life. They had taken care of everything. My plane ticket, my conference pass, my lodging etc. It all felt so surreal.

So we to NCECA together my Mentor and I and it was everything I wanted it to be. There was inspiration around every corner, and it was just so beautiful seeing all artists coming together to celebrate ceramics and share knowledge and you know just have this really wonderful together. As a result from that experience, I was able to network and scored my very first artist residency and solo show in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Alondra Biberos was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Twin Falls, Idaho. She received her Bachelors Degree with an emphasis in Sculpture and Ceramics from the University of Idaho in 2019. She Currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and works as an instructor and social media manager at Core Clay.

Alondra’s work is inspired by word play and finding the joy in the small details of her daily life experiences. She also explores issues surrounding mental health and how she combats negative emotions with humor in her artworks.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non-creatives struggle to understand that being an artist is a real job and its a hard job. Often times when I tell people I’m an artist they say “Oh, that must be nice and easy getting to make cute things all day.” or “Oh, that’s a cool hobby to have” . They automatically underestimate the potential art has.

Artists keep a track record of current events and daily life in the world. We have the ability to influence people’s emotions and opinions. We also have the ability to create space for representation for minority groups to be seen and heard and valued in our communities.

It’s like you not only have to believe in yourself but you have to convince other people to believe in you too in order to be taken seriously.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I didn’t land my first real gig in the industry right after graduating college. It took me three years of applying (during the pandemic) to residencies, galleries, and studios before I found my footing. In those three years. I worked many different jobs in the service industry. I was juggling two and then three part time jobs using all my free time to work on my portfolio. It wasn’t until 2022 when I was on the brink of giving up that all my hard work finally paid off. I got my first artist residency at Core Clay in Cincinnati, Ohio and later debuted my first solo show at the Mason Gallery.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alondrabiberos.com
• Instagram: @klaybody

Image Credits

Photos by Robyn Singerman