Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Alveshere. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents are wonderful, helpful, supportive folks! I grew up helping my dad with everything from car repairs and home renovations, to construction projects and yard work. From a young age, he has taught me about hard work and dedication to seeing projects through. When I finished my undergraduate studies, he helped me build my first wood/salt kiln in their backyard so that I could keep making and firing pots! He taught me the skills to be self-sufficient and complete projects like building out and setting up a community arts center.

My mom taught me the importance of treating yourself and having a good time! Having fun and playing in the studio has become a huge part of my studio practice, along with the necessity of taking breaks and well-deserved vacations to reset from full-time teaching and creating.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a full-time ceramic artist and educator living and working in Missoula, MT. I make bright, punchy colored porcelain pots that bring a sense of whimsy and joy with their presence. I work primarily on the potter’s wheel, but have recently started to slow down and work with more sculptural aspects and additions to my pieces. I also teach youth and adult arts programming in both community education and academic settings. I started using the potter’s wheel in high school during my off periods, and never thought it would make it past a fun hobby. I took a ceramics class in my first semester of college, and found myself spending most of my time in the studio. Soon after, I realized the business and hospitality program I was enrolled in was not going to be for me, and was able to fill my schedule with art classes, as it was a small community college. I was still in touch with a few of my favorite high school teachers, who had recommended for a couple years by this time that I pursue an art education program at another university in the region.
I toured the university and immediately fell in love with the ceramics studio. I was able to take quite a few clay classes throughout my time in the education program, and learn about materials and kilns in more depth than ever before. After student teaching and graduation, I began my teaching career in a temporary position at a large high school in Fargo, ND, where I taught primarily clay and sculpture classes. The next year, I took over the entire art program for middle and high school at a private school in the area.
After two years in that position, I wanted to go to graduate school. I applied to many programs, and got into my dream school, the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred, NY. I moved from North Dakota in the fall of 2018 to embark on an incredible two-year journey through grad school. Knowledge was acquired, friends and connections were made, a lot of bad pots were made, along with creating the new style of work I’m still making and developing! The pandemic hit during my final semester of school, derailing much of the plans I had lined up after graduation.
My plan all along was to get my MFA and return to high school teaching back in the Midwest. My teacher friends all told me how it was going in their classrooms, and I decided not to return to high teaching high school. Instead, I accepted a ceramic artist-in-residence in Montana. The time to focus and continue that research and exploration became available to me at the Clay Studio of Missoula.
This is where I really got to be a full-time artist for the first time, and learn how to make a living independently. I was teaching multiple community clay classes each week as part of the residency which made it possible to continue living in a pricey mountain town without so much risk of inconsistent gallery sales checks. I really fell in love with community education, and was up to teaching three to five classes per week by the time my residency ended. Missoula had become home to me, and I was trying my hardest to find a way to stay in town. I had lost my studio as it was part of the residency, and was in and out short-term spaces and corners of friends’ studios.
I had a friend from Minnesota end up in town around the same time, and we had been talking about wanting to make a community arts space for a while by this point. We wanted to work for ourselves, and created the space that we wanted to work and teach in. A space that would allow us to grow and thrive in our own practices, and give the community an outlet for creative opportunities!
We learned a lot very quickly about commercial real estate, landlords, hidden fees, and more, but after almost eight months, we found a property that we thought would work for what we wanted to create. After five solid months of construction and renovations, myself and Kelli Sinner opened Workroom Montana in Missoula! At the time of this article, we are nearing our one-year mark since opening, and could not be more thrilled and excited with what we dreamed up in our wonderful town. We now provide 24/7 access to 20 artists in the community, in private, semi private, and shared work spaces. It’s very rewarding to go in everyday to a place you created, a place that is kind and welcoming, with natural light and mountain views!
Workroom Montana is fortunate enough to have a flexible classroom, for us to continue designing classes and providing creative opportunities to the community. We also bring in other professionals from the community to teach workshops, giving them opportunities to share their talents by teaching in the space. It feels amazing to have a space that artists are welcome to teach programming, and bring in all sorts of topics and expertise. In our first year, we have already had workshops on tie dye techniques, papermaking, painting, printmaking, artist professional development, clay and glaze chemistry, just to name a few.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I really enjoy the opportunity to share my skills and knowledge with others. The most rewarding part of my teaching practice is seeing the “ah ha” moments when a technique or idea clicks with a friend or student in a class or private lesson. The most rewarding part of my ceramic practice is opening glaze kilns! I am often working on themed shows that require an ever changing and advancing body of work, and getting to see the finished pieces for the first time brings me pure joy!

I also love that I get the freedom to create my own schedule for my practice, allowing for me to keep up on other personal and professional passions, and take on opportunities that may come up at any point.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

After learning ways to make it possible to be a full-time artist during my artist residency, it was very important to find a way to make it a continued possibility in a post academic setting. As a career educator, teaching in many capacities is important to my practice. We wanted to create a space that would allow for sharing a passion for the arts with the community that has welcomed and supported me and my practice since the beginning. A studio that could provide access to artists. A space that was welcoming, supportive, joyful, and allowed for all sorts of creativity to blossom! We hoped to create the place that we as owners and makers want to work, and to create the opportunities for creative growth that we want others to have access to.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrisalveshere.com
• Instagram: @chriscookskilns