Morgan Britt is a fine art ceramicist who has been involved in the arts for over 40 years. Throughout her career she has studied with renowned artists nationwide and is actively involved in the greater Palm Springs art community.
She began her journey in clay at Sacramento State University working under Peter VandenBerge, and went on to apprentice with Rodney Mott at the Penryn Workshop in Penryn, California. It was there she learned the intricacies of wood firing and throwing large. She also put her marketing background to use and began helping fellow artists with promotions, most notably bringing in hundreds for the attendance of a week-long iconic woodfire workshop, WoodStoke 2000. This event featured 5 world renowned artists – Paul Soldner, Peter Voulkos, Don Reitz, Rudio Autio and Janet Mansfield; a lifetime experience for all who attended. Paul Soldner became a dear friend and mentor for many years.
In early 2000 Morgan opened her own Studio/Workshop/Gallery in Orangevale, CA, extending her resume to teaching classes to children and adults, hosting workshops featuring artists from all over the US, and an onsite gallery featuring her sculptural work. She eventually partnered with Don Leek, a renowned water feature creator and artist, and officially became Avalon Art Studios. Avalon’s primary product was custom designed tile murals, architectural ceramics including fireplaces and sinks, water features, large scale sculpture and pottery.
After closing her studio and moving to Southern California, she started by mentoring the founders of Blue Water Clay in San Pedro, CA, helping them learn to fire their donated Geil kiln and get their glaze library established while they launched their member based studio. She set up a small studio in her garage and turned out a new series of sculptural work. She participated in workshops and critique groups through South Bay Contemporary and SoLA Gallery, and her work was featured in several group shows in Los Angeles.
In 2020 she moved to the Palm Springs area and purchased a home with her long time partner, Frank Maimone, in Cathedral City Cove. She has volunteered with local nonprofits in an arts capacity and has featured her latest work in the desert as an annual participant in Desert Open Studios, the Modernism Week Art District tour exhibitions, and is a featured artist at the Proulx Gallery in the Lofts Arts District in Palm Springs, CA.
Bio
Peter VandenBerge, California State University:
Fine Art Ceramics
Rodney Mott:
Apprentice, Art pottery and sculpture, wood fired ceramics
Catharine Hiersoux:
Porcelain thrown and altered ceramics
Paul Soldner, Friend and Mentor:
Thrown and altered sculpture, kiln building
Peter Voulkos:
Thrown and altered sculpture
Kathy Koop:
Wheel thrown sculpture
Rosette Gault:
Paper clay sculpting
Sheri Leigh:
Hand building, slab constructed sculpture
Tom Coleman, Friend and Mentor:
Wheel thrown and altered porcelain, glaze techniques, Geil kiln firing
Steven Hill:
Wheel thrown and altered pottery, once-firing
Linda Arbuckle:
Majolica
Janet Mansfield:
Wood fired stoneware
Rudy Autio:
Large scale slab construction, underglazed,figurative images
Patrick Horsley:
Thrown and altered pottery
Don Reitz:
Wood fired stoneware
Eric Struck:
Throwing large, Glaze formulation
Mark Lancet:
Slab construction
Marcia Selsor:
Architectural ceramics
Nita Petrowsky:
Study of oil painting, figures and portraits
Peter King:
Architectural ceramics
Randy Brodnax:
Alternative firing
Don Ellis:
Raku fired pottery
Lisa Clague:
Figurative sculpture