About

Jess holding a ceramic bowlJess Lease
Jess is a ceramic artist based in Grinnell, Iowa. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics. 

Jess creates functional work and loves the strong connection between food, pottery, and people - a former restaurant owner, her work is so much in service to the user’s experience. Her pottery is made considering the person who will eventually enjoy her pieces. She is motivated by how a mug feels in your hand, or how comforting and grounding it is to enjoy soup from a handmade bowl. Her work brings joy and pleasure to everyday life.

Jess is happy to be focused on pottery these days and has rekindled her love of process, wood firing and harvesting native clay from her family’s land in northwest Iowa. She also makes mid-range and high-fire clay work in an electric kiln. She is endlessly inspired by all things clay.

  

 

Join me on my year long journey as a member of Simon Levin's Clay Cohorts group at claycohorts.com.

You can find more work for sale at the Grinnell Area Arts Council's online Local Artist Market (seasonal).