Nathan Winship Smith, Owner of Beech Grove Clay Works

Owner and member of Beech Grove Clay Works, Nathan Winship Smith was born and raised in Indianapolis and has been working in the medium of clay for over 15 years.  Moving between hand building, wheel throwing, drawing, and mixed media, he has focused most of his own artwork on clay and imagery.  Nathan is always looking for ways to use imagery to comment on the world, inserting messages of personal and social commentary on issues that affect us all.  

With a love of learning, he embraces nearly all facets of the ceramics process and the potentials within the medium. He has a passion for learning, teaching, and sharing his knowledge. Besides teaching and making his artwork at BGCW, he also undertakes art commissions as well as ceramic and plaster repairs of various kinds.

“The first time clay was introduced to me was around second grade.  As a class, we had to walk our little handmade pinch pots down into the boiler room of the school where the kiln was kept. There was so much mystery in that experience, and I have found a similar mystery in this life long learning to discover ways to create art and message making using the ceramics process.”

Nathan studied art as an undergraduate at Herron School of Art and Design, earning himself a BFA in late 2009.  He went on to volunteer at the Indianapolis Art Center, which led to many opportunities including teaching, assisting the studio tech, and creating new art work.  During his time at the IAC he was accepted to the University of Notre Dame, where he continued his work and earned an MFA in 2015.  Nathan has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University Notre Dame and Ivy Tech Community College.  He has been with Beech Grove Clay Works since 2016 as artist in residence, then to studio manager, and finally taking over ownership of the studio in 2022.

Featured Members

  • Doug Schock

    STUDIO TECH

    After years of interest in the style and architecture of the Arts and Crafts Movement, I began collecting pottery of the style; and finally tried my hand at designing my own.

    I've been honing my craft for 18 years. I continue to be inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and the Art Deco style. Other inspiration comes from other potteries that produced within the Arts and Crafts style in the early 20th century. I like to think my pieces carry on where these artists may have gone. That said, all pieces are one of a kind, and completely hand built, all with a nod to the past.

  • Hannah Clark

    STUDIO MEMBER

    Hannah Clark is new to the world of ceramics but has been continuously growing. She created her first piece at Beech Grove Clay Works in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since! She puts time and dedication into every piece she creates by incorporating fun, bright colors and experimenting with a variety of underglazes, glazes, and transfers. Pottery has turned into a passion for Hannah as she continues to practice her art form and create an online presence.

  • Becky Kincaid

    STUDIO MEMBER

    Becky started making pottery as a hobby in 2010 at Garfield Park Arts Center. She joined Beech Grove Works in 2015. After retiring in 2018, she focused on exploring all aspects of hand-building and glazing.

    She uses mostly low fire clays. For several years, her focus has been glazing tiles with the Cuerda Seca process.

    She has exhibited work in the Tiny Show, Full Circle 9 gallery, Garfield Park Gallery, LBGTQ+ art exhibits, and various other local art exhibits and competed in the Indiana State Fair. Her work is on sale in the gallery at BGCW, Hampton Designs in Irvington and local art fairs throughout the year.

  • Jenni Castoe

    STUDIO MEMBER

    Jenni Castoe began her ceramics journey through an elective course at Penn State, where she quickly fell in love with clay and the pottery wheel.

    She then joined Beech Grove Clay Works to continue her practice of pottery during the early unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a few career twists and turns, Jenni has decided to pursue pottery full-time under the name Castoe Pots, where she makes wheel-thrown functional pottery with a minimalistic touch.

  • Marla Roddy

    STUDIO MEMBER

    Marla Roddy holds an MFA in Sculpture from Indiana University and a BFA in Sculpture and BA in Art History from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She is a professional artist in addition to developing a 10-year career in gallery management, curation, and arts administration. Her artistic practice is based in using meditative or ritualistic processes, such as repetitive hand sewing, to explore familial relationships and connections. By channeling distressed emotions, such as loss or anxiety, the work produced offers a form comfort.

    Marla currently lives and works in Indianapolis, IN, where she is a Registration Assistant at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and Public Art Consultant for 900 North Studios. She is also the Exhibitions & Social Media Coordinator for Brandt-Roberts Galleries in Columbus, OH.

  • Annie McDermott

    STUDIO MEMBER

    Always a lifelong dream, Annie began her pottery career in 2012. She specializes in ceramic jewelry of all types: rings, earrings, and necklaces. She often uses bird motifs and nature inspired imagery, along with Buddhist symbols. She frequently uses recycled glass in her work and strings her jewelry with vegan leather.

    Annie’s work can be found in Broad Ripple’s Lux and Ivy, Irvington’s Hampton Designs, Retro Metro, Beech Grove’s Marketplace on Main, Nashville’s Scentual Journey, and New Castle’s Royal Café.