Lisa Naples

When I was 17 I took a pottery class as a college freshman for ‘fun’. That was 1978. Even though I wouldn’t come to ‘know’ it in a conscious way for another 4 years, that simple exposure was enough to begin a lifelong relationship with this material: clay. From that moment on, I built my life and decisions around what was  ‘next’ for me in ceramics.

Much of the traveling I’ve experienced has been in one way or another because of my career whether it was for teaching workshops or doing residencies or shows.

Now my life not only has ceramics at the center but a partner and kids too. I married my husband, Andy Cleff in 1991. He and I share the 2 story barn on our property in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA for our respective businesses. We share our lives with 2 amazing human beings, our daughters Isabel and Sophie.

I’ve always counted myself very fortunate to have found such a meaningful path that just about always seems to have arrows pointing me to the next direction…and to be so engaged and compelled by my chosen career. At this stage of the game, I have faith in the creative process to the point that even when I can’t see the direction ahead I know that if I can make space for play and practice, I’ll be fine. And I always am.

Islamic Ceramic Traditions, Symposium 2002

The Ceramics Program of the Office for the Arts at Harvard. Cambridge, MA

Master of Fine Arts Ceramics, 1986–1988

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, NS, Canada. Full Scholarship for graduate work

Post Graduate Study in Ceramics, 1984–1986

University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Graduate Study Ceramics, 1983–1984

Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

Full Summer Internship, Ceramics, 1982

Peters Valley, Layton, NJ

Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, 1982

Douglass College of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ