Keith Schneider - Ceramics & Mixed Media
Arcata Artisan since 2020
I am a ceramics and mixed-media artist who lives and works in Arcata on the northern California coast. I received my MFA degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1985 and have been teaching ceramics and drawing at Humboldt State University since 1987.
My most recent work has been inspired by vintage toys, stuffed animals and circus memorabilia. For many years, I have been attracted to objects that “wear” their history and have collected these things as inspiration for my ceramic pieces, and to use in my assemblages and collages. I like the quality of these things, and how time has given them a story that can be read into them.
My ceramic pieces are constructed from earthenware clay and fired to cone 03. During my process, I try not to be too cerebral, but instead attempt to react directly to what is visually in front of me and trust my instincts.
My artwork has been featured in a variety of publications, including Ceramics Monthly magazine, Ceramics Now and Ceramics Art Daily, and I have pieces in the permanent collections of the DeYoung museum in San Francisco, The Crocker Museum in Sacramento and the American Museum of Art in Pamona, CA. I have been a member of Arcata Artisan Gallery since 2020.