Dedication & Passion: Meet Hand In Hand Honorees

Join us for Hand in Hand 2025, as we celebrate some of the passionate and dedicated students who have been part of our Clay Art Center community for more than 15 years. Meet some of our honorees - Susie Gans, Karen Cohen, and Dale Oberlander - below, and keep your eye out for future posts on more of the honorees.

Susie Gans grew up in Hartsdale, New York before moving to the New Rochelle-Tuckahoe area around 1992. Her first experiences in clay came when she was just getting ready to graduate high school. Susie had obtained all the credits she needed to graduate and go to college to study occupational therapy, so she decided to add a little stress relief to her schedule in the form of a pottery wheel class. Susie enjoyed her time at the wheel so much, she didn’t want it to end: “Although I was supposed to then do woodworking for the second semester, I requested to continue working on the wheel, which the teacher agreed to, and my final exam was to make a teapot. It was then that I learned to make a pot, a handle, a lid, and a spout - and I was hooked.” Susie first started coming to classes at Clay Art Center in 1998, where she made many lifelong connections with both teachers and other students. As she reflected on her time at Clay Art Center, Susie highlighted two teachers who have had a particular impact on her, saying that, “I have been fortunate enough to have two teachers who have been my inspiration over many years. First Georgia Tenore, who was a friend as much as a teacher. As was Jeanne Carreau, who continues to inspire me and support me when I want to do my own thing in class.” In classes, Susie continues to learn new techniques from teachers and peers, which she highlights as crucial to building her inventory of items to sell at the craft shows that she has been participating in for several years now.

Karen Cohen grew up in New York, first in Brooklyn and then Queens. Before moving to Westchester, Karen and her new husband moved to Israel for two years, where she had access to the studio of an Israeli potter in the Old City of Jerusalem several mornings a week. Karen recalled that, “I had no lessons at that time, and did not get very far, but enjoyed trying.” Years later, Karen found Clay Art Center, which has been her creative home and community ever since. “The Clay Art Center actually changed my life,” Karen shared, “I never had a passion before and now working with clay has enriched my life tremendously. Here, I have found encouragement and inspiration from so many talented people. It has truly been a gift to be part of this community.” Karen particularly noted past Artist-in-Residence Kyla Toomey as a crucial teacher early in her ceramics practice. Kyla took the time to help Karen develop her sense of spatial relationships, and Karen remembered that, “Prior to those lessons I did not have a clue. She was so patient with me. We had a lot of laughs working on this together.” Beyond these lessons with Kyla, Karen also highlighted the many lessons that clay has taught her over the years, and shared her wisdom: “Working with clay has taught me that there is no such thing as perfection. If something is not what you expect, try to look at it from a different angle, finding the positive in it. Also it taught me that you can't control everything. It taught me to be patient, to be careful, not to rush, and that progress can be slow. It also taught me that I need to stretch.”

Dale Oberlander grew up in New York City and first learned to throw at a small studio in Chelsea. From Chelsea, Dale began taking classes at Greenwich House Pottery in the West Village, and eventually came to Clay Art Center. Dale’s first class at Clay Art Center was with Jeanne Carreau, back when the main classroom was where the Gallery is today. Since those first classes, Dale has continued to challenge herself, taking risks with her work and trying new techniques (like raku firing with Studio Manager August Brosnahan, one of her favorite memories). While new experiments don’t always turn out the way she wants, Dale pointed out that the kiln gods have their own plans, and one of the great lessons of clay is to let go. She shared that Clay Art Center has been central to ceramics journey: “The Clay Art Center is so special to me because it is a true community built on support, creativity, and acceptance. People of all ages and backgrounds come together here, and no one cares what you look like—or even if you have clay stuck in your eyelashes—because the focus is on the joy of creating, sharing and learning. The staff and artists are incredibly helpful, always ready to guide and encourage, and the work around me is endlessly inspiring. It’s a place where I can witness others grow in their craft while also feeling safe to take risks on my own. Successes are celebrated wholeheartedly, and when something disappointing comes out of the kiln there is sincere sympathy and support.” We hope to see Dale around the studios at Clay Art Center for a long time to come, and the outlook seems good; she told us that her goal is to, “keep making pots with people whom I really enjoy...until I can't lift a spoon to my mouth.”

The Clay Art Center has deeply shaped my development as an artist by giving me a community where I feel both supported and challenged to grow. Seeing the inspiring work around me and watching others grow in their craft motivates me to keep pushing forward in my own artistic journey. - Dale Oberlander