Tracy Shell received her Masters of Fine Arts Degree from The School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York state, and Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Montevallo in Alabama. She also apprenticed with Echizen potter, Juroemon Fujita, in Japan for three years. Ms. Shell was Professor of Art and department chair at Midland University in Omaha, Nebraska from 2007-2018. Currently Tracy is a studio potter at Shockoe Bottom Clay. “As a maker of utilitarian pottery I feel it is a privilege to make work that will transform routine activities into aesthetic experiences. I am curious about what characteristics of hand-made pottery elevate these objects to treasured possessions while embracing their utilitarian characteristics. My investigative process is fueled by a desire to explore the relationship between engaging form and practical function.”