Every new issue of Studio Potter begins the same way, with a blank page. I love the moment of a blank page, in life as much as in publishing, because it holds both invitation and accountability. A blank page asks us to stay open to uncertainty and to resist the urge to fill space simply to arrive at an ending. In ceramics, as in publishing, meaning emerges through intention, vulnerability, and a willingness to venture beyond the familiar. This issue reflects that philosophy, honoring the generative potential of starting points rather than fixed conclusions.
As the year came to a close, many of you chose to invest in that open space through your year-end donations. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed. Your generosity does more than sustain an organization; it supports the conversations and critical inquiry that define Studio Potter. Because of your support, we can approach 2026 not with scarcity, but with imagination, filling blank pages with voices, ideas, and practices that continue to shape the field. With this in mind, we are proud to announce that we will be able to bring in six editors-at-large throughout 2026. We hope that by building a journal curated by a multitude of ceramists, we can deliver a publication that reflects the depth, diversity, and rigor of the field. Now, more than ever, Studio Potter stands as the journal of the clay community.
This month’s issue features artists and thinkers who embrace experimentation through kiln design, and it marks the conclusion of the kiln-building series that started in 2025. By questioning established forms and reimagining systems of heat, atmosphere, and structure, these contributors expand how we understand both process and possibility. It feels fitting to begin filling our future pages with work that so clearly embodies curiosity and the courage to ask what might come next.
Randi O'Brien, editor and executive director