Meet the team
Chase Folsom : Co-owner | Instructor
Chase received his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Colorado Boulder and his BFA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. He has exhibited his work in over fifty exhibitions nationally and internationally and mounted his eighth solo exhibition in 2022.
He has taught at Maryland Institute College of Art, The George Washington University, University of the Arts, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, New Jersey City University, SUNY New Paltz, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Lauren Aitken : Co-owner | Instructor
Lauren founded Headstone in 2022 and hasn’t looked back! Earning a BFA in Ceramics and BS in Art Education she utilizes her expertise to craft thoughtful, precise classes to increase skills and allow students to learn through doing.
Her favorite thing to witness in her classes is her students “aha” moments where something finally clicks. Accurate posture and using your body correctly is a big part of class because of her yoga background. Her own practice is rooted in her restaurant and hospitality training creating functional pieces.
Nathan Gwirtz : Ceramics Instructor
In 2002, Nathan Gwirtz enrolled in a pottery class at a community studio. He became hooked, and since then he’s devoted much of his time to learning about the craft of making things out of clay. He is passionate about sharing his expertise with his students. He makes handmade wheel-thrown, sgraffito-decorated tableware in the decorative arts tradition.
Ben Avey : Ceramics Instructor
Crafting his dreams and nightmares into functional & non functional art for 8 years, Benjamin blends ceramics with a touch of the eerie. Fueled by music, coffee, and an appreciation for the weird, each piece tells a story. When Benjamin is not in the ceramic studio teaching/creating he can be found embroidering his worn clothes, drawing, painting, reading as many books as he can, developing Terra Sigillata recipes, and spending time with his two rambunctious roommates (his two black cats Toadstool and Chanterelle)