Jeff Noska
Jeff Noska has exhibited his ceramic work in solo and group exhibitions throughout the country including Lill Street Gallery of Chicago, Northern Clay Center of Minneapolis, Pewabic Pottery of Detroit, The Ohio Craft Museum of Columbus, The Kemper Museum of Kansas City, and the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum of Milwaukee. In the past year Jeff also showed work at invitational exhibitions at the Sivertson Gallery in Duluth, Minnesota and at Main Street Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland.
Since establishing Composite Clay Studio in Dousman, Wisconsin in 1984, Noska has been committed to the production of functional, high-fired stoneware and porcelain pottery for everyday use. He also works sculpturally in clay and finds a connection with his functional work in the architecturally influenced forms he constructs. An educator as well as an artist, Noska is an assistant professor in the art department at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. In 1997 he co-designed and co-taught a course that included the construction and firing of the anagama Waterville Wood-fire kiln located at the UW-Waukesha Field Station. The kiln has been fired at least once every year since then.
He has received numerous awards including an Award of Distinction in Arts Education from the Waukesha Area Arts Alliance for his work with the wood-kiln as well as for his artwork at the Minnesota Crafts Council Art Fair in St. Paul, the Laumeier Sculpture Park Art Fair in St. Louis, and the Midwest Craft Festival in Skokie, Illinois.
Noska and Reinhart are husband and wife collaborators in artwork that includes salt-fired black porcelain slip carved platters and cups.