Bozeman Community Kiln — Create. Learn. Play.

About Bozeman Community Kiln

Bozeman Community Kiln invites you to come create, learn, and play with ceramic clay. Members enjoy a relaxed, and collaborative atmosphere where they can be inspired to make their own projects at their own pace. The experience of working in a studio, filled with unique individuals at different experience levels, fosters broader learning opportunities and lasting friendships. Artistic expression offers a creative outlet through both sculpting and decorating of each unique clay form you create. From your creative outlet to a great first date, creating ceramic pottery is a perfect form of entertainment. From sculpture to cup, vase to platter, Bozeman Community Kiln will teach you to use clay to throw your personal portfolio to the next level. Our mission is to connect locals with the rich clay history and ceramic community that Montana boasts, and share that history with our visitors.

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  Ashleah Elias

  Studio Director

  

  Learn about Ashleah

  Ashleah moved to Bozeman in 2014 with her family after her husband of 13 years was medically retired from the USMC. Drawn to the area for its supportive veteran community and Montana StateUniversity, Ashleah has discovered a passion for other military families and the greater Bozeman community. Before moving here, Ashleah spent 10 years working as a nurse and, before returning to university, she spent half a year managing a busy rural health clinic in California. Her experience as a nurse has given her strong communication and teaching skills, which she has since put to use teaching private ceramics lessons in her own home studio. Ashleah has been privileged to demonstrate pottery-teaching techniques at MSU and spent time in the summer of 2018 teaching ceramics for MSU’s Peaks and Potentialsummer camp. While pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ashleah spent a semester as an intern, where she taught hand-building techniques to residents of Liberty Place who are recovering from traumatic brain injuries. Her leadership, communication skills, and artistic abilities are the driving force behindBozeman Community Kiln.

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  Megan Sprenger

  Director of Education

  

  Learn about Megan

  Originally from Wisconsin, Megan moved to Bozeman in 2016. She has come to love her place in the Bozeman community and now calls it home. Megan received her BFA from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2016 and her MFA from Montana State University in 2019. Currently, Megan is an adjunct professor at MSU, where she has been teaching for the last four years. She has experience teaching ceramics, 2D/3D, ideation and creativity, and drawing foundations. After meeting Ashleah while attending MSU, Megan joined Ashleah and Heather at BCK, intending to foster a new love and shared community experience with clay. She hopes to enrich people’s lives with a new skill and a shared appreciation for the craft. 

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  Heather Hodapp

  Director of Operations

  

  Learn about Heather

  Attracted by the veteran community in Bozeman and her military family connections with Ashleah, Heather and her family moved to Bozeman in 2017. For seven years before that move, Heather supported her husband’s military career as a stay-at-home mother for their 3 boys. Upon her husband’s medical retirement, Heather rejoined the workforce seeking challenge and achievement in the unfamiliar retail field, as a seasonal part-time employee. Her outstanding strengths in organization, communication, leadership, and her natural talent for merchandising, led to Heather being promoted from an aseasonal part-time employee to the General Manager in only one year. During her time as General ManagerHeather organized the complicated execution of a pop-up Halloween City through to its completion at the end of the season. Heather continued to build merchandising and managerial experience through her work in retail after their move to Bozeman. Jumping into the community's thriving artistic background, Heather Joined Ashleah in farmers market sales during the summer of 2018 and developed a keen interest in ceramics. Her organization, sales, logistics, and managerial experience are the foundation on which Bozeman Community Kiln operates.