Meredith Host

—Born Detroit, Michigan

EDUCATION

2001BFA Ceramics, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri

2008MFA Ceramics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

RESIDENCIES

2002-2004Resident Artist, School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York

2004-2005Resident Artist, Salad Days Artist, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine

2007Resident Artist, The Belden Brick Company, Sugarcreek, Ohio

2008Resident Artist, Dresdener Porzellan, Porcelain Society of Saxon Porcelain Manufactory, Dresden, Germany

2011Summer Resident, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine

2012Resident Artist, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

2004-2005Mudmobile Instructor, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine

2004-2005Instructor, The Deck House School, Edgecomb, Maine

2005-2006Post Baccalaureate Assistant, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri

2005-2006Instructor, Red Star Studios, Kansas City, Missouri

2008Instructor, Red Star Studios, Kansas City, Missouri

2009Lecturer, Monsters of Design: Pecha Kucha, Kansas City, Missouri

2009Lecturer, Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, Missouri

2010Visiting Artist & Lecturer, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado

2011-2013Instructor, Lecturer, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri

2011Visiting Artist & Lecturer, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

2011Visiting Artist & Lecturer, University of Western Illinois, Macomb, Illinois

2012Lecturer, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

2012Instructor, Red Star Studios, Kansas City, Missouri

2013Visiting Artist & Lecturer, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas

2013Lecturer, University of Arkansas, The Random Lab, Kansas City, Missouri

2013Visiting Artist & Lecturer, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

BIOGRAPHY

Meredith Host is known for porcelain pottery. Forms are developed on the potter's wheel and revolve around pieces included in a standard dinner set. As a collector of domestic patterns, Host's creations revolve around themes of patterning in everyday life, especially those found on utilitarian embossed paper products.

Once off the potter's wheel, Host moves through a series of surface decoration techniques when pieces are in the pre-fired leather hard stage. Host begins her surface decorating process by using the thermofax technique, where she custom prints underglaze patterns (using a thermofax machine) on 8 ½ x11” pliable plastic sheets. Plastic sheets are placed (underglaze side down) over the exterior of a leather hard form and rubbed softly with the hand or finger. The underglaze pattern is then transferred to the clay body and the process is repeated based on the desired effect. Host uses the thermofax technique to develop the bulk of her pattern designs.

After thermofax patterns are transferred on the leather hard form, Host applies a series of brightly colored underglaze dots to add a secondary pattern over and around thermofax designs. Work is then fired to bisque and glazed using a clear satin gloss. A final electric kiln glaze firing commences, allowing for underglaze design work to become the prominent feature in the finished state.