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TCC Instructors
Education is at the very heart of TCC's mission. We love ceramics and want to provide a premier resource and supportive environment for high-quality instruction for all those who desire to learn or further their knowledge of the art. We recognize that the quality and depth of our instructors is essential to the success of our goals. We are quite proud of our team!
REBECCA
BROWNING-YAGER
Rebecca works in her studio in El Prado, NM. She fires in an anagama wood kiln as well as Raku. Rebecca states that her goal when creating ceramic works is to amplify the simplicity and elegance of a form that she visualizes first on paper or in her mind. Rebecca holds a BFA in Sculpture from The Cleveland Institute of Art; an MA in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University; and was awarded a full fellowship to The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture; and Teaching Assistantship at The Lacoste School of The Arts; Lacoste, France
LEE AKINS
Lee received a B.F.A. from the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio in 1975 and a M.F.A. in Ceramics in 1986 from Southern Methodist University. He has taught ceramics at the college level for more than 40 years and is currently an instructor at UNM, Taos, and the Taos Ceramics Center. Over the years, Lee has taught hundreds of classes and workshops on all aspects of the ceramic arts. His students and peers consider him to be among the most knowledgeable and accomplished instructors in New Mexico. His work has been featured in ceramic magazines and publications, including Ceramics Monthly.
LESLIE HERO
Leslie is a wheel based potter focusing on the craft of crockery & kitchenware, and believes handmade pots contribute to the tastiest homemade meals. Her clay journey began in high school, but was put aside while she earned her BFA in Illustration. After a seven year career as a tattoo artist in Oregon, the time came for a big lifestyle shift. Along with her wife & cats, she relocated to Santa Fe where she settled into desert life and got back on the potter’s wheel. She became the manager and a teacher for three years at a small clay studio in Santa Fe, followed by a year at a production pottery in New England where she honed her skills and learned larger scale production practices. She calls Hondo Mesa home now, a desert landscape whose palette & textures provide constant inspiration.
CECILIA McGINNIS
Cecilia is a 2024-25 TCC Artist-in-Residence, She began working in clay after taking a ceramics course while an undergrad. She had always considered herself to be a creative but had never been exposed to the potter’s wheel before this class. Cecilia was immediately obsessed with the medium and poured herself into learning various techniques focused in wheel-throwing. After graduating from Furman University in May 2023, Cecilia moved to Asheville, NC to be a summer resident and teacher at Odyssey ClayWorks.. Cecilia is hopeful of pursuing an MFA so that she can instruct at the higher educational level and continue sharing her passion for ceramics with others.
ALMA QUILLIAN
Alma Quillian received her BFA at SMU as a sculpture major. She has a Masters in Art Education from Sul Ross State University. After teaching art at the secondary level in Texas for 24 years, she moved to New Mexico where she continued to teach at a clay studio in Sandia Park. After moving to Taos, she taught clay sculpture privately as well as at UNM in their Dual Credit classes.
Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Quillian has been an active artist with a concentration in clay sculpture and printmaking. Her love of animals and nature is reflected in her work. She is currently showing her work at Wilder Nightingale Fine Arts in Taos and Artisans on Main in La Veta, Colorado.
