Life & Work with Kelly Angryberger of Santa Fe Arts District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Angryberger.

Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I think my first introduction to clay was those paint your own pottery shops that were the big thing in the 90s. I was always a creative kid, but holy moly I was hard to keep focused. I grew up fast- left home at 18 to pursue a BA in Art History at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. From there I flopped around in Chicago, Boulder, Denver, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, and Argentina. I’ve worked countless odd jobs trying each one on for size. A year ago I bought some beads and started making jewelry and commissioned paintings to keep afloat after a pandemic lay-off. I swear, I blinked and today, I’m a studio potter working in the Santa Fe Arts District. I am humbled and so grateful to have found a community that supports my craft- if you have any of my work, thank you!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Becoming a studio potter requires practice and becoming extremely intimate with failure and frustration. Clay has a mind of its own in the way that we humans can only do so much. Heat and time (heat work) have to do the rest. I have physical objects that remind me every day (read, bad pots) of growth. Refinement. Yes, I do cry from time to time, but it is as close to magic as I can imagine when things go well.

I decided it was okay for me to be an artist at 29 years old. I had been trying to avoid it my entire adult life because I was so worried about my financial future. It turns out a global pandemic, getting sober from alcohol, and socially distanced in-person ceramics classes at MSU Denver was exactly what I needed to push this dream forward.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make pots. I’m a potter. I am deeply interested in our relationships with our dishes. I know it sounds nuts, but you reading this, you have a favorite mug. What makes it your favorite? Is it the shape or the color? Where did you get it?

I’m making all of these pieces so they can be used and loved. Nothing I make is precious to me but it may be precious to you. You may give it to your granddaughter one day. Thinking about clay and the possibilities it holds in its raw state drive me to keep throwing, mixing glazes, and firing to ridiculous temperatures.

My little business is named Bananafund because everyone in my home likes bananas, and… how else was I going to pay for them? I also make jewelry and paint but am first, a potter.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Truthfully the industry of ceramics is not something I ponder. It’s a deeply personal practice, so much so that the business end is secondary. If I have a studio to work in and my health, I’ll be happy.

Contact Info:

• Email: kelly@bananafundco.com
• Website: www.bananafundco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bananafund/

Image Credits
Images by Cyrena Rosati and Kelly Angryberger