andrea leBlond

After graduating with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1995, Andrea LeBlond has worked in the ceramics departments of numerous schools including Cuyahoga Community Colleges’ Eastern and metro campuses and The University of Akron. She has also taught children and adults at local community art centers. She is currently teaching ceramics at Tri-C’s metro campus, which she finds sometimes challenging yet greatly enjoyable.

Although she grew up in Pittsburgh, Andrea has spent the last fifteen years living in Cleveland. For the past ten years she has worked in various studios in the Cleveland area, most recently Terra Vista Studios, a large converted warehouse space shared with three other ceramic artists. The social and intellectual contact in the studio among other artists is essential to creating fresh ideas and to keep motivation flowing.

Two strong interests that inform Ms. LeBlond’s ceramic work are mid-century furniture design and textile design. Strong clean edges and bold patterns play an important role as well as bright, contrasting glaze colors. Undiscovered treasurers at the thrift store often inspire new pieces. Functionality is also an important factor in the work. Even sculptural pieces have an implied function. Ms. LeBlond strives to take the fear out of formal artwork and create ceramics that are easy to live with.