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The CACM Clay Talks: Conversations with the Masters is a platform dedicated to bringing top-tier ceramic artists together with our community of makers and enthusiasts. Our goal is to provide you with a rare opportunity to hear directly and learn from experienced ceramic artists.
FREE event for Ceramic Students Ages 16–25
(High School, College & University)
Student reservation required - email us at: info@cacm.studio
Originally from the East Coast, Jeff Downing began his formal education at the State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase, where he studied music composition, voice, and guitar. After relocating to San Francisco, he was quickly exposed to a wide range of ceramic sculpture produced and exhibited in the region. He studied with several well-known artists in the San Francisco Bay Area, first at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he studied ceramics, painting, and photography. He later earned his bachelor’s degree in art and an MFA from San Francisco State University.
Jeff is best known for his narrative dog sculptures with highly articulated, colorful surfaces. His work has been exhibited in the US, Brazil, Mexico, and Europe, appearing in art galleries, museums, and various public and private art spaces. Downing’s sculpture has received numerous awards from internationally renowned curators and arts organizations specializing in ceramics and sculpture. Downing has taught college-level art classes since 1996.
As an experienced potter and sculptor, he teaches a range of ceramics courses and specializes in large-scale clay fabrication, installation and environmental art, wheel throwing, glaze formulation, and kilns. Jeff lives in San Rafael and works from his nearby studio in Novato, California. In his free time, he continues to compose, record, and perform his original music.