Joan Farnam was born in Duluth and spent part of her childhood living in Canada. In her past life, she earned a BA in History from the University of the Pacific in California and a MA in Anthropology from California State University. Joan began taking ceramics classes at the Duluth Art Institute in 1999 and since than has earned a masters worth of experience in everything from wood firing, to Raku, to primitive glazing and burnishing methods, to majolica painting, to wheel throwing. She has also invented the secret of majolica painted talking bowls, and if you are lucky, you may be able to find them for sale at the Betsy Bowen Old Playhouse Gallery. Joan began renting in the ceramics studio in 2003 and her incredible energy and dedication to working with clay has kept the ceramics studio full of students, clean, and very much alive and active. She teaches most of our beginning throwing classes as well as acting as a mentor and inspiration for all people who yearn to work with clay.