About Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger

Many hours spent in the Northwest woods near home as a child, playing with creatures, making mud pies, and finding hidden treasures, has informed the creation of Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger’s work. Meshing human figures, nature, social justice, and a deep knowledge of emotional realms creates powerful, timeless figures. Mrs. Ripley-Dunkelberger translates psychological and emotional experiences into visual representations which confront or comfort the viewer. Her work helps you contemplate your understanding of being human.

Large flat coils of red clay, slips, and underglazes are slowly built into figurative work with layers of textures and surface treatments. Pieces are fired multiple times incorporating stains and glazes to emphasize areas of interest and draw the viewer’s eye. Sometimes a treatment of lusters or cold finishes are added. Her work is a balance of representational figures and abstract forms leaving the meaning to be contemplated by the viewer.

While her work is initially planned, it often moves in unexpected directions before completion. Juliette says of her process “Creative work is allowing yourself to be pulled deeper along a path, sometimes with extraordinarily little indication of where you are going, following each bread crumb dropped by the original inspiration to the core of the work and then finding your way back invigorated and changed.” Juliette enjoys the constant opportunities to learn from failure, problem solve, experiment, and push past her comfort zones that clay provides.

Mrs. Ripley-Dunkelberger shows work at the Columbia City Gallery in Seattle. An active artist for over thirty years, she enjoys collaborating with other others and show curation. As a teaching artist she has introduced many to the magic of clay. And as a creativity expert she consults and trains both individuals and organizations, empowering their innate creativity and driving innovation. Her objective as both an instructor and consultant is to unlock human creative potential through experiential, exploratory, and inquiry-based experiences.

Education

• 2022 June Masters of Science Degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State NY

• 2017 November South Africa Invitational Ceramic Artists Exchange with Carol Gouthro

• 2015 May Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab graduate

• 2013 May China Invitational Ceramic Artists Exchange with Carol Gouthro & Trudy Golley

• 2008 to present: Courses and Workshops attended: Carol Gouthro, Debra Fritts, Pat Colyar, Tip Toland, Patti Warashina, and Lisa Clague

• 1993 BA in Music Performance, Courses in Art History & Ceramics