Nick Schwartz

Nick Schwartz (b. 1975, Manhattan, NY) lives and works in Albion, CA. He grew up in a family embedded in the music industry and was surrounded by artists for much of his childhood. After discovering clay in high school, he went on to study at a small liberal arts school in Florida, where he was encouraged to travel abroad and set up independent studies in ancient cultures and their ceramic works. After graduating from university, he traveled to Japan for an apprenticeship. In a fortuitous turn of events, he found himself working with an avant-garde artist who had shared a studio with John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg. Upon returning to the United States, Nick moved to Northern California and received a grant to build a community wood kiln. He founded a circus, made ceramics, baked bread, and then developed and operated Flynn Creek Pottery for over a decade. Nick has been invited to teach and lecture all over the world. Nick and his wife, artist Jessica Rae Thompson, founded and currently operate the Cider Creek Collective, an artist center for residencies, education, and community in Mendocino.