Life and Work with Molly Schulps

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Schulps.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Southern CA. My father was a successful production potter, who attended UCLA for graduate school after retiring from pro football. He had his MFA in ceramics and taught in Southern CA. My dad opened his shop The Clay Pot in Calabasas, CA in the seventies. It was incredibly successful. He was a master potter and apprenticed many people, including myself. My mom is an interior designer and also attended UCLA. They were both extremely supportive and encouraged me to be an artist and explore various mediums. I went to grad school at CSUN and was lucky enough to study with Tom McMillin, Bob Smith, Sam Fields, Betty Brown, Patsy Cox, Kim Abeles, John O’Brien and Dave Elder. I got my MFA in 2001 and taught throughout Southern CA. I met such incredible people! I was fortunate to land my job at Cypress College in 2004 heading up the ceramics area. I have also been the Art Department Chair for the last four years.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have not always had a smooth road! One obstacle was financial. My parents were not able to help me financially with my education, which in the long run was a blessing because it instilled in me a hard work ethic. My dad would get up around 5 or 6 am and head out to the studio every day. My mom has always hustled to support our family. She is my true hero! My parents divorced when I was two, so it was always my mom, older sister and I. We have always been a tight-knit unit. I had my first job at the Renaissance Faire when I was a child working for my dad. I had my strangest job when I was thirteen working at a brokerage firm making cold calls for the brokers, I must have had a very adult sounding voice. I also waited tables for years to put myself through school.

Also, the art world can be challenging for a woman. Ceramics traditionally has been a male-dominated field but has definitely had some positive changes. I feel the ceramics community is really supportive of each other.

I think being dedicated and having a good work ethic is more than half the battle. I also think it’s important to uplift each other and impart positivity into peoples lives.

One of my great joys is teaching. I get to interact with the most incredible humans, who humble me and give me such happiness.

Please tell us about your work as an artist.
My artwork vacillates between sculpture, installation and more recently vessels. I have always been interested in narration, so I use the clay as canvas, both surface wise, and form. I am greatly concerned with the current state of affairs and fear for the environment. My work is a visual narrative celebrating nature and hoping we do better at taking care of it. I love the research element to my work as it allows me to visit places we should be doing a better job protecting. I will prepare a body of work through this research including visual documentation, sketches, painting, and small maquettes.

About four years ago, I started drawing on the vessels I make as another outlet for sketching and working through an idea. For me, working on the potter’s wheel has always been an intuitive process, so it made sense to draw on them. I started to develop new glazes and applications to use. This leads to another evolution in my work and started to manifest itself into my sculpture. I am now using imagery on everything. It’s a bit obsessive, but I find the outpouring of images is my way of reconciling my deep concern with the treatment of the environment.

I also find teaching deeply informs my art practice. I learn so much from the students. They ask the best questions, which makes you think about technique and content. I find myself problem solving with them all day long!

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I think finding an experienced practitioner in the field you are interested in is key! Someone who has a similar interest as you or one you are hoping to achieve. Research is also key to finding people who you would like to work with. I was introduced to Anne Faith Nicholls, who is a wonderful artist and curator. We started working together in 2012 and have had such great experiences. I knew the first time I visited her gallery and studio that she had a similar vision to art.

I also think intuition plays a role, trust your gut! I just had an incredible thing happen with a new student, who works as a realtor. She has a BFA in ceramics but hasn’t worked in clay for 15 years. She had a client who’s property she sold. The client had an extensive ceramic collection and allowed her to select one piece from her collection, which my student did. She was feeling ambivalent about starting ceramics again, especially taking a class. She met me on the first day and said she went home to look at the piece she had selected from her client a couple weeks prior and it was one of my dad’s pieces from the ’70s. That seems to be the universe working in ways we sometimes need to listen too.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://molly-schulps-s1d9.squarespace.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: mollyschulps

Image Credit:
Molly Schulps

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