Meet the Team
All of our staff are accomplished artists and are the foundation of our studio. Whether teaching a semester class, party, or private lesson, our instructors love sharing their knowledge and passion for pottery with others!
Staff + Instructors
Lizzie Butler
Owner + Director
Lizzie (she/her) is the owner and director of Clayhouse Brooklyn and creator of Sea Salt Water ceramics. Forever inspired by the sea, her pottery is greatly influenced by the experience of growing up on “The Forgotten Coast” in Florida. Lizzie is always seeking to find the perfect balance between form and function, creativity and design. When teaching she enjoys introducing beginners to the world of ceramics and helping more advanced students discover their style and voice in such a versatile medium.
Lizzie took her first class at Clayhouse in 2017 and soon after became a studio tech and wholesale production potter. Lizzie has taught countless wheel and handbuilding classes at Clayhouse, and has managed the space and staff since 2021. She became the owner of Clayhouse in the fall of 2024.
Emmalea Chan
Assistant Director + Instructor
Emmalea (they/them) moved to Brooklyn from Bozeman, Montana (B.F.A Montana State University). They credit their loving, long-term relationship with pottery to the abundance of ceramicists in their hometown. Emmalea’s first “real” job was assisting a production potter with their surface decoration. This formative experience translates to the work they make now. In 2021, they started teaching beginner wheel throwing at a friend’s community studio. The willingness and openness amongst all of their students continues to be an inspiration and the most enjoyable part of teaching. You will see Emmalea in the office, on the floor, and at the teacher’s wheel at Clayhouse.
Emmalea teaches Beginner Wheel and All Levels Wheel courses, as well as private lessons for people of all ages. They started working at Clayhouse in 2024.
Mia Calixto
Studio Technician + Instructor
Mia (she/her) is a Brooklyn born and raised artist. She is a self-taught potter who learned everything by observing the techs and instructors at this studio. She’s passionate about creating pieces that feel both grounded and expressive. Mia is grateful for allthe opportunities clay has brought her and all the friends she’s made along the way.
Mia teaches the Kids Handbuilding and Teens Wheel and Handbuilding, as well as private lessons and parties for groups of all ages. She initially started at the Painted Pot in 2017, became manager in 2019, and moved to Clayhouse in 2022.
Gus Laughlin
Studio Technician + Instructor
Gus (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based multimedia artist originally from Boston. As a child of a tableware designer, Gus has been loading kilns and working with ceramics since he was 12 years old. He keeps humor and experimentation central to his work across mediums and loves helping potters of all ages expand their artistic skill sets while maintaining a strong sense of play within their own practice. Gus holds a BFA in Experimental Theater from NYU Tisch.
Gus teaches Adult All-Levels Handbuilding, Kids Wheel and Handbuilding, and Try Handbuilding, well as private lessons and parties for groups of all ages. He started working at Clayhouse in 2022.
Alejandro Ceballos
Studio Technician
Alejandro (he/him) was born in the Dominican Republic and migrated to the United States at an early age of four. Alejandro spent his formative years growing up alongside his siblings in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Aside from maintaining his own rigorous pottery practice, and working at Clayhouse, Ale is a full-time Ceramic Studio Technician at Williamsburg Charter High School. He aspires to turn his passion for pottery into a long-standing career.
Alejandro started working at Clayhouse in 2023.
Simon Leek
Studio Technician + Instructor
Simon (he/him) works with whatever he can get his hands on. He has worked with clay since high school, teaching and teching in various community and private studios in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Italy, Greece, and now New York. He is interested in the history and future of functional ware, especially tool-pots like cooking vessels, teapots, cameras and more.
Simon teaches Adult All-Levels Wheel, Kids Wheel and Handbuilding, and private lessons and parties for groups of all ages. He started working at Clayhouse in 2024
Julie Knight
Instructor
Julie (she/her) is a graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design and majored in printmaking. She has been living and working in the art world of Manhattan for the past 15 years. In the last decade, Julie has been focusing exclusively on clay. She was awarded the Anna Soik Award for Ceramics in 1999 and was the recipient of the 2009 Mary Blakeley Fellowship at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle Maine. The focus of Julie’s pottery is on the overall form (specifically the relationship between the foot and the rim) and unique surface decoration. Julie’s goal as a potter is to create work that is both functional and beautifully tactile.
Julie started teaching at Clayhouse in 2010.
Elena Sonnenfeld
Instructor
Elena’s (she/her) love for ceramics translates into her dedication for teaching. Elena began wheel throwing when she was seven years old and has continued throughout her whole life. Graduating from Pratt with a focus on accessible design, she brings the idea of individualizing the ceramics process for everybody to both her classes and the studio. Within her own practice she incorporates ideas of accessibility and inclusion for the users of her pieces. Elena loves helping her students find their own unique way to achieve their ceramics goals.
Elena starting working at Clayhouse in 2022.
Melissa Stanley
Instructor
Melissa (she/her) has been teaching at Clayhouse since 2014, and creating work on the wheel for over 20 years. She began her journey in clay in the late 90’s when she worked as a studio assistant in exchange for wheel classes at Earthworks Pottery on the Upper East Side. She holds a BA in Ceramics and MA in Art Education.
Her classes not only focus on skill development, but also create a supportive community where students can share ideas and inspire one another. She loves seeing the spark ignite in her students and watching them explore the endless possiblities in clay.
Melissa started teaching at Clayhouse in 2014.
Lilian Wu Finckel
Instructor
Lilian (she/her) found pottery in high school and has been hooked ever since. She loves to help both beginner and intermediate potters hone in on techniques and refine forms, while leaving room for expressive and individualistic practices. She is passionate about community studios, and finds joy in cultivating relationships and collaborations in arts spaces. Alongside teaching at Clayhouse Brooklyn, Lilian is a Manager and Teacher at Gasworks NYC.
Lilian started teaching at Clayhouse in 2020.
Noah Heil
Instructor
Noah (he/they) first fell in love with clay while attending Macalester College in his home state of Minnesota, where he studied Studio Art, Spanish & Portuguese. After graduating, Noah continued to refine his craft while working as an instructor, studio assistant, and production potter in various ceramics studios around the Twin Cities area. Noah recently moved to Brooklyn from Minneapolis, bringing with him his love for clay and midwest enthusiasm.
Noah started teaching at Clayhouse in 2022.
Eital Schattner-Elmaleh
Instructor
Eital (she/they) first began throwing on the wheel at 10 years old and has been creating decorative and functional ware for nearly two decades since then. Eital strongly values creative collaboration and has been a part of over a dozen studios giving a broad range of experience to her teaching techniques. She believes that anyone can create anything with the right support and guidance and is passionate about breaking down the process of wheel throwing into digestible pieces so that students can become proficient in the process and let their creativity guide their work.
Eital started teaching at Clayhouse in 2022.
Michele Godwin
Instructor
Michele (she/her) is a beginner wheel teacher at Clayhouse Brooklyn. Michele creates ceramics using simple shapes, sometimes she adds drawings or does sgraffito which makes a pot look like a wood cut. Michele has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and a MFA from City College. Michele has worked with different art organizations for over twenty years, and cares about the students she works with.
Michele started teaching at Clayhouse in 2022.
Susannah Wilson
Instructor
Susannah (they/she) is an instructor at Clayhouse Brooklyn and at Choplet Ceramic Studio in Williamsburg. She also works as an assistant to Kyle Lee at his private studio in Gowanus. An actor by training, Susannah delights in the tactile and permanent nature of ceramics, which is so distinct from the ephemeral work of performance. As a teacher, Susannah encourages their students to try, fail, and try again, remaining open to the creative opportunities that mistakes might offer. Susannah holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College.
Susannah started teaching at Clayhouse in 2023.
Marie Leocadie
Instructor
Marie (she/her) is a ceramics artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Paris and raised in Montreal, these cultural influences deeply inform her artistic expression. With nearly a decade of experience in clay, Marie infuses each porcelain piece with playful spontaneity and vibrant personality. Her exploration of altered forms and surface designs challenges conventional notions of art-making, inviting viewers into a space of curiosity and possibility. In Brooklyn, Marie shares her passion for ceramics by teaching wheel throwing and hand-building techniques, contributing to the vibrant artistic community while continuing to evolve her own whimsical style.
Marie started teaching at Clayhouse in 2024.
Jess Ayala
Instructor
Jess (she/her) is a Brooklyn based ceramic artist, owner of Hueso Seco, and an educator from Los Angeles. She began her clay journey when she was a Montessori teacher 13 years ago in Brooklyn. Since then she’s been immersed in clay the past 4 years full time, teaching at various studios, growing her business and honing in on her skills with functional and sculptural wares. She uses handbuilding and altered wheel thrown techniques for her work. She enjoys watching her students open up to the medium of clay, nurturing their unique style, and sharing their philosophical approach to ceramics and its relationship to life.
Jess started teaching at Clayhouse in 2023.
Carolyn Xu
Instructor
Carolyn (she/her) is a Dallas, Texas native who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from the California College of the Arts, where she discovered her passion for creating works with clay. Her work is an expressive reflection of her cultural heritage, merging functionality with sculpture to create pieces that resonate on multiple levels. With a desire to grow and evolve as an artist, she continuously explores new techniques and ideas that are representative of who she is.
Carolyn started teaching at Clayhouse in 2025.
María José Canon
Instructor
María José (Majo) is a Colombian artist and educator based in Brooklyn. She enjoys working with kids, fostering curiosity, play, patience, and confidence through clay. Alongside teaching, Majo (she/they) creates and sells her own ceramic work. She holds a degree in Product Design from Parsons School of Design, where she focused on ceramics as a medium for community-based projects. Having grown up moving between countries, her practice centres on community, storytelling, and creating spaces where people can explore creativity and connect through making.
María José started teaching at Clayhouse in 2025.
Heidi Birch
Instructor
Heidi (she/her) is a ceramicist creating ceramic lighting and teaching in studios across Brooklyn. Heidi has been working with clay since 2010 and holds a BFA with a concentration in ceramics from Skidmore College. Her lighting is inspired by nature and explores the intersection between art, craft, and design. She loves when her students make something with an expected purpose!
Heidi started teaching at Clayhouse in 2025.
Abby Deschenes
Instructor
Abby (she/her), originally from Athens, GA, has been working with clay for over 6 years. After studying at the University of Georgia, she worked with a collective of potters at Southern Star Ceramics Studio, where she had the opportunity to learn from thoughtful creatives. She specializes in layered underglaze surface design, featuring natural imagery inspired by everyday items and thoughts. Animals, fruits, and flowers are common themes featured in her work. She primarily does wheel throwing, but also enjoys hand-building coil pots and small-scale figures. Her goal is to continue exploring the possibilities of clay and share her passion for learning with others.
Abby started teaching at Clayhouse in 2026.
Eva Tellier
Instructor
Eva (she/her) is a visual artist who primarily works with ceramic, fibers, and organic materials. Born in France, she later moved to Montreal, Canada, where she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in Fiber and Material Practices at Concordia University in 2020. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2025. Tellier has shown her work internationally in Europe, Canada and the United States. She lives and works in New York City where she has recently ended a residency at SculptureSpace NYC and is currently the artist fellow at the Museum of Art and Design.
Eva started teaching at Clayhouse in 2026.
Mugs by Lizzie Butler
Woodfire pot by Alejandro Ceballos
Jars by Carolyn Xu
Teapot by Emmalea Chan
Woodfire mug by Jess Ayala
Sculptures by Eva Tellier
Box by Gus Laughlin
Sculpture by Noah Heil
Jar by Susannah Wilson
Sculpture by Marie Leocadie
Vase by Mia Calixto
Teapot by Lilian Wu