Gary L. White is a native of Nashville, born and raised. White received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Watkins College of Art and Design in 2011, and received his MFA in Ceramics from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. White is a Belmont Faculty Fellows 2022 and teaches Ceramics at Belmont University. His works have been exhibited in solo shows and group exhibitions throughout the country. White conducts a cross-cultural visual investigation, that records folkways, identity, and the experiences of the “southern Other” in both historical and contemporary times.

Jess Cheng is an interdisciplinary artist who works in clay, fiber, and installation. They immigrated to the US at three years old and grew up in rural Arkansas as the sole person of Asian descent in their class. They first worked with clay while studying Mechanical Engineering in southern California in 2014.

Since moving to Seattle in 2018, Jess has shown work locally at Columbia City Gallery, Kirkland Art Center, and Good Earth Pottery; and nationally at Arrowmont, Watershed, and Core Clay in Cincinnati. They have assisted workshops at the Penland School of Craft and Archie Bray Foundation.

In their personal practice, Jess works with clay and natural materials with special emphasis on invasive species. Their sculptural work explores themes of nurture, suffering, and transformation. They currently reside in Seattle with their partner and their cat.