She’s not the department
she’s the whole business
The Artist, HR Wright at The CUP Show, 2026.
HR Wright has been here, there, and everywhere, truly living the idea of staying unstill. Hailing originally from Western New York, HR has traveled around the country working for nonprofits and making varied types of art. Her main focus with Stay Unstill Ceramics is to create pottery with a purpose. And not just making the perfect vessel for a personal serving of chips and salsa, but working toward having her work impact local communities. Though she has stilled for a while now in Austin, Texas, she is always ready for her wheels to spin.
How it started
“Cognitive Dissonance”, Ceramic, 2014.
After spending a year working at a refugee resettlement center in Rochester, NY, she realized that she would rather get involved in the nonprofit sector rather than continue in higher education. She went on to work another year in national service before becoming truly nomadic and working for a disaster relief nonprofit.
“Coming Home”, Ceramic, 2014.
Hannah “HR” Wright received a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art, concentrating her work in ceramics at Nazareth College of Rochester in New York. Initially, the artist intended to pursue the field of art therapy, hoping to utilize creative expression for healing and communication for her clients.
HR's work in disaster relief took her across the country, connecting her with like-minded individuals dedicated to serving communities devastated by nature's fury. She documented her experiences through writing, photography, and film. In addition to leading teams of volunteers, she actively participated in the labor-intensive efforts: sawing fallen trees and tearing out water-damaged walls from homes that had endured more flooding in two days than in an entire year. Sanitizing homes from mold and engaging with displaced homeowners. After several years with the organization (and numerous hurricanes), HR realized she needed a break.
And then what happened
Just before the 2020 pandemic, HR found herself in Austin, Texas, seeking to get reacquainted with the artistic side of herself that collected chairs, painted murals, and, of course, threw pots. And as she considered settling into Austin’s art scene, the pandemic decided she’d better stay awhile.
Home affected by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, photo by HR Wright, 2018.
HR on demo site in Oklahoma after flooding, 2019.
She began teaching classes, connecting with other ceramicists at studios and gallery openings, and assisted in the productions of local art tours. With a background rich in community development, she threw herself into the ceramics scene hoping to find the space to realize her work.
HR refining a cylinder on the wheel, 2026.
How it’s going
Array of Brass-Knuckle Mugs, cone 6 ceramic, 2023.
HR has now taught pottery classes at many of Austin’s local ceramic studios and currently teaches at The Contemporary Art School at Laguna Gloria and Ceramigos in Austin, Texas where she is also the Studio Manager. In addition to producing her own line of pottery, she is currently focusing her sculpture work centered around her experiences working in disaster relief. When not working, you can find her on the water, on the dance floor, in the garden, or somewhere on the highway between Texas and New York.
Sunflower Sangria Set, cone 6 ceramic, 2023.
HR teaching raku firing, 2024.
“ Apartment Planter”, cone 6 ceramic, 2023.
Someone already asked so you don’t have to
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Visit the “Pupils” page for class descriptions and external links to the studios I work at (they manage the class registrations). If you’re interested in a private lesson, please use the “Contact Us” page.
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We’re working on getting an online shop up and running, but the “we” is a “me,” and “me” prefers working with clay over computers. So the online store is a work in progress, but you can find selections of my work at:
In Austin, Texas
Ceramigos
EDEN HOUSE BOTANICALS
Clover + Maven
Green Sleeves NurseryIn Jamestown, New York
Art Cloth & Craft
Ecklof Bakery -
HR stands for reproductive rights for anyone with a uterus, more funding for arts programming in public schools, and… oh. You mean my name.
It’s a nickname of a nickname of a nickname. What’s the fun of life without a bit of mystery?
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It was incredible.
Incredibly hard, incredibly rewarding, incredibly [insert your adjective of choice here]. I learned so much about community, people, myself, the weather… 10/10 would recommend giving your time or support to nonprofit agencies working in disaster relief.
