Welcome to The Nest Gallery
The Nest, located on the lower level of Clay & Company, showcases contemporary work by artists from our local community and beyond. At 400 square feet, The Nest provides an intimate gallery setting for viewing work that is both aesthetic and thought-provoking.
While our emphasis is on ceramic arts, we believe cross-fertilization inspires creativity. You’ll see work in all media in our rotating exhibits.
About the artists
Dana Polonsky
David Kielpinski
David Kielpinski
Dana Polonsky holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art from DePaul University. She began wheel throwing at the age of 12 and has continued her practice on and off for many years. Dana's love for pottery strengthened and her knowledge grew when she began taking classes from Claire Willis (Founder of Clay and Company) just after she began her home-based studio in 2021.
Dana specializes in functional pottery. Within this show, her work focuses on thrown and altered pieces. Each piece began as thrown clay on the pottery wheel and then enhanced with hand-built attachments. The pieces were then refined to create seamless works that are meant both for decoration and function.
David Kielpinski
David Kielpinski
David Kielpinski
David Kielpinksi spent 31 years as a full time commercial photographer. Because of his love of photography, after his retirement he transitioned from commercial photography to fine art photography. In the last 15 years his passion has become taking photos of larger birds, egrets and herons in particular, landscapes, waterscapes, waterfalls and buildings in disrepair. He has won awards in local competitions, including taking first and second place in a competition hosted by the Veterans Administration.
PAST SHOWS
Holiday Impressions
November 21, 2025-January 16, 2026
The holiday season is a time for celebration and connection. Holiday Impressions celebrates the warmth, creativity, and spirit of the season. Featuring handcrafted works by local ceramic artists, the exhibition showcases the unique expressions of form and embellishment. The show creates a moment to show us how clay has the power to connect people through traditional craft.
Holiday Impressions offers the perfect blend of art and celebration, inviting guests to slow down and savor the handmade. Come experience the joy of the season—one impression at a time.
Featured Artists:
Charli Bardwell
Lola Chalmers-Dibbell
Jeffrey Michel
Tori Miller
Natalie Poklop
Devin Robnick
Amanda Rankin
Izabela Suszko
Christina Villa
Claire Willis
Website: https://www.clairewillispottery.com
PAST SHOWS
The Shape of Presence
August 23 - October 21st, 2025
How does one fully inhabit one’s space? One’s body, surroundings, the arc of one’s life?
Claire Willis’s wood-fired clay vessels hint at some answers. Each vessel, birthed in fire and ash, shapes the space around and within it. Andrea Kielpinski’s paintings, layered with texture and memory, provide more clues. And the spare intimacy of her black and white photographs remind one yet again, how presence shapes the world.
Claire Willis is a masterful ceramicist and co-founder of Clay & Company. Andrea Kielpinski is a multi-dimensional artist working in Little Rock, Arkansas. This exhibit grew out of their shared inquiry into the nature of presence, reflected through each artist’s expressive media.
Claire Willis
Website: https://www.clairewillispottery.com
Andrea Kielpinski
Website: https://www.andreakielpinski.com
