Steph Neary

Studio Manager/Facilitator
www.stephneary.com
contact: sneary@achieva.org

Steph Neary is a self-taught artist based in Pittsburgh, PA. She creates ​one of a kind pieces using vintage and salvaged materials. Since settling in Pittsburgh in 2006, she’s developed a ​distinctive style that blends fine art with craft: a nod to folklore, child​s play, ​underground comix, and traditional techniques w​ith humor and surrealism. Her work embraces the charm of raw, heirloom-inspired designs, ​b​lurring the boundaries between art and craft.

Steph Neary has worked at VaultArt Studio since 2018.

Press:
”Breaking Down Barriers” interview with Anastasia James, Director of Galleries and Public Art at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Public Source: Penn Avenue businesses in ‘survival mode’ amid construction disruptions

Sam Berner

Studio Facilitator

https://www.threeriversclayworks.com/

Sam Berner is a ceramic artist and painter that dabbles in video and performance art. He got his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Penn State in 2009 and his Master of Fine Arts from University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2013. Sam grew up in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, moving to Pittsburgh in 2013.  

Cicely Murray

Studio Facilitator

Cicely Murray is an artist and educator who grew up in the rust belt of western PA. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2018, then her Masters of Art Education from Carlow University in 2021. She has worked as a ceramic educator in Pittsburgh since 2019 and has a background in therapeutic creative arts. Cicely’s porcelain vessels and sculptures often feature faces and patterns inspired by sketchbook daydreams and doodles. 

Liz Wells

Studio Facilitator

Liz Wells is an artist working in clay. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Otterbein University in 2020. Since graduation, Wells stays active in the Fine Craft community by assisting and participating in craft school workshops and residencies. She works in Pittsburgh, PA as a studio facilitator for VaultArt and an arts educator for Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media. Her work has been sold and exhibited throughout the East Coast, Mid-West, and the Appalachian region. 

Wells is currently represented at Chaos Contemporary Craft in Columbus, OH. 

“My work explores permanence, using clay’s archival ability to record memory. Balanced between creating both functional and decorative work, these objects are renderings of feelings, memories, dreams, and nightmares I can’t seem to forget.”