Emily Schroeder Willis

Emily Schroeder Willis serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Ceramics Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where she teaches across multiple levels of the ceramics curriculum including Wheel Throwing Fundamentals, Clay and Culture, and Senior Critique Studio.

Her educational background includes a BFA from the University of Minnesota (2000), Special Studies in Ceramics at Australia National University (2001), and an MFA from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2006). Her teaching philosophy emphasizes both technical skill development and conceptual understanding of ceramics within contemporary art contexts.

Willis's research interests focus on the intersection of traditional ceramic techniques with contemporary artistic practice, cultural contexts of clay across civilizations, and the evolving role of ceramics in fine art. Her work explores vessel forms as cultural artifacts while pushing boundaries of material expression through innovative surface treatments and structural approaches.

Her recent publications and artistic output demonstrate consistent engagement with ceramic materiality, with particular focus on glaze chemistry, firing techniques, and the cultural significance of ceramic objects throughout human history. Her 2022-2024 works show continued experimentation with stoneware forms that balance functional references with sculptural expression.

• Jerome Grant, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis
• Sage Fellowship, Archie Bray Foundation, Montana
• Residency at Zentrum für Keramik, Berlin
• Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts Residency, Newcastle, ME

As an educator, Willis guides students through comprehensive ceramic practice from foundational wheel throwing to advanced conceptual development. Her courses integrate technical instruction with critical discourse about craft's place in contemporary society, drawing on historical precedents while encouraging individual artistic voices. Her professional practice demonstrates the integration of teaching, making, and scholarly engagement that characterizes successful contemporary ceramic artists.

Willis maintains an active studio practice with recent works exhibited internationally, including at the Dubai Design Fair and Ohio Craft Museum, and represented in collections such as the Minnesota Historical Society and Australia National University.